Ribera ( Sicilian: ''Rivela'') is a ''

comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...

'' in the

province of Agrigento The province of Agrigento (; ) is a province in the autonomous island region of Sicily, Italy, situated on its south-western coast. Following the suppression of the Sicilian provinces, it was replaced in 2015 by the Free Municipal Consortium of Ag ...

, Region of

Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...

, southern

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, between the Verdura and Magazzolo valleys in the so-called Plain of San Nicola. The town is connected by the SS115 state road, leading from

Trapani Trapani ( ; ; ) is a city and municipality (''comune'') with 54,887 inhabitants, 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 important fishing port and the mai ...

to Syracuse. The Platani River, the third Sicilian river, flows nearby. It has enormously contributed to developing both farming and tourism in the area. Its mouth has been designated as a natural reserve. Ribera torre poggiodiana

History

The comune probably rose on the site of the ancient Allava, to which the

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

necropolis near the modern town may possibly be attributed. In 1627, Luigi Guglielmo Moncada, Prince of Paternò, founded a new centre named after his wife, Maria Alfan di Ribera; the new centre developed rapidly, thanks to the fertility of the soil and the accessibility of the area. It is the birthplace of Prime Minister Francesco Crispi.

Main sights

Sights include: *The Chiesa Madre, founded in the 18th century, facing the Piazza Duomo ("Cathedral Square"). *The Town Hall (19th century) is in the same square. *In ''Via Crispi ''is the house where Francesco Crispi, leader of the Italian government between 1887 and 1896, was born. *The Garibaldi Garden offers a botanical itinerary. Just outside the town, on a gorge overlooking the Verdura river is the Castello di Poggio Diana, built by Guglielmo Peralta in the 14th century. A

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

necropolis (13th century BC), the Anguilla necropolis, was discovered near the town. It includes some 30 tombs in two types, "chamber"- or "grotto"-like; some are preceded by a corridor up to long. Also outside the town is the Borgo Bonsignore, a village founded under Fascism as part of the "colonization" policy that encouraged the creation of new villages; it has now grown as a summer resort.

Economy

Agriculture is the commune's main industry, notably involved in the cultivation and marketing of the Washington navel orange – here introduced by emigrants returned from the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

– and

strawberries The garden strawberry (or simply strawberry; ''Fragaria × ananassa'') is a widely grown hybrid plant cultivated worldwide for its fruit. The genus ''Fragaria'', the strawberries, is in the rose family, Rosaceae. The fruit is appreciated f ...

. Such businesses are enhanced both by excellent climatic and environmental conditions and a supporting policy by the local authorities.

Twin towns

* Oinousses, Greece * Elizabeth, USA

External links

Official websiteRibera - Photos, history, traditions, newsArancia di Ribera D.O.P.

{{authority control

History

Main sights

Economy

Twin towns

See also

External links