Maschito
Encyclopedia
Maschito is a town and comune
of the province of Potenza
, in the Basilicata
region of southern Italy
. Like other towns in the Vulture area
, Maschito was repopulated by Albanian
refugees after the occupation of Albania
by the Ottoman Empire
.
), of Forenza
, Ginestra
, Palazzo San Gervasio
, Venosa
.
Maschito has a typical Mediterranean climate with slight mountain characteristics, because of its distance from the sea.
, when the Albanian hero Skanderbeg
was sent with numerous troops to fight the Angevin
pretenders to the throne of Naples and the Barons.
The capture of Kruja by the Turks and the abandonment of Shkodër
(1478-79) led to the first migration of Albanians (Arbëreshë
) to Basilicata
.
In 1533, when the Fortress of Koroni
fell the Albanian refugees of the area were allowed to settle areas of the Kingdom of Naples
, including Maschito. At that time the territory of Maschito belonged to the Bishop of Venosa and the Prior of Gerosolmitano of Bari.
By law, around November 17, 1539, the Notary Giacomo Citamiore of Venosa, and the Spanish viceroy of Naples, Pedro Álvarez de Toledo
, ceded the aforementioned territory to Giovanni de Icis. The Albanians were obligated to pay one ducat a year from the annual income of each household, and 200 ducats extra a year if the number of homes increased by one.
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:...
of the province of Potenza
Province of Potenza
The Province of Potenza is a province in the Basilicata region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Potenza.-Geography:It has an area of 6,545 km² and a total population of 387,107 . There are 100 comuni in the province .-History:In 272 B.C. the province was conquered by the Greek army...
, in the Basilicata
Basilicata
Basilicata , also known as Lucania, is a region in the south of Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south, having one short southwestern coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania in the northwest and Calabria in the southwest, and a...
region of southern Italy
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...
. Like other towns in the Vulture area
Vulture area
The Vulture is a geographical and historical subregion of Italy that lies in the Province of Potenza, Basilicata region.-Overview:...
, Maschito was repopulated by Albanian
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
refugees after the occupation of Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
by the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
.
Geography
Located Northeast of Basilicata, it is a small town covering a hill named Mustafà, about 594 meters above sea level. It is bounded by the comuni (MunicipalitiesMunicipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
), of Forenza
Forenza
Forenza is a town and comune in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. It is bounded by the comuni of Acerenza, Avigliano, Filiano, Ginestra, Maschito, Palazzo San Gervasio, Pietragalla, Ripacandida....
, Ginestra
Ginestra
Ginestra / Zhura is a town and comune in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. It is bounded by the comuni , of Barile, Forenza, Maschito, Ripacandida, Venosa....
, Palazzo San Gervasio
Palazzo San Gervasio
Palazzo San Gervasio is a small agricultural town and comune in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. Its history dates back over 500 years...
, Venosa
Venosa
Venosa is a town and comune in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata, in the Vulture area. It is bounded by the comuni of Barile, Ginestra, Lavello, Maschito, Montemilone, Palazzo San Gervasio, Rapolla and Spinazzola....
.
Maschito has a typical Mediterranean climate with slight mountain characteristics, because of its distance from the sea.
History
Maschito was founded in 1467 by King Ferdinand I of NaplesFerdinand I of Naples
Ferdinand I , also called Don Ferrante, was the King of Naples from 1458 to 1494. He was the natural son of Alfonso V of Aragon by Giraldona Carlino.-Biography:...
, when the Albanian hero Skanderbeg
Skanderbeg
George Kastrioti Skanderbeg or Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu , widely known as Skanderbeg , was a 15th-century Albanian lord. He was appointed as the governor of the Sanjak of Dibra by the Ottomans in 1440...
was sent with numerous troops to fight the Angevin
House of Valois-Anjou
The Valois House of Anjou, or the Younger House of Anjou, was a noble French family, deriving from the royal family, the House of Valois. They were monarchs of Naples, as well as various other territories....
pretenders to the throne of Naples and the Barons.
The capture of Kruja by the Turks and the abandonment of Shkodër
Shkodër
Shkodër , is a city located on Lake of Shkoder in northwestern Albania in the District of Shkodër, of which it is the capital. It is one of the oldest and most historic towns in Albania, as well as an important cultural and economic centre. Shkodër's estimated population is 90,000; if the...
(1478-79) led to the first migration of Albanians (Arbëreshë
Arbëreshë
The Arbëreshë are a linguistic and ethnic Albanian minority community living in southern Italy, especially the regions of Apulia, Basilicata, Molise, Calabria and Sicily...
) to Basilicata
Basilicata
Basilicata , also known as Lucania, is a region in the south of Italy, bordering on Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south, having one short southwestern coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania in the northwest and Calabria in the southwest, and a...
.
In 1533, when the Fortress of Koroni
Koroni
Koroni or Coroni is a town and a former municipality in Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Pylos-Nestoras, of which it is a municipal unit. Known as Corone by the Venetians and Ottomans, the town of Koroni Koroni or Coroni is a...
fell the Albanian refugees of the area were allowed to settle areas of the Kingdom of Naples
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
, including Maschito. At that time the territory of Maschito belonged to the Bishop of Venosa and the Prior of Gerosolmitano of Bari.
By law, around November 17, 1539, the Notary Giacomo Citamiore of Venosa, and the Spanish viceroy of Naples, Pedro Álvarez de Toledo
Pedro Álvarez de Toledo
Don Pedro Álvarez de Toledo y Zúñiga, jure uxoris Marquis of Villafranca del Bierzo was the first effective Spanish viceroy of Naples, 1532 - 1552, responsible for considerable social, economic and urban change in the city and southern Italian kingdom, in general.-Early life:He was born in 1484...
, ceded the aforementioned territory to Giovanni de Icis. The Albanians were obligated to pay one ducat a year from the annual income of each household, and 200 ducats extra a year if the number of homes increased by one.