Belmonte Mezzagno

Belmonte Mezzagno (Zip Code 90031) is 132 km. far from Agrigento, 135 km. from Caltanissetta, 230 km. from Catania, 152 km. from Enna, 272 km. from Messina, 13 km. from Palermo, which province it belongs to, 264 km.from Ragusa, 314 km. from Siracusa, 112 km. from Trapani.

The municipality has 10.217 inhabitants and its area is 2.920 hectares for a density of population of 350 inhabitants per square kilometre. the small town rises on an internal hill zone and is 364 metres above sea-level.

The Town Hall is placed in via Matteotti n.5.

Belmonte Mezzagno rises among bare riliefs, on an area crossed by two streams. Main agricultural products are cerals, olives, fruit and wine-grapes. Cattle, swine and sheep breedings are industrious. The handicraft field boasts an old production of musical and ebony instruments.

Originary the name of the small town was only Mezzagno, that means placed on the middle height, since 1776 it became Belmonte because it was feud of Ventimiglia, princes of Belmonte. Only after 1864 the appositive of Mezzagno was added. In the XIX century the village was entirely destroyed by the anti-Bourbons risings.

In 1776 Giuseppe Ventimiglia financed the building of the Cathedral Church, inside are kept two paintings by Pietro Novelli representing St. Rosalia and the Holy Family. There are also the Church of the Anime Sante and the remains of the Baronial Palace.