Prizzi
Encyclopedia
Prizzi is a town and comune
of 5,711 inhabitants in the Italian
province of Palermo
, on the island of Sicily
. It is located 84 km (52.2 mi) south of the city of Palermo
at an altitude of 696 m (2,283 ft) above sea level
on a hill in the upper valley of the River Sosio. Prizzi is surrounded by the comuni of Campofelice di Fitalia
, Castronovo di Sicilia
, Corleone
, Lercara Friddi
, Palazzo Adriano
, and Vicari
.
or Hyppana, dating from the 8th-6th centuries BC on the nearby Montagna dei Cavalli. This settlement was later rebuilt in the 4th century BC and inhabited by Carthaginians, Greeks
, Arabs, and Romans
. The name Prizzi derives from the Greek Pyrizo, meaning "incendiary" as in the context of sending smoke signals, referring to its origin as an important point for fighting off enemy invaders in Sicily. The present town, of Norman
origin, was a fief
of Guglielmo Bonello. In 1150, it passed to the Cistercian Monastery of Sant’Angelo. Between the 13th and 15th centuries, control of the town was disputed by various lords until it finally fell to the Bonanno family, whose fief it was until 1812.
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 5,711 inhabitants 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...
province of Palermo
Province of Palermo
The Province of Palermo is a province in the autonomous region of Sicily, a major island in Southern Italy. Its capital is the city of Palermo. The Province of Palermo has 82 comuni , 1,239,272 inhabitants, and is 4,992 km² .-External links:...
, on the island of 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,...
. It is located 84 km (52.2 mi) south of the city 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...
at an altitude of 696 m (2,283 ft) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
on a hill in the upper valley of the River Sosio. Prizzi is surrounded by the comuni of Campofelice di Fitalia
Campofelice di Fitalia
Campofelice di Fitalia is a comune in the Province of Palermo in the Italian region Sicily, located about 35 km southeast of Palermo...
, Castronovo di Sicilia
Castronovo di Sicilia
Castronovo di Sicilia is a comune in the Province of Palermo in the Italian region Sicily, located about 50 km southeast of Palermo.-External links:*...
, Corleone
Corleone
Corleone is a small town and comune of approximately 12,000 inhabitants in the Province of Palermo in Sicily, Italy....
, Lercara Friddi
Lercara Friddi
Lercara Friddi is a comune in the Province of Palermo in the Italian region Sicily, located about 45 km southeast of Palermo....
, Palazzo Adriano
Palazzo Adriano
Palazzo Adriano is a town and comune in the province of Palermo, Sicily, southern Italy.-History:The first mentions of one casale Arianum date from before 1060 under the reign of the Norman Roger I of Sicily. More reliable are the data on the hamlet of Palazzo Adriano reported in a document 1243...
, and Vicari
Vicari
Vicari is a comune in the Province of Palermo in the Italian region Sicily, located about 35 km southeast of Palermo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,997 and an area of 85.7 km²....
.
History
Traces have been found of a small Elymian settlement, called HippanaHippana
Hippana or Hyppana , was an ancient town of Sicily, mentioned by Polybius as being taken by assault by the Romans in the First Punic War, 260 BCE. Diodorus, in relating the events of the same campaign, mentions the capture of a town called "Sittana", for which we should in all probability read...
or Hyppana, dating from the 8th-6th centuries BC on the nearby Montagna dei Cavalli. This settlement was later rebuilt in the 4th century BC and inhabited by Carthaginians, Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
, Arabs, and Romans
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. The name Prizzi derives from the Greek Pyrizo, meaning "incendiary" as in the context of sending smoke signals, referring to its origin as an important point for fighting off enemy invaders in Sicily. The present town, of Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
origin, was a fief
Fiefdom
A fee was the central element of feudalism and consisted of heritable lands granted under one of several varieties of feudal tenure by an overlord to a vassal who held it in fealty in return for a form of feudal allegiance and service, usually given by the...
of Guglielmo Bonello. In 1150, it passed to the Cistercian Monastery of Sant’Angelo. Between the 13th and 15th centuries, control of the town was disputed by various lords until it finally fell to the Bonanno family, whose fief it was until 1812.