Piana degli Albanesi
Piana degli Albanesi ( Hora e Arbëreshëvet Albanian language ) is a city in the province of Palermo in the Italian region Sicily, with 6075 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012). The city is still inhabited almost exclusively by the Arbëreshs.
Location and data
Piana degli Albanesi is located 27 km south of Palermo. The inhabitants mainly work in agriculture.
The neighboring municipalities are Fonte Alto, Monreale and Santa Cristina Gela.
In Piana degli Albanesi an ancient Albanian dialect is spoken today.
History
The town was founded in 1488 and was called to 1941 due to the Byzantine rite church officially Piana dei Greci ( level of the Greeks ). Today, the city officially Piana degli Albanesi, commonly or Hora e Arbëreshëvet (City of Albanians ) is called. The place was founded by Arbëresh ( Albanian immigrants ) who had fled before the invasion of the Turks and had received new settlement areas in Sicily.
Since 1937, Piana degli Albanesi bishopric Piana degli Albanesi the eparchy, one of the two Italo- Albanian dioceses.
Attractions
- Cathedral of San Demetrio Megalomartire, built in 1590, painted by Pietro Novelli 1641-42.
- Church of Maria Odigitria, built 1644th
- Church of San Giorgio Megalomartire, built 1493rd
Excerpt from the San Demetrio Cathedral, Epiphany 2007
Women in traditional Albanian costume
Sons and daughters of the town
- Lekë Matrënga (1567-1619), Catholic priest and former Albanian writer
- Demetrio Camarda (1821-1882), philologist
- Marco Petta (1921-2007), Monk, Italo- Byzantine scholar and teacher
- Sotir Ferrara ( b. 1937 ), Bishop of the Eparchy of Piana degli Albanesi