Saturday 7 April 2018

RACALMUTO Sicily Italy


Racalmuto (Zip Code 92020) is 24 Km. distant from Agrigento, the province it belongs to, 45 Km. from Caltanissetta, 183 Km. from Catania, 86 Km. from Enna, 279 Km. from Messina, 143 Km. from Palermo, 135 Km. from Ragusa, 228 Km. from Siracusa, 197 Km. from Trapani.
The municipality counts 8.222 inhabitants, its surface measures 6.831 hectares, and its population density is of 153 inhabitants per square kilometre.
It rises on a hilly area, 447 meters above the sea-level.
The Town Hall is located in via Vittorio Emanuele.
A big agricultural and mining center, Racalmuto counts a conspicuous agricultural production of the "Italia" variety of grapes, cereals, and almonds.
There are also various archeological sites throughout the land: among all, the most outstanding is Contrada Sacchitello, home of many pre-historical caves.
The name Racalmuto derives from the Arab term Rahal-mut, that means "il casale dei morti" (farmhouse of the dead) because many cemeteries have been discovered in the area.
The first suburb was founded around the fortified castle erected during the XIII by lord Federico Chiaramonte.
Afterwards, the town's domain became of the noble Del Carretto family, who beheld it until the XVIII century. In 1576, lord Girolamo Del Carretto was appointed the title of first Count of Racalmuto.
Among the monuments, outstanding are the XIII century  Castello dei Chiaramonte, the Chiesa Madre,dedicated to the Annunziata, that preserves five marvelous paintings dated 1500, and the Chiesa di S. Giuseppe, dated 1600.
Of remarkable interest is also the ex Monastero di Santa Chiesa restructured in 1872, which today hosts the Palazzo del Municipio (Town Hall building).

Sunday 25 January 2015

The fountain "di li novi cannola"


Already existent in the 15th century, it is placed down of the town, in the middle of the homonymous square, overwhelmed by the awesomeness of the "Chiramontano" Castle. The fountain "di li novi cannola", so called because it has got nine water jets, has a rectangular plan with a watering hole for the animals and a circular lavatory. On the facade there is an uncompleted window and over it on the ledge there are lot of stony vases. Its makeover was contracted out at about the end of 1846, by the Mayor Giovanni Scibetta Giudice, and it was finalized on 12th April 1847