Balestrate (
Sicilian: ''Sicciara'') is a ''
comune
The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...
'' (municipality) in the
Metropolitan City of Palermo
The Metropolitan City of Palermo ( it, Città metropolitana di Palermo; scn, Cità metrupulitana di Palermu) is a metropolitan city in Sicily, Italy. Its capital is the city of Palermo. It replaced the Province of Palermo and comprises the city o ...
in the
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
region
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
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, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographi ...
, located about southwest of
Palermo
Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...
. As of 31 July 2015, it had a population of 6,505 and an area of .
[All demographics and other statistics: Italian statistical institute ]Istat
The Italian National Institute of Statistics ( it, Istituto nazionale di statistica; Istat) is the main producer of official statistics in Italy. Its activities include the census of population, economic censuses and a number of social, economic ...
.
Territory
Located in Western
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
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, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
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, on the rail line between
Palermo
Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...
and
Trapani
Trapani ( , ; scn, Tràpani ; lat, Drepanum; grc, Δρέπανον) is a city and municipality (''comune'') on the west coast of Sicily, in Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Trapani. Founded by Elymians, the city is still an impor ...
, Balestrate is exactly in the center of the Gulf of Castellamare. Balestrate borders the following municipalities:
Alcamo
Alcamo (; scn, Àrcamu, italic=no) is the fourth-largest town and commune of the Province of Trapani, Sicily, with a population of 44.925 inhabitants. It is on the borderline with the Metropolitan City of Palermo at a distance of about 50 kilo ...
,
Partinico
Partinico ( Sicilian: ''Partinicu'', Ancient Greek: ''Parthenikòn'', Παρθενικόν) is a city and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Palermo, Sicily, southern Italy. It is from Palermo and from Trapani.
Main sights
*Church of ''S ...
,
Trappeto __NOTOC__
Trappeto (''Trappitu'' in Sicilian) is an Italian municipality of 3,123 inhabitants in the Metropolitan City of Palermo, located in the north-west part of Sicily. It is part of the metropolitan area of Palermo.
Trappeto is from Pale ...
.
Coat of arms
The Coat of Arms of Balestrate with its
Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
crown, honors "Sicciara," the town’s original name, with the symbol of the
cuttlefish
Cuttlefish or cuttles are marine molluscs of the order Sepiida. They belong to the class Cephalopoda which also includes squid, octopuses, and nautiluses. Cuttlefish have a unique internal shell, the cuttlebone, which is used for control of ...
(“sicci”) so abundant in its waters. The residents of Balestrate still call themselves "sicciaroti" - the "cuttlefish people" - in honour of the old name.
History
The Spanish King Federico III of Aragon gave the territory of Balestrate to the town of
Partinico
Partinico ( Sicilian: ''Partinicu'', Ancient Greek: ''Parthenikòn'', Παρθενικόν) is a city and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Palermo, Sicily, southern Italy. It is from Palermo and from Trapani.
Main sights
*Church of ''S ...
in 1307. According to a local legend, a crossbow (“balestra”) was used to shoot an arrow from the water's edge, its landing point determining the border of the town's environs and giving its eventual name: Balestrate.
In 1672, a landowner named Rosalia Leto bequeathed uncultivated lands to the local people on condition that they cultivated them. The small town began to take shape, becoming self-governing in 1829. Its development continued to flourish in large part due to the investments of the English winemaking companies of Ingham, Woodhouse, Whittaker and the Palermitan
Florio
The Florio family is a prominent entrepreneurial Italian family who started many lucrative activities in Sicily involving above all the exportation of Sicilian products (such as Marsala wine) in the nineteenth century, in some ways redeeming Sici ...
family. In many ways the early fortune of Balestrate was tied in with the rising popularity of sweet
Marsala wine
Marsala is a fortified wine, dry or sweet, produced in the region surrounding the Italian city of Marsala in Sicily. Marsala first received ''Denominazione di Origine Controllata'' (DOC) status in 1969.
The European Union grants Protected De ...
. In previous times it was the place where much of the grape crop was grown for the island's famous
Marsala wine
Marsala is a fortified wine, dry or sweet, produced in the region surrounding the Italian city of Marsala in Sicily. Marsala first received ''Denominazione di Origine Controllata'' (DOC) status in 1969.
The European Union grants Protected De ...
.
Economy
Today Balestrate's main industry is fishing and tourism. A small town of nearly 6000 most of the year, Balestrate's population swells up to almost 30,000 during the Summer season with vacationing Europeans and Italians from the colder climates seeking the warm water and sun.
Famous people from Balestrate
*
Filippo Evola (1812-1897) doctor, rector of Casa Professa.
*
Giuseppe Bommarito (1944-1983) carabiniere, gold medal for the civil value, in memory.
Demographic evolution
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References
External links
Information and Pictures of Balestrate (English)
{{Authority control
Municipalities of the Metropolitan City of Palermo