Polizzi Generosa
Encyclopedia
Polizzi Generosa is a town and comune
(population 4,530) in the Province of Palermo
on the island of Sicily
, southern Italy
. The town sits in the hills at 917 in meters.
, Carthaginian remains and a Hellenistic necropolis
. In the 4th century it was a Carthaginian fortress occupied by mercenaries from Campania
.
The town probably developed as a population center in the late Middle Ages
, growing around the castle built by the Norman Count of Sicily Roger I
in 1076.
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
(population 4,530) in the Province of Palermo
Province of Palermo
The Province of Palermo is a province in the autonomous region of Sicily, a major island in Southern Italy. Its capital is the city of Palermo. The Province of Palermo has 82 comuni , 1,239,272 inhabitants, and is 4,992 km² .-External links:...
on the island of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, southern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The town sits in the hills at 917 in meters.
History
The site of Polizzi has traces of human presence since the 6th century BC, archaeological findings including coins from HimeraHimera
thumb|250px|Remains of the Temple of Victory.thumb|250px|Ideal reconstruction of the Temple of Victory.Himera , was an important ancient Greek city of Sicily, situated on the north coast of the island, at the mouth of the river of the same name , between Panormus and Cephaloedium...
, Carthaginian remains and a Hellenistic necropolis
Necropolis
A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead"...
. In the 4th century it was a Carthaginian fortress occupied by mercenaries from Campania
Campania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
.
The town probably developed as a population center in the late Middle Ages
Italy in the Middle Ages
This is the history of Italy during the Middle Ages.- Transition from Late Antiquity :Italy was invaded by the Visigoths in the 5th century, and Rome was sacked by Alaric in 410. The last Western Roman Emperor, Romulus Augustus, was deposed in 476 by an Eastern Germanic general, Odoacer...
, growing around the castle built by the Norman Count of Sicily Roger I
Roger I of Sicily
Roger I , called Bosso and the Great Count, was the Norman Count of Sicily from 1071 to 1101. He was the last great leader of the Norman conquest of southern Italy.-Conquest of Calabria and Sicily:...
in 1076.
Notable people
People with connections to Polizzi Generosa include:- The families of Sicilian Americans such as film directors Martin ScorseseMartin ScorseseMartin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
and Anthony ScarpaAnthony ScarpaAntonia Scarpa is a filmmaker and musician born and raised in New York City. Her family emigrated to Brooklyn from the small Sicilian town of Polizzi Generosa, the same town from which Martin Scorsese’s family came. Scarpa founded the alternative rock / performance art / circus act “Naked Sun”...
as well as character actor Vincent SchiavelliVincent SchiavelliVincent Andrew Schiavelli was an American character actor noted for his work on stage, screen, and television often described as "the man with the sad eyes." He was notable for his numerous and often critically acclaimed cameo appearances.-Early life:Schiavelli was born in Brooklyn, New York, to a...
, came from the town. Schiavelli was also a food and cookbook writer who wrote about Polizzi Generosa and his roots in Many Beautiful Things: Stories and Recipes from Polizzi Generosa. He was also buried there when he died. - The writer, journalist and literary critic Giuseppe Antonio BorgeseGiuseppe Antonio BorgeseGiuseppe Antonio Borgese was an Italian writer, journalist and literary critic.-Biography:Borgese was born in Polizzi Generosa, near Palermo...
originally came from the town. - Fashion designer Domenico Dolce, one half of the Dolce & GabbanaDolce & GabbanaDolce & Gabbana is an Italian luxury industry fashion house. The company was started by the Italian designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana in Milan, Italy. By 2005 their turnover was €597 million....
clothing company, was born in the town. - Catholic cardinal Mariano Rampolla was born in Polizzi Generosa.