Comitini
Encyclopedia
Comitini is a comune
(municipality) in the Province of Agrigento
in the Italian
region Sicily
, located about 80 km southeast of Palermo
and about 13 km northeast of Agrigento
. The town was founded in 1627 by Gastone Bellacera on a hill named Comitini. In 1673, Michele Gravina was appointed prince of the town.
In the early 19th century the extraction of sulfur
from the mines in the territory, due to an increased demand caused by the Industrial Revolution
in Great Britain, gave a new impulse to the economy which was followed by a remarkable population growth. The town became one the most important mining centres of the Agrigento province, as described by Luigi Pirandello
in his novel The Old and the Young (I vecchi e i giovani) (1928). With the decline of the sulfur mining industry in the 20th century many townspeople opted for emigration.
A long strip of land between the country towns of Aragona and Grotte, Comitini boasts a substantial agricultural production of almonds, olives, grapes, and citrus fruits. As of 31 December 2008, it had a population of 974 and an area of 21.7 km².
Comitini borders the following municipalities Aragona
, Favara
, Grotte
.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
(municipality) in the Province of Agrigento
Province of Agrigento
Agrigento is a province in the autonomous island region of Sicily in Italy. It has an area of 3,042 km², and a total population of 454,370...
in the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
region Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, located about 80 km southeast of Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
and about 13 km northeast of Agrigento
Agrigento
Agrigento , is a city on the southern coast of Sicily, Italy, and capital of the province of Agrigento. It is renowned as the site of the ancient Greek city of Akragas , one of the leading cities of Magna Graecia during the golden...
. The town was founded in 1627 by Gastone Bellacera on a hill named Comitini. In 1673, Michele Gravina was appointed prince of the town.
In the early 19th century the extraction of sulfur
Sulfur
Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...
from the mines in the territory, due to an increased demand caused by the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
in Great Britain, gave a new impulse to the economy which was followed by a remarkable population growth. The town became one the most important mining centres of the Agrigento province, as described by Luigi Pirandello
Luigi Pirandello
Luigi Pirandello was an Italian dramatist, novelist, and short story writer awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1934, for his "bold and brilliant renovation of the drama and the stage." Pirandello's works include novels, hundreds of short stories, and about 40 plays, some of which are written...
in his novel The Old and the Young (I vecchi e i giovani) (1928). With the decline of the sulfur mining industry in the 20th century many townspeople opted for emigration.
A long strip of land between the country towns of Aragona and Grotte, Comitini boasts a substantial agricultural production of almonds, olives, grapes, and citrus fruits. As of 31 December 2008, it had a population of 974 and an area of 21.7 km².
Comitini borders the following municipalities Aragona
Aragona
Aragona is a small commune in the province of Agrigento in the Italian island of Sicily. Aragona is known in the Sicilian language as Aragunaor Raona...
, Favara
Favara, Agrigento
Favara is a town and comune of south central Sicily , in the province of Agrigento, 8 km East of Agrigento by road.The town has a considerable agricultural trade, and there are sulfur and other mines in the neighborhood.-Main sights:...
, Grotte
Grotte (AG)
Grotte is a comune in the Province of Agrigento in the Italian region Sicily, located about 80 km southeast of Palermo and about 14 km northeast of Agrigento....
.