Siculiana
Siculiana | |
|---|---|
| Comune di Siculiana | |
 | |
 Coat of arms | |
  Siculiana Location of Siculiana in Italy  Siculiana Siculiana (Sicily) | |
| Coordinates: 37°20′N 13°25′E / 37.333°N 13.417°E | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Sicily |
| Province | Agrigento (AG) |
| Frazioni | Siculiana Marina |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Giuseppe Zambito |
| Area | |
• Total | 40 km2 (15 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 120 m (390 ft) |
| Population (2017)[2] | |
• Total | 4,471 |
| • Density | 110/km2 (290/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Siculianesi |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 92010 |
| Dialing code | 0922 |
| Patron saint | SS. Crucifix |
| Saint day | May 3 |
| Website | Official website |
Siculiana is a town and comune in the province of Agrigento, Sicily, southern Italy, 13 kilometres (8 mi) west of the provincial capital Agrigento.
History
According to some historians, the name derives from the distortion of the Arabic Suq al Jani ("John's market"), while others believe its origin stems from Suqu 'l Yuni or Supu 'l Yunani ("Market of the Greeks").[3]
The medieval hamlet of Siculiana was founded in 1310 by Frederick II Chiaramonte. Frederick constructed a castle, parts of which still exist today, on the ruins of the Arab fortress known as "Kalat Sugul", which had been destroyed in 1087 during the conquest of Sicily by Roger I.[3][4]
Geography
Siculiana’s 13-kilometre (8 mi) long coast line is largely unspoiled; a protected Regional Nature Reserve has been established in the locality of Torre Salsa for its natural beauty and environmental interest.[3]
Siculiana Marina is a suburban seaside village of Siculiana on the Strait of Sicily. Once an important settlement for maritime trade in the Mediterranean, with a prominent commercial Marketplace emporium, it is now a popular summer resort. The Caricatore (Loading Dock) was still active up to the end of 19th century.[3]
Monuments and traditions
The ruins of the once-embattled Castello Chiaramonte is a prominent feature of the landscape.[5] Within the city, the Baroque church Santuario del Santissimo Crocifisso is a well-known landmark.[6] Inside is revered the Black Crucifix,[7] which was moved to the church in 1611 from the castle in which it was previously kept.[8] Every 3rd of May, the statue is carried in procession with typical abrupt movements and dips of the float, which popular belief attributes to the will of the saint.[7]
People
- Francesco Agnello, Baron of Siculiana, musicologist, president of the Association "Amici della musica" - Palermo
- Frank Sivero, an American character actor[9]
- Giuseppe Basile, Surgeon - Doctor of Garibaldi
- Blasco Isfar e Corillas, Baron of Siculiana
- Alfred Polizzi, mafia boss of the Cleveland crime family
- Nicola Gentile, Sicilian mafioso in New York City
References
- ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ a b c d Siculiana, Siculiana on line
- ^ (in Italian) Tra antiche seduzioni e nuovi richiami, by Enza Pecorelli, Siculiana on line
- ^ "Il Castello Chiaramonte". Siculiana on line (in Italian). Retrieved 4 October 2025.
- ^ "Il Santuario del Santissimo Crocifisso". Siculiana on line (in Italian). Retrieved 4 October 2025.
- ^ a b "Il Santissimo Crocifisso di Siculiana e la Festa del Tre Maggio". Siculiana on line (in Italian).
- ^ Hoad, Phil (11 December 2023). "A Black Jesus review – religious rites and refugees collide in Sicilian village". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ "Frank Sivero Biography ((?)-)". Film Reference. Retrieved March 27, 2014.
External links
Media related to Siculiana at Wikimedia Commons- Museo Mete