Vizzini

:"Vizzini was also the name of a character in William Goldman's novel The Princess Bride."

Infobox CityIT
img_coa = Vizzini-stemma2007.jpg
img_coa_small = yes
official_name = Comune di Vizzini
region = Sicily
province = Catania (CT)
elevation_m = 586
area_total_km2 = 125
population_as_of = December 31, 2004
population_total = 7017
population_density_km2 = 57
timezone = CET, UTC+1
coordinates = coord|37|10|N|14|45|E|region:IT_type:city(7017)
frazioni = Camemi,Vizzini Scalo
telephone = 0933
name=Vizzini
mapx=37.101445|mapy=14.45
postalcode = 95049
gentilic = Vizzinesi
saint = St. Gregory
day = March 12
mayor = Vito Saverio Cortese (From:2002May 28)
website = [http://www.comune.vizzini.ct-egov.it/ Comune di Vizzini]

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image_caption = Panorama of Vizzini|

Vizzini is a town and comune in the province of Catania, on the island of Sicily. It is located 60 km from Catania in the Hyblaean Mountains, on the most northwesterly slopes of Monte Lauro.

The commune territory is bounded by the comuni of Buccheri, Francofonte, Giarratana, Licodia Eubea, Militello in Val di Catania, Mineo.

History

Bidis, a Roman city mentioned by Pliny and Cicero, stood here in a territory that has been inhabited since prehistoric times. [ [http://www.sicilyok.it/larosa/ "Sicily and Its Islands", 2004 - Ugo La Rosa editore] ]

The modern town developed in the Middle Ages around a now non-extant castle, [ [http://www.mondimedievali.net/Libridine/castelsicilia.htm AA. VV., Castelli medievali di Sicilia - Guida agli itinerari castellani dell'isola, Grafiche Renna, Palermo 2001] "VIZZINI - Denominazione: castello o torre di Vizzini; turris Bizini.Cartografia IGM: 273 II N.O. Vizzini. Dati catastali: Vizzini, F° 80, partt. 1847, 2049. Bibliografia essenziale:Amico 1855-56. II, pp. 663-66; Maurici 1992.. p.384;SMDS,VII,pp.80-83.C.M.B"] as a fief of various lords, including the Chiaromontes and the Schittinos, although for many years it was also part of the royal domain.

In 1358, Roland of Sicily reconquered the area from Vizzini to Avola.

Main sights

The Arab layout of the town can be clearly seen passing from Via Verga to Via San Gregorio Magno and proceeding as far as Largo della Matrice, a square with a statue of St. Gregory in the middle and the Chiesa Madre (S. Gregorio Magno) at one side.

The portal on the left face of the church, in splendid 15th century Gothic-Catalan style, probably came from the old Town Hall, destroyed by the earthquake in 1693; in the interior there are late 18th century stuccos and a wooden ceiling by Natale Bonaiuto, as well as two paintings ("The Martyrdom of St. Laurence" and the "Madonna delle Mercede") by Filippo Paladini (or Paladino), born in Florence about 1544. Another painting by Paladino, "The Deposition" (1607), is in the Chiesa del Convento dei Cappuccini.

Nearby is the Chiesa di Sant'Agata, rebuilt in the 18th century on the site of a previous 15th century building and houses a pipe organ [ [http://www.concordanza.com/misc/si_tipol/si3.html Giusy Larinà -Towards a typology of decorative façades in 18th-century Sicilian organs (This article was published in Italian in Il Canto dell'Aquila, (Centro di Studi Musicali per il Meridione, Caltagirone) July 1990, pp102-111.)Photographs courtesy of Vincenzo Piluso.English translation by N. Waanders 2001] ] created around 1770.

The church of San Giovanni Battista is from the 18th century. The stuccos decorating the interior are by Natale Bonaiuto (also mentioned with reference to the Chiesa Madre).

Antonello Gagini is present in the Chiesa dei Minori Osservanti, with a fine statue of the "Madonna and Child" (1527).

Religious buildings

*Chiesa dello Spirito Santo
*Chiesa di S. Maria di Gesù
*Chiesa di S. Vito
*Chiesa S. Annunziata
*Chiesa di S. Francesco di Paola
*Chiesa di S. Maria del Pericolo
*Chiesa S. Sebastiano
*Chiesa S. Teresa.
*Chiesa dei Minori Osservanti
*Chiesa di Sant'Agata
*Chiesa del Convento dei Cappuccini
*Monastero S. Maria dei Greci
*Santa Lucia

Palaces and other buildings

*Palazzo di Citta (early 19th century)
*Palazzo Verga (family of the writer)(18th century)
*Palazzo di città (municipio)(Town Hall Building)
*Palazzo Cannizzaro
*Palazzo Passanisi
*Palazzo Cafici
*Palazzo La Gurna
*Palazzo Trao

Culture

The writer Giovanni Verga used Vizzini as the setting for his "Cavalleria Rusticana" and "Mastro Don Gesualdo", describing places and scenes that are still recognizable (the prickly pears of Cunziria, and in a sloping alley the house of the Trao family).

