Piana degli Albanesi (Palermo Province) is 24 km from Palermo, alt. 720 m, on a plain in the eastern slopes of Monte La Pizzuta, northwest of the basin of the same name, area 64.9 sq km. Its population is just over 6,200, post-code 90037, tel. 091. Economy is agricultural.
The town was founded in 1488 by a group of refugees from Central-Southern Albania(Arberesh), fleeing a Turkish invasion. The town was originally called Hora (town), and then, until 1914, it was called Piana dei Greci (Plain of the Greeks). The inhabitants still maintain their Albanian dialect, rites, and traditional costumes. Since 1937, it has been a Greek Catholic bishop's see with jurisdiction over all the groups observing the Byzantine rite in Sicily.
Of interest is the occasion of Easter when the populace dons their traditional costumes and walk through town offering everyone red painted eggs which have been blessed in the name of brotherhood and peace.
Churches (Piana degli Albanesi) include the following:
Links to other sites about Piana Degli Albanesi include:
My latest book on CD is titled Sicily, Part 1 and Part 2 is now available on 2 CDs. 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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