Alcamo (Trapani Province) is 51 km from Trapani, alt. 258 m, in the hinterland of the Gulf of Castellammare, on the northern slopes of Monte Bonifato, area 130.9 sq km, pop. 42,847, post-code 91011, tel. 0924. Economy: agriculture (wine grapes, cereals, olives, vegetables); wine industry, travertine quarries.

Ciullo d'Alcama was born here, the poet to whom one of the first poems in Sicilian (1231-1250) is attributed.

The oldest settlement is an Arab hamlet called Manzil Alqameh, located on the trade-road from Palermo to Trapani.

Alcamo Castle was built in 1340 by Raimondo Peralta. Some years later, Guarnerio Ventimiglia seized the site, and enlarged both the Castle and the Matrice, thus starting the development of Alcamo, which became a wealthy and important town because of its location and wheat cultivation. Between the 15th and 17th centuries, the town was divided into quarters by buildings constructed by numerous religious orders, extending the town outside the medieval walls. After the unification of Italy, the convents were transformed for civil purposes and the city walls were again restructured, leaving the ancient town layout intact.

Of interest: Palazzo di Ballis, a 16th century mansion.

Churches (Trapani Diocese) include the following:

Maria SS. Assunta (Chiesa Madre)

Anime Sante

Chiesa della Annunziata (historic)

Chiesa del Collegio Gesuitico (historic)

Chiesa di San Francesco d'Assisi (historic)

Chiesa di San Nicolo di Bari (historic)

Chiesa di San Tommaso (historic)

Chiesa di Sant'Oliva (historic)

Gesu' Cristo Redentore

Madonna del Riposo

Maria SS. del Rosario

S. Anna

S. Cuore di Gesu'

S. Francesco di Paola

S. Francesco D'Assisi

S. Giovanni

S. Giuseppe

S. Maria di Gesu'

S. Oliva Vergine e Martire

Santi Apostoli Paolo e Bartolomeo

Maria SS. Della Stella (Alcamo Marina - suburb of Alcamo)

Chiesa di Santissimo Salvatore (Badia Grande -suburb of Alcamo) (historic)

S. Giuseppe (Palma - suburb ofAlcamo)

Families researched in these records include the following:

Cicirello

di Maria

Duomo

Foraci

Garrisi

Giorlando

Lombardo

Mancuso

Rocca

Stabile

Links to other sites about Alcamo include:

Sicilia

Sicilian Net

Sicily Web

Italian Wikipedia

Italian Towns

Italian Postal Codes

My latest book on CD is titled Sicily - A Reference for Researchers and is now available. With a file for each town (plus many other files), it relates the history of Sicily as reflected in the photos, records and festivals of its towns. It contains over 2500 text and photo files and can be ordered at CD order.