Notable inhabitants

*Giovanni Verga (1840-1922) - Italian realist writer.
*Lucio Marineo Siculo (1444-1533) [Juan Boscán Almogáver was a student of Lucio Marineo Siculo from Vizzini,Italy] [ [http://www.comune.vizzini.ct-egov.it/La_Citt%C3%A0/Biblioteche/biblioteca.asp Biblioteca Comunale "Lucio Marineo"] ]
*Sister Veronica (Febronia) Barone (1856-1878)- Layperson of the diocese of Caltagirone;member, Secular Franciscans. [ [http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veronica_Barone Veronica Barone] ] [ [http://newsaints.faithweb.com/year/1878.htm The Hagiography Circle - An Online Resource on Contemporary Hagiography] ]
*Gesualdo Costa (1864-1942) - Surgeon and author of numerous medical publications.
*Mariano Giarrusso (1777-1847)- inventor.
*Giovanni De Lorenzo (1907-1973)
*Giuseppe Failla Gelsomino (1879-1952) - Professor of letters, skilled speaker and teacher.
*Giuseppe Garretto (1896-1977)
*Francesco Inguanti (1828-?)
*Giovanni Buscema (1833-?)
*Francesco Musarra (1649-?)
*Ignazio Noto (1662–1736)
*Ippolito Cafici (1857–1947)
*Giovanni Selvaggi (1889–1954)
*Alfonso Verga (?-?)
*Luigi Cosentino (1908-1931)
*Giovanni Catalano (1912-?)
*Ettore Siracusa [ [http://www.innersense.com.au/mif/siracusa.html filmmaker - Melbourne independent filmmakers] ] (1943- )- Independent filmmaker
*Giovanna Li Volti (Guzzardi) [ [http://www.australiadonna.on.net/english/prof/guzzardi.htm Australia Donna:Giovanna Guzzardi] ] [ [http://www.austlit.edu.au/run?ex=ShowAgent&agentId=A01i AustLit - Author] ] (1943- ) - Author
*Joe Ficarra [ [http://209.85.141.104/search?q=cache:BmZChPs5iYcJ:www.moreland.vic.gov.au/archives/mr140104.htm Moreland Mayor invited to international Italian conference: Media Release 14 January 2004 - Moreland City Council] ] (? - ) - Past Mayor of the City of Moreland [ [http://mc2.vicnet.net.au/home/nimac/JoeFicarra.htm Cr Joe Ficarra - Moreland City Council] ] [ [http://www.picturevictoria.vic.gov.au/site/coburg/chs/17384.html 2003 Cr Joe Ficarra Mayor City of Moreland 2003 - 2004] ]
*Cesare Rosario Giarrusso (1887-1945) [ [http://www.artfacts.net/index.php/pageType/artistInfo/artist/75669/lang/1 Artfacts.Net: Cesare Rosario Giarrusso] ] - Artists work displayed in Italy at the [http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museo_d%27Arte_Contemporanea_Villa_Croce_di_Genova Villa Croce Museo d´Arte Contemporanea] , Genona.

Economy

The economy of the commune is mainly agricultural (cereals, prickly pears, vegetables, sumac). Other activities include handmade shoes and carpentry.

Transportation

The railway station Vizzini-Licodia is situated 6 km outside the city in the frazione of Vizzini Scalo.

Events

*Procession of "Sorrows" - Good Friday
*"A Cugnunta" - Easter Sunday
*"Ricotta and Cheese Festival" - 23rd, 24th and 25th of April
*Festival of San Giuseppe - 19 April
*"Festival of Taste and Odours" - 2 June
*Festival of San Giovanni Battista - 28th and 29th August
*Events Verghiane - July / August
*Festival of the Patron San Gregorio Magno - 2nd and 3rd September
*"Rocksticana [ [http://www.rocksticana.infovizzini.it Rocksticana, concorso musicale per gruppi emergenti] ] " - Rock music festival for emerging groups - September
*Traditional "Festival of the Dead" - 30th / 31st October and 1st November
*"Living Nativity" - December

Demographic evolution

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Gallery

ee also

* House of Siracusa
* Allied invasion of Sicily - during the Second World War Vizzini was captured on the 14th July 1943. [ [http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Montgomery.html Biography: Bernard Law Montgomery: jewishvirtuallibrary.org] ]

References

External links

*it icon [http://www.comune.vizzini.ct-egov.it/ Official website of the Comune di Vizzini]
*it icon [http://www.infovizzini.it InfoVizzini.it - "The website of the Citizens of Vizzini"]
*en icon [http://www.vizzinesi.org/ Vizzini Genealogy] (Birth / Marriage / Death indices 1820-1860 / Military Draft Index 1840-1913)
*en icon [http://www.concordanza.com/misc/si_tipol/si3.html Towards a typology of decorative façades in 18th-century Sicilian organs (Page 3)] [http://www.concordanza.com/misc/si_tipol/si4.html (Page 4)]
*en icon [http://www.energy-business-review.com/article_news.asp?guid=C53671BD-84D7-43C8-AFAD-62A86FF55DE5 Endesa inaugurates first Sicily wind farm (in Vizzini)]
*en icon [http://320thbg.org/1943_missions.html B-26 320th Bomb Group 1943 Missions] - July 10th 1943 - Vizzini (Sicily) (Mission No.44 No. Aircraft 22) - [http://320thbg.org/mission_pdfs/mission_046.pdf Scanned pdf] copy of the Mission Summary and [http://320thbg.org/strike_photo_pages/strike_44.htm strike photo] .