Biancavilla

Villa Bianca is a city in the Province of Catania in Sicily in Italy with 23,835 inhabitants (as of 31 December 2012).

Location and data

Villa Bianca is located 33 km northwest of Catania on the southwestern slopes of Mount Etna. The residents work only agriculture but also in the furniture and clothing industry.

The neighboring municipalities are Adrano, Belper, Bronte, Centuripe (EN), Nicolosi Paternò, Randazzo Regalbuto ( EN ) and S. Maria di Licodia.

Current mayor of Villa Bianca is the liberals Dr. Giuseppe Glorioso.

History

The town was founded in 1488 by refugees from the Greek region of Epirus. They should have rested on the run in the then derelict area of the present town. Legend has it that they had a picture of the Virgin Mary with her and hung it on a fig tree during the break. The next morning, the image of branches of the tree to have been clasped, whereupon the refugees decided to ask for permission to settle here, which were allowed on 8 January in 1488 by the Aragonese governor Santapau and Centelles. The name Bianca Villa dates back to 1599th Prior to founding was the area Callicari or Pojo Rosso, beginning initially Alba Villa. " Casalis Calli Caris " she says in a letter of April 20, 1542, in which the bishop of the region to the Greek priest Papodato Andrea granted permission to celebrate a mass.

Most likely is due to the current name Bianca Villa by the Earl of Adrano Francesco Moncada, of the village to honor the Comtess Bianca di Navarra so named.

Attractions

The parish church dates from the 18th century. Inside is a Late Byzantine Icon of Santa Maria dell ' elemosina. The church, the bell tower and the facade was built from 1889 to 1900. Inside the Church of San Francesco is located paintings from the 18th century.

Pictures

Il Rosario. architect Sada