The Camminanti are a nomadic ethnic group living in
Southern Italy
Southern Italy ( it, Sud Italia or ) also known as ''Meridione'' or ''Mezzogiorno'' (), is a macroregion of the Italian Republic consisting of its southern half.
The term ''Mezzogiorno'' today refers to regions that are associated with the peop ...
, almost entirely in
Sicily.
They are closely associated with the
Romani people, given their similar circumstances and lifestyles, and although they are not ethnic Romani,
they are legally considered to be so by the
European Union.
The European Union has repeatedly called for the human rights of Camminanti to be respected, as well as
Italian Romani.
Distribution
The Camminanti live mainly in Sicily (especially
Val di Noto),
however, there are smaller populations in
Campania,
Lombardy
Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...
, and
Lazio.
They are a very small group, numbering about 2000.
History
While it is agreed they came to Sicily during the
14th century
As a means of recording the passage of time, the 14th century was a century lasting from 1 January 1301 ( MCCCI), to 31 December 1400 ( MCD). It is estimated that the century witnessed the death of more than 45 million lives from political and n ...
,
the exact origins of the Camminanti are unclear. One theory asserts that they are the descendants of Slavic and Nordic travellers, but this has been met with little consensus.
Similar, but unproven, theories hypothesize that the people originated as the survivors of the
1693 Sicily earthquake
The 1693 Sicily earthquake struck parts of southern Italy near Sicily, Calabria, and Malta on January 11 at around 21:00 local time. This earthquake was preceded by a damaging foreshock on January 9. The main quake had an estimated magnitude of 7. ...
or that they were initially slaves but transformed into an ethnic group after slavery was abolished. There is still little evidence in support of these claims.
Culture
The Camminanti have their own language, called
Baccagghiu, related to the
Sicilian language and influenced by
16th century
The 16th century begins with the Julian year 1501 ( MDI) and ends with either the Julian or the Gregorian year 1600 ( MDC) (depending on the reckoning used; the Gregorian calendar introduced a lapse of 10 days in October 1582).
The 16th cent ...
-era Greek travellers in Palermo.
In Italy they are well known for their practice of making
balloons, which serves as one of their main sources of income.
Gradually more and more Camminanti are switching to a more sedentary way of life; however most of them are still nomadic.
See also
*
Demographics of Italy
*
Itinerant groups in Europe
References
{{Reflist
Ethnic groups in Sicily
Ethnic groups in Italy