Piana degli Albanesi
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| Comune di Piana degli Albanesi | |
|---|---|
| Country |  Italy |
| Region | .svg/22px-Flag_of_Sicily_(revised).svg.png){kind=small} Sicily |
| Province | Palermo (PA) |
| Mayor | Gaetano Caramanno (since May 28, 2002) |
| Elevation | 725 m (2,379 ft) |
| Area | 64 km² (25 sq mi) |
| Population (as of 2001) | |
| - Total | 6,227 |
| - Density | 97/km² (251/sq mi) |
| Time zone | CET, UTC+1 |
| Coordinates | |
| Gentilic | Pianesi |
| Dialing code | 091 |
| Postal code | 90037 |
| Patron | St. George |
| - Day | April 23 |
| Website: www.pianalbanesi.it/ | |
|
Piana degli Albanesi is an Italian comune in the Province of Palermo, Sicily. It has 6,227 inhabitants as of 2001.
The town is known for being principally an Arbëreshë community, and is called Hora e Arbëreshëvet or Hora Sheshi Oána in the residents' own dialect of Albanian.
Contents |
[edit] History
The town was founded on 30 August 1488 by refugees from the region of Himarë, Albania in the 16th century.
In 1482-1485 a Turkish attack forced these families to Adriatic coast where they hired ships from Venice and escaped by sailing to northern Sicily. They apparently were housed in temporary camps somewhere near city of Palermo until about 1486 or 1487, when they then applied to Cardinal Giovanni Borgia, Archbishop of Monreale, for the right to make permanent settlement on his fiefs of Merku and Daidingli, known as the "Plain of the Archbishop" in the mountains above the city of Palermo. The official concession of land was granted to the settlers in 1488.
In 1534 another group of families, known as the 'Coroni', settled in the village. They were Epirote-Albanians and Greeks from the Venetian fortress of Corone in the Peloponnese region of southwestern Greece
King John II of Spain allowed the original refugees to occupy the present place and to preserve their Orthodox religion, which was identified as Greek, so that the small town had the name of "Piana dei Greci". The name was changed to Piana degli Albanesi in 1941, at a time when Mussolini had incorporated Albania into a Greater Italy which was at war with Greece.
[edit] Church
The most important churches are the Cathedral Church of Shën Mitrit Deshmor i Math (St. Demetrius Megalomartyr) of the Arbëresh rite dating back to 1590; the church of Shën Mëris e Dhitrjës (St. Mary of Odigitria) built in 1644 according to architect Pietro Novelli's plan; and the church of Shën Gjergjit (St. George), the oldest in the town.
There is also a Roman Catholic church, the Klisha e Shëndo Vit (St. Vitus) which dates to 1514, with an imposing portal.
[edit] Language
Piana degli Albanesi is officially bilingual, as the official town documents are written in both Arbërisht and Italian and its citizens are trilingual, proficient in both languages as well as the local Sicilian dialect. However, the local dialect of Arbërisht is undergoing attrition with children learning Arbërisht as their first language and being more confident using Arbërisht, then by school leaving age are more comfortable with Italian and are able to express a wider range of concepts in Italian. This attrition may be due to the lack of formal education in Arbërisht and the lack of Albanian media.
[edit] Some common phrases
| Falem | Hello. |
| Çë bën? | What are you doing? |
| Si rri? | How are you? |
| Të haristis | Thank you. |
| Flet arbërisht? | Do you speak Arbërisht? |
| Ka vjen? | Where are you from? |
| Të parkales | Please |
| Gëzuar të të njoh | Pleased to meet you |
| Mirë menatë | Good morning |
| Si të thonë? | What's your name? |
| Mua më thonë... | My name is... |
| O/ëj | Yes |
| Jo | No |
[edit] Easter
The town has a unique Easter Festival tradition which takes place according to a peculiar itinerary: at the entrance to the town, two locals dressed in traditional costume receive visitors and give them some coloured eggs. Later follows the Divine Liturgy and during the service the Gospel is read in seven different languages, among them, Arabic. At the end of the church service, there is a procession through the town streets, with everyone dressed in traditional costume.
[edit] The Traditional Costume
In more than five centuries of arbëreshë presence in Sicily, the traditional female costume has undergone various transformations that make it difficult to reconstruct its origins. Prints of Houel and Vuiller have been very useful iconographic sources through archives which document the use of the costume since the sixteenth century), these prints have enabled arbëreshë ethnologists to trace the prototypes of the costumes. At the end of 700 using traditional female Apparel is also documented in Palazzo Adriano. There is, however, sufficient evidence to determine whether the costumes have a common origin refers to Albania of the fifteenth and sixteenth or the land of emigration. Until the end of th 17th century the use of traditional female costime is also documented in Palazzo Adriano. There is not, however, sufficient evidence to determine whether the costumes have a common origin in Albania of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries or in other parts of Epirus. The clothes, tied to the various moments of life for women, marked the rhythms of social tradition of the past. Even if handed down from mother to daughter and jealously preserved, they lost their link with the events; No more clothes, but costumes. The progressive loss of this relationship began by the 20th century onwards, when Europe introduced new fashionable clothes. After 1940 women were wearing traditional costumes (except the daily one) only on special occasions such as baptisms, marriages and especially the Epiphany and Easter. Only the wedding dress has retained its specific use.
[edit] Wedding Gown
Widely preferred than the common white dress and worn only by brides is the wedding gown that lacks the cape but supplemented by sleeves embroidered with gold and fifteen green tufts also embroidered in gold, a cream-colored veil and head-dress (symbol of family responsibility). The keza or skirt, made of red silk velvet and embroidered with gold patterns. Until the first half of the 20th century, a dress in brocade damask, sometimes replaced the embroidered silk.
[edit] Typical Products
It is also known for its typical and popular variety of cannoli, much bigger than average. Particular are handicraft products such as golden embroideries, puppets in Albanian-costume, icons, painting on cloth and artistic pottery articles.
[edit] Archaeology
Within the confines of the comune is the site of the ancient city of Pirama, currently the focus of archaeological research.
[edit] Gallery
 Women in traditional Albanian costume from Piana degli Albanesi |
 Bilingual signs in Piana degli Albanesi |
 Greek Catholic Wedding in the Cathedral Church of St. Demetrius |
 Roadside shrine showing the words "Falem O Meri" meaning "Hail Mary" in Arbërisht |
 Iconostasis in St. George Megalomartyr's Church |
 View of the same Iconostasis |
 Men and Women's marriage Costume |
[edit] External links
- (Italian)Website of the Byzantine Church of Piana
- (Italian)Official site
