Contessa Entellina
Discovering Contessa Entellina
Hello everyone! Today I'll talk to you about Contessa Entellina, a small Sicilian municipality located in the metropolitan city of Palermo. The town, with its 1504 inhabitants, is located in the Belice Valley, precisely on the northern slopes of Mount Genuardo. But Contessa Entellina is not just a municipality like any other, it is a real ethnic, linguistic and religious oasis thanks to its peculiar cultural identity. In fact, its history dates back to 1450, when groups of Albanian soldiers, the stradioti, settled in this place fleeing from the invasion of the Ottoman Empire of Albania. From that moment on, there was a mass movement of Albanian exiles who left their land to escape war and oppression, finding refuge in Sicilian lands.
The cultural identity of Contessa Entellina
This migration was the basis for the birth of a real Albanian community in Sicily, called "arbëreshët". The peculiarity of Contessa Entellina, along with other municipalities such as Piana degli Albanesi and Santa Cristina Gela, is precisely that it is part of this community where Albanian is spoken, a language similar to Italian, but with strong Balkan influences. But language is not the only characteristic that makes this community unique. In fact, the center of Contessa Entellina continues to stand out for its customs, traditions and above all for the religious rite of the Greek-Catholic Church, belonging to the Eparchy of Piana degli Albanesi. All this gives the town a very strong cultural identity, made up of ancient customs and rituals that are still passed down from generation to generation.
The territory of Contessa Entellina
But now let's talk about the territory of Contessa Entellina. This municipality extends for about 136.4 km² in the middle of the Belice Sinistro river valley, a river that has great historical and cultural value for Sicily. The territory is surrounded by large fields and woods, and the inhabited center lies on the hills called "Brinjat", an Albanian toponym that means "coast". The territory falls within the north-western sector of the Sicani Mountains and is characterized by the massive Mount Genuardo, which dominates the entire area. But Contessa Entellina is not just about mountains. In fact, the border of the municipality is delineated by a series of elements of the natural landscape, such as watercourses, watershed lines or ancient mule tracks.
The economic activities of Contessa Entellina
As for economic activities, the tertiary sector prevails, but agriculture and pastoralism are still very important for the local economy. Contessa Entellina is also part of the Union of Albanian Municipalities of Sicily "Besa" (Lidhja e Bashkivet "Besa"), and the municipal administration uses Albanian language in official documents as provided by Italian law on the protection of linguistic minorities.
Conclusions
In conclusion, Contessa Entellina is a truly unique municipality in Sicily and Italy, thanks to its strong cultural identity and its Albanian origins. It is a place where you can discover ancient traditions and customs, but also enjoy the beauty of the surrounding natural landscape. If you have the opportunity to visit this small town, don't hesitate to do so, you will certainly be fascinated!
