Mongrassano

Mongrassano
—  Comune  —
Comune di Mongrassano
Coat of arms
Mongrassano Location of Mongrassano in Italy
Coordinates: 39°32′N 16°7′E / 39.533°N 16.117°E / 39.533; 16.117Coordinates: 39°32′N 16°7′E / 39.533°N 16.117°E / 39.533; 16.117
Country	Italy
Region	Calabria
Province	Cosenza (CS)
Government
- Mayor	Vito Frank Barbagallo
Area
- Total	34 km2 (13.1 sq mi)
Elevation	540 m (1,772 ft)
Population
- Total	1,694
- Density	49.8/km2 (129/sq mi)
Demonym	Mongrassanesi
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	87040
Dialing code	0984
Patron saint	Santa Lucia da Siracusa
Saint day	Third Sunday in August
Website	Official website

Mongrassano is a town and comune of the province of Cosenza in the Calabria region of southern Italy, located 42 kilometers northwest of Cosenza.

The town is part of the Comunità Montana Media Valle Crate.

History

Mongrassano already existed in the 12th century as a hamlet of San Marco named Mons Crasanus, Mocrasani, Montegrassano or Magrosani. It was originally divided in two hamlets: Serra di Leo and Mongrassano. Like many other Albanian-origin settlements the urban structure was based on the gijtonia, in other words, circular streets. In either 1459 or early in the 16th century, another group of Albanian political refugees came and settled in Mongrassano.

On 20 July 1459 the Prince of Bisignano gave the civil jurisdiction of the city to the Bishop of San Marco. In 1642 the Gaetani acquired the territory; in 1688 they sold the property to the Marquesses of Fuscaldo, who held it until the end of the feudal system in 1806. In 1807 Mongrassano became state owned and in 1811 it joined with Serra di Leo. In 1816 it was elevated to the level of a comune, with Serra di Leo as its frazione.

Language and dialect

Officially the inhabitants speak Italian. Traditionally, the dialect is of Albanian origin (Arbëresh), but is spoken by an increasingly restricted number of inhabitants.

Festivals

The patron saint of Mongrassano is Saint Catherine of Siena, but the most important festival in the town is Saint Lucia that occurs during the month of August.

Notes and references

External links

• http://www.arbitalia.it/index.htm
• http://www.comuni-italiani.it/078/080/
• http://calabria.indettaglio.it/eng/comuni/cs/mongrassano/mongrassano.html