Ribera, Sicily
Encyclopedia
Ribera is a comune
in the province of Agrigento
, Region of Sicily
, southern Italy
, 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
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.
, 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 fourteenth century. A Bronze Age
necropolis
(thirteenth century BC) was discovered near the town. It includes some thirty tombs in two types, "chamber"- or "grotto"-like; some are preceded by a corridor (up to 4 m 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.
– here introduced by emigrants returned from the United States
– and strawberries
. Such businesses are enhanced both by excellent climatic and environmental conditions and a supporting policy by the local authorities.
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:...
in the province of Agrigento
Province of Agrigento
Agrigento is a province in the autonomous island region of Sicily in Italy. It has an area of 3,042 km², and a total population of 454,370...
, Region 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...
, between the Verdura
Verdura
Verdura is a river of southern Sicily. Its source is in Lake Favara, and flows into the Sicily Channel at Torre Verdura, between Sciacca and Ribera.-Course:...
and Magazzolo valleys in the so-called Plain of San Nicola.
The town is connected by the SS115 state road, leading from Trapani
Trapani
Trapani is a city and 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 important fishing port and the main gateway to the nearby Egadi Islands.-History:...
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.
History
The comune probably rose on the site of the ancient Allava, to which the Byzantine 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.Main sights
The Chiesa Madre, founded in the eighteenth century, facing the Piazza Duomo ("Cathedral Square"). The Town Hall (nineteenth century) is in the same square. In Via Crispi is the house where Francesco CrispiFrancesco Crispi
Francesco Crispi was a 19th-century Italian politician of Arbëreshë ancestry. He was instrumental in the unification of Italy and was its 17th and 20th Prime Minister from 1887 until 1891 and again from 1893 until 1896.-Sicily:Crispi’s paternal family came originally from the small agricultural...
, 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 fourteenth century. A Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
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"...
(thirteenth century BC) was discovered near the town. It includes some thirty tombs in two types, "chamber"- or "grotto"-like; some are preceded by a corridor (up to 4 m 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 comune's main industry, notably involved in the cultivation and marketing of the Washington navel orangeOrange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
– here introduced by emigrants returned from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
– and strawberries
Strawberry
Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
. Such businesses are enhanced both by excellent climatic and environmental conditions and a supporting policy by the local authorities.