Tremestieri Etneo
Tremestieri Etneo: a bit of history
Tremestieri Etneo is an Italian municipality located in the metropolitan city of Catania, in Sicily, inhabited by around 19,517 people. The territory of Tremestieri Etneo has always had a favorable geographical position, located between Mount Etna and the city of Catania, which has made it an interesting site since ancient times. However, natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes that have occurred continuously have wiped out almost all of the ancient traces. Nevertheless, some archaeological finds have been discovered such as fragments of terracotta tombs, lamps, pottery, and metal or stone tools, mostly dating back to the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, and occasionally the Hellenistic one.
The name "Tria Monasteria" was first mentioned in written documents during the Norman period of Sicilian history. The oldest document dates back to 1198 and can be found in the Civic Library and A. Ursino Recupero. Numerous earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, since prehistoric times, have devastated the territory and settlements of Tremestieri Etneo. Some of the most terrible events include the eruption of Mount Etna in 122 BC, in 1381 and 1444, and the earthquakes of 1169, 1693, and 1818. Despite these calamities, the community of Tremestieri Etneo has always managed to rise again, thanks to its will to rebuild and the spirit of attachment to its places by its inhabitants, reinforced by a deeply rooted religious faith.
Growth and importance of the municipality of Tremestieri Etneo
The growth and importance of Tremestieri Etneo were indirectly proven by the papal bull issued in 1446 by Pope Eugenio IV, by which the church "de tribus monasteriis" was elevated to parish status. In the 1620s, Tremestieri Etneo had over 1,200 inhabitants and seven churches. In 1641, the "casale" (hamlet) of Tremestieri Etneo was sold to the wealthy Genoese merchant Giovanni Andrea Massa, who separated it from the demanial jurisdiction of Catania, to which it had belonged since the Aragonese period of Sicilian history, and gave it its own administrative autonomy, albeit largely conditioned by an anachronistic Latifondo (large landed estate) of Sicily.
In 1817, after the administrative division of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, Tremestieri Etneo became an autonomous municipality, and the first municipal administrations, not without financial and implementation difficulties, managed to carry out a modest program of public works, including improvements to the connections with the neighboring towns and the construction of a cemetery.
Conclusions
In summary, the territory of Tremestieri Etneo has been an interesting site since ancient times due to its favorable geographical position, but continuous natural disasters have wiped out most of the ancient traces. However, the community of Tremestieri Etneo has always managed to rise again, thanks to its will to rebuild and the spirit of attachment to its places by its inhabitants, also due to the growth and importance of the municipality, demonstrated by the papal bull issued by Pope Eugenio IV in 1446 and the presence of seven churches in the 1620s. In 1817, Tremestieri Etneo became an autonomous municipality, and the first municipal administrators managed to carry out a modest program of public works despite financial and implementation difficulties. In this area of Sicily, religious faith has always been deeply rooted and has helped the inhabitants to overcome the adversities of the territory and to continue to produce growth and development.
