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Mascali (Catania Province) is 33 km from Catania, alt, 28 m, in the eastern foothills of Etna, near the Ionian coast, area 37.7 sq km, pop. over 10,100, post-code 95016, tel. 095. Economy: agriculture, foodstuffs, volcanic stone quarries, summer tourism.
The present town was built after the 1928 eruption destroyed the old Mascali, situated slightly higher up, a town of mediaval origin and possibly the site of the ancient Chalcidian colony of Callipolis. It had long belonged to the bishops of Catania, the Counts of Mascali, and before, to the dioceses of Taormina, Troina and Messina. The name Mascali appears to come from the Byzantine term Maskalis (flowering), with reference to the fertility of the land (which was therefore more expensive than in other areas). The development of the town has slowed down since the the neighbouring towns of Giarre and Riposto separated from Mascali and bacame autonomous comunes.
Churches (Acireale Diocese) include the following:
San Leonardo Abate (Chiesa Madre)
San Giuseppe (Carrabba - suburb of Mascali)
Maria SS. della Pieta (Fondachello - suburb of Mascali)
Santa Maria dell'Itria (Nunziata - suburb of Mascali)
Maria SS. Assunta (Puntalazzo - suburb of Mascali)
Gesu e Maria (San Antonio - suburb of Mascali)
Santa Maria del Rosario (Santa Venera - suburb of Mascali)
Nativita della Beata V. Maria (Tagliaborsa - suburb of Mascali)
Families researched in these records include the following:GiammonaLeottaMessina
On February 6 is the Festa of San Leonardo. The festival of fish near the beach of Fondachello is held in August. There is a Cattle Fair here in November.
Links to sites with more about Mascali include:
Italian Wikipedia
Italian Towns
Italian Postal Codes
Sicily Web
Mascali
Catania Provincia
Sicilia
Sicilian Net
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.
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© Kathy Kirkpatrick 1997-2008
