San Giovanni Gemini
Welcome to San Giovanni Gemini: a brief presentation of the city
Hello everyone! Today I'm going to tell you about San Giovanni Gemini, a town located in Sicily, Italy, with a population of about 7,463 inhabitants. It is a very peculiar city because it is completely surrounded by the territory of the municipality of Cammarata, of which it is an enclave. Interesting, isn't it? In this summary, I will tell you a bit about the history and geography of San Giovanni Gemini.
Physical Geography
Territory
As I just mentioned, San Giovanni Gemini is one of the most original municipalities in Italy. Its territory is completely delimited by the municipality of Cammarata, so it has no external boundaries and is a true enclave.
History
Historical origins
The origins of San Giovanni Gemini date back to the 15th century when Federico Abatellis, Count of Cammarata, received permission from King Ferdinand IV to build in his feudal lands. In 1507, the licentia populandi was granted, and the Counts chose to build the town in a flat area near Cammarata, beyond the Turibolo river.
Three hypotheses about the origins of San Giovanni Gemini
There are three hypotheses about the origins of the town:
- The first speaks of Cammaratesi who were not welcome by the Counts, and were banned from Cammarata, settling in San Giovanni Gemini. This may be linked to the events involving Count Abatellis in the plot against the Imperatore brothers, which ended with the death sentence of Federico Abatellis, beheaded in Milazzo in 1525.
- The second hypothesis concerns the landslide that occurred in 1537, the year in which an earthquake caused the collapse of the hill on which the castle of Cammarata stood. The families who suffered the greatest losses may have been granted permission to build on the plain of San Giovanni.
- The third hypothesis sees San Giovanni Gemini as a village that spontaneously formed, where populations gave rise to an autonomous town, initially called San Giovanni di Cammarata, and then becoming San Giovanni Gemini in 1878.
Symbols
The coat of arms of San Giovanni Gemini depicts a rampant lion with truncated legs holding a banner aloft. This coat of arms comes from the Branciforte's coat of arms, the family that gave the fiefs to the town. According to tradition, an ancestor of the family, Obizzo, general standard-bearer of the Carolingian army, lost his hands in battle but continued to hold up the family's banner until victory. From that moment he received the nickname Branciforte and obtained fiefs in the Piacenza region.
So there you have a bit of history and geography of San Giovanni Gemini. A beautiful city, isn't it? If you ever decide to visit Sicily, don't forget to stop by San Giovanni Gemini. See you soon!
