Contessa Entellina

Contessa Entellina
—  Comune  —
Comune di Contessa Entellina
Contessa Entellina Location of Contessa Entellina in Italy
Coordinates: 37°44′N 13°11′E / 37.733°N 13.183°E / 37.733; 13.183Coordinates: 37°44′N 13°11′E / 37.733°N 13.183°E / 37.733; 13.183
Country	Italy
Region	Sicily
Province	Palermo (PA)
Government
- Mayor	Antonino Lala (since May 27, 2005)
Area
- Total	136 km2 (52.5 sq mi)
Elevation	561 m (1,841 ft)
Population (2001)
- Total	1,981
- Density	14.6/km2 (37.7/sq mi)
Demonym	Contessioti
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	90030
Dialing code	091
Patron saint	Saint Nicholas of Myra
Saint day	December 6

Contessa Entellina (Albanian: Kundisa, Sicilian: Cuntissa) is a small comune of 1,981 inhabitants in the province of Palermo, in Sicily, southern Italy. Is located in the "Valle del Belice" to 571 meters above sea level, is situated 80 km from Palermo and 40 km from Sciacca.

The country, along with Piana degli Albanesi and Santa Cristina Gela, is among the three ethnic communities Arbëreshë of Sicily, who still speak the ancient language Albanian (arbërisht).

History

The foundation is attributed to the Countess about 1450 on the ruins of a remote farmhouse seniority, the Hamlet of Comitissa, but the chapter officers, the granting of fiefs, were built in 1520, when he start the rebuilding, upgrading and restocking of Albanians from Albania and the southern Morea.

In ancient times it was near them the ancient Elymian city of Entella, in fact, with the discovery of archaeological ancient site, to give relief to the old site, you would add the name of the country, even the term Entella

Today Contessa Entellina keeps the Albanian language, the culture of their ancestors, and holds the Byzantine-Greek rite; but lives a very difficult period. From earthquake of Belice to date have followed many migrations, halving the population and depopulating the city center, the Albanian language is also taught to fewer and fewer young people, so the vcomunità is constantly lost and stolen the identities.

People from Contessa Entellina

• Nikollë Keta (1741-1803), papàs of the Byzantine-greek rite, ethnographic, writer and poet.
• Antonino Cuccia (1850-1938), expert popular poet arbëreshë.
• Lorenzo Tardo (1883-1967), basilian priest and scholar of Byzantine music.
• Leonardo Lala (1906-2000), experienced writer of language, history and folk traditions arbëreshë.

External links

• Contessa Entellina Birth, Marriage and Death Records 1820-1865
• Contessa Entellina Society, New Orleans, Louisiana, founded in 1896
• Contessa Entellina in Google Maps