Riesi (Caltanissetta Province) is 45 km from Caltanissetta, alt. 330 m on the slopes of Monte San Veronica, in the Lower River Salso Valley, area 66.7 sq km, pop. 12,270, post-code 93016, tel. 0934. Agricultural economy: wine grapes, almonds, olives.
The present day name probably comes from rieses (medieval Latin for 'untilled lands'), as they were in the 13th century, when the Barony of Riesi became a fief of the Ventimiglias.
In 1474 the fief fell to the Di Castellar family; 1513 the husband of Eleonora Di Castellar, Giovanni Rujs de Calcerra, obtained the licentia populandi, but the present-day town was founded more than a century later in 1647, under the Barony of Pietro Altarriba.
The town maintains the name of the ancient fief, although some documents speak of Altariva, from the name of the Baron who founded the town.
Churches (Piazza Armerina Diocese) include the following:
Links to other sites about Riesi include:
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.
 |  |  |
 |