Sutera
The province of Caltanissetta: a brief history
Caltanissetta was one of the provinces of Sicily, located in the central part of the island. Its territory covered an area of 2,128 km² and included 22 municipalities. It bordered to the north with the province of Palermo, to the east with the province of Enna, the province of Catania and the province of Ragusa and to the west with the province of Agrigento.
The history of the province of Caltanissetta dates back to 1818, when the Bourbon of Naples divided the Sicilian region into provinces, including Palermo, Catania, Messina, Siracusa, Trapani and Agrigento, and also the province of Caltanissetta, which at that time included 40% of what would become the province of Enna in 1926, including the capital (then Castrogiovanni) and 10% of the territory later assigned to the province of Ragusa.
During the Bourbon period, the history of the province of Caltanissetta was closely linked to the exploitation of Sicilian sulfur, which was owned by some noble families but whose concession for exploitation was in the hands of foreign companies. This period was marked by immense tragedies from fires and collapses in which many unknown and exploited local miners died, sometimes little more than children. In function of the mines, the province was affected by the railway constructions of the Vittorio Emanuele Society, before in other areas, with the lines, Palermo-Catania Railway and Siracusa-Gela-Canicattì Railway, completed between 1876 and 1878, towards the two extreme ports of Porto di Catania and Porto di Licata.
With the Sicilian special statute of 1946, the Sicilian provinces were abolished. They were then reconstituted in 1963, adopting national legislation, and transformed into "regional provinces" in 1986.
The abolition of the province of Caltanissetta
On March 28, 2014, the abolition of the 9 regional provinces was announced, replaced by nine "Free Communal Consortia" and 3 metropolitan areas following the entry into force of the law approved by the Sicilian Regional Assembly on March 12, 2014.
In compliance with the regional law of March 24, 2014, No. 8, entitled "Establishment of Free Communal Consortia and Metropolitan Cities" and subsequently regulated by regional law No. 15 of August 4, 2015, "Provisions on Free Communal Consortia and Metropolitan Cities", the regional province of Caltanissetta was abolished and replaced by the free communal consortium of Caltanissetta.
The municipalities
The province of Caltanissetta included 22 municipalities, including Caltanissetta, the capital, Gela, Niscemi, Serradifalco and Riesi.
The administration
From an administrative point of view, the province of Caltanissetta was directed by a president elected by the provincial council, which was in turn elected by the mayors of the municipalities of the province. Over the years, several presidents have succeeded, including Salvatore Lombardo (1970-1980), Nino Strano (1980-1990), Antonino Minardo (1990-1996), Salvatore Fallica (1996-2001), Giovanni Cacciatore (2001-2012) and Enzo Di Giuseppe (2012-2014).
Conclusions
The abolition of the province of Caltanissetta, although not without controversy, is part of a broader process of reorganization of local autonomies in Italy. Although it may be seen as a loss for the historical and cultural identity of the region, the decision to replace the provinces with free communal consortia aims to simplify and make local administration more efficient, making the necessary services available to communities more quickly and economically.
