Pioppo
"Hello everyone from Pioppo, the most populous hamlet of Monreale in the province of Palermo!"
Did you know that here you can find the beautiful church of San Giuseppe, built in 1907 thanks to the generosity of a family from Palermo? But Pioppo's history has much more ancient roots.
History
The toponymy of the territory suggests that Pioppo was originally composed of two small villages, Misilgrandone and Villa Pioppo. While the second was created by the Benedictines of Monreale around the 12th century, the area of Misilgrandone already existed in ancient times as an important crossroads and a place of inns.
Pioppo also experienced difficult moments in its history, such as the attack by Salvatore Giuliano's gang on the Carabinieri station in 1946, in which a Carabiniere on leave was murdered.
In 2010, a consultative referendum was held to decide whether to transform Pioppo into an autonomous municipality, but it did not reach the quorum.
Physical Geography
Pioppo extends into the Sant'Elia valley, between Mount Renda (also known as Pizzu Babbu) and Mount Busilmeri (also known as Pizzo Pio IX). On the other side of the valley are the municipalities of Altofonte and Poggio San Francesco.
The city is 6.73 km from Monreale and is the most populous hamlet, with 2656 inhabitants.
Conclusion
Pioppo is a rather long roadside center with an interesting history and a suggestive geographical position. If you have the opportunity, I recommend visiting the Church of San Giuseppe and exploring the surrounding hills to admire the beauty of the landscape. Thanks for reading!
