Cammarata
Cammarata: a Municipality Immersed in Nature
Cammarata is a municipality located in the agrigento free municipal consortium, in Sicily, with a population of approximately 5,839 inhabitants. The locality is situated at 989 meters above sea level and owes its name to the Byzantine Greek word "Kàmara" which means "vaulted room." The town of Cammarata is located on the slopes of Mount Cammarata, one of the Sicani Mountains, in a particularly wooded area. In the territory of Cammarata, the Platani river, as well as other streams and tributaries, originates and develops for a long stretch. Given the geological variety, the riverine territory is home to several species of marsh birds and several species of birds of prey that are listed as protected species.
Curiosities about the Territory of Cammarata
The territory of Cammarata extends over an area of 19203 hectares with a population density of 958 inhabitants per square kilometer. The municipality of San Giovanni Gemini is included within the territory of Cammarata, constituting an exclave. The inhabited center rises on a sandstone rock, characterizing the view of the town in terraces. Archaeological finds found throughout the territory of Cammarata testify that the place was inhabited even in Roman and prehistoric times.
History of Cammarata
Cammarata has seen the historical vicissitudes of Sicily, passing from the Normans to the Swabians and becoming a demesne city for a short period with Frederick II of Sicily. After the period of great uncertainty due to the Sicilian Vespers, in 1397 following the rebellion of the count of Cammarata against Martino il Giovane who had become king of Sicily in the meantime, the place underwent siege by Bernardo Cabrera, the right hand of the king. Cammarata was owned and inhabited by several noble families, including the Vinciguerra d'Aragona in 1369, the Moncada family, and the Branciforte family. In the fifteenth century, Cammarata experienced a prosperous and peaceful period under the Abatellis who, thanks to their origin as merchants, made the most of the resources of the territory, especially salt extraction. The castle, whose appearance can be traced back to Aragonese architecture, was permanently inhabited by the lords of Cammarata until the seventeenth century. Then began its decline, until the end of feudalism in Sicily in 1812.
The Monumental Art of Cammarata
Cammarata preserves in the Mother Church a splendid statue of the Madonna della Catena and a painting by Pietro D'Asaro, while in the church of the Annunziata erected in the fourteenth century, there is a marvelous golden cross made by an unknown Sicilian carver of the sixteenth century.
Cammarata is a municipality immersed in nature that offers visitors remaining artistic inspirations that tell the story of the locality, from the Roman period to the feudal one. The inhabited center rises on an oblique rocky ridge, which creates a unique view of the town. Cammarata is an ideal place for those who love nature and ancient history.
