Collesano

Collesano
Comune
Comune di Collesano
250px
Coat of arms
Country	Italy
Region	Sicily
Government
• Mayor	Giovanni Battista Meli
Elevation	468 m (1,535 ft)
Population (2007)
• Total	4,123
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	90016
Dialing code	0921
Patron saint	Madonna of the Miracles
Saint day	26 May
Website	Official website

Collesano (; Sicilian: Culisanu) is a small town in the Metropolitan City of Palermo, Sicily. It is situated roughly 70 kilometres (43 miles) from the provincial capital of Palermo. It lies in the Madonie Park between the hills and the Tyrrhenian Sea and is also on the Targa Florio racing circuit since its beginning (1906). The town owns the official Targa Florio Museum.

History

The long history of Collesano relates to the history of original inhabitants of Sicily, the Sicani, people coming from Spain, and later to the town of Imera, the hometown of the poet Stesichoros, the old Greek town founded by Chalcidians and destroyed by Hannibal[?] in 208 B.C.[212 - 210 more likely]. The Arab geographer al-Idrisi speaks of Collesano, which he described in "The Book of Roger". He tells of the destruction of the town Qal'at as-Sirat situated on the top of Golden Mountain by the Norman king Ruggero II. Afterwards the town was rebuilt and was called Bagherino. In the Middle Ages, the name was changed to Golisano and then to Collesano. Many aristocratic families have been involved in the governance of the town, such as the countess Adelicia de Alife, niece of the Norman king Roger II of Sicily; the count of Avenel; the Ventimiglia's; the Cicala's; the Centelle's; the de Folch Cardona; the Aragona; the Moncada's; and the Ferrandina's. Monuments to visit include: the ruins of the Norman castle; the old ceramic manufactory; the Cathedral of St. Peter; the churches of St. Mary "the Old", St. James, St. Sebastian and Fabian, St. Dominic or St. Mary "the New", and of St. Mary of Jesus; the Pedaly's Abbey and the Targa Florio Museum which many old-time car clubs stop at during their event on the Madonie Circuit. Collesano is also famous for its ceramic artwork and the Mystery Plays: "la Cercha", a procession with the Penitentes organized every year in Holy Week; and "la Casazza", the "Cycle of Collesano" that has been presented five times in the last century.

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Italy

Twin towns – Sister cities

Collesano is twinned with:

• Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland

External links

• Collesano details

Bibliography: Settimana Santa in Sicilia - La Cercha di Collesano -ISBN... by Kaori Sakurada-Giuseppe Valenza - Qanat publishing (Palermo)