San Giuseppe Jato
Encyclopedia
San Giuseppe Jato is a village
in the Province of Palermo
in Sicily
, southern Italy
.
The village sits in a hilly region of Palermo's hinterland
, 31 km from the Sicilian capital.
, dating back to prehistoric
times, with influence of Greek
culture from the 6th century BC. Known under the Name of Iaitas
in Greek
sources
and Ietas
in Latin
, this ancient village lived its most flourishing period in its history from the age of Islamic domination of Sicily
to the Hohenstaufen one (c. 975-1246), when it was an important stronghold. It is believed that the last remnants of the original Muslim stronghold were demolished in 1246 by the troops of Frederick II of Sicily
.
The modern village was founded in 1779 at the foot of Mount Jato
. It was known simply as San Giuseppe, until 1864 when the suffix
Jato was added to differentiate it from San Giuseppe Vesuviano
, near Naples
.
San Giuseppe Jato is the birthplace of Giovanni Brusca
, a notorious mafioso who, in 1996, was arrested for the assassination
of Judge Giovanni Falcone
, a prominent Sicilian
anti-mafia
campaigner.
, its inhabitants rely on the production of corn
, olives and grapes for their livelihood. Each September the village holds a Festival
of Grapes and Wine
where these commodities and other agricultural produce is displayed. The area around San Giuseppe Jato is also known for its beef
cattle
breeding
and as a centre for woodturning
and iron
works.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in the Province of Palermo
Province of Palermo
The Province of Palermo is a province in the autonomous region of Sicily, a major island in Southern Italy. Its capital is the city of Palermo. The Province of Palermo has 82 comuni , 1,239,272 inhabitants, and is 4,992 km² .-External links:...
in 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...
.
The village sits in a hilly region of Palermo's hinterland
Hinterland
The hinterland is the land or district behind a coast or the shoreline of a river. Specifically, by the doctrine of the hinterland, the word is applied to the inland region lying behind a port, claimed by the state that owns the coast. The area from which products are delivered to a port for...
, 31 km from the Sicilian capital.
History
The first inhabited centre in the area lies on top of the adjacent Mount JatoIetas
Ietas , was an ancient town of the interior of Sicily, in the northwest of the island, not very far from Panormus , in the modern comune of San Giuseppe Jato whose name reflects the ancient town's.-History:Ietas was mentioned by Philistus as a fortress, and it is called by Thucydides a fortress of...
, dating back to prehistoric
Prehistory
Prehistory is the span of time before recorded history. Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing...
times, with influence of Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
culture from the 6th century BC. Known under the Name of Iaitas
Ietas
Ietas , was an ancient town of the interior of Sicily, in the northwest of the island, not very far from Panormus , in the modern comune of San Giuseppe Jato whose name reflects the ancient town's.-History:Ietas was mentioned by Philistus as a fortress, and it is called by Thucydides a fortress of...
in Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
sources
Primary source
Primary source is a term used in a number of disciplines to describe source material that is closest to the person, information, period, or idea being studied....
and Ietas
Ietas
Ietas , was an ancient town of the interior of Sicily, in the northwest of the island, not very far from Panormus , in the modern comune of San Giuseppe Jato whose name reflects the ancient town's.-History:Ietas was mentioned by Philistus as a fortress, and it is called by Thucydides a fortress of...
in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, this ancient village lived its most flourishing period in its history from the age of Islamic domination of Sicily
Emirate of Sicily
The Emirate of Sicily was an Islamic state on the island of Sicily , which existed from 965 to 1072.-First Arab invasions of Sicily:...
to the Hohenstaufen one (c. 975-1246), when it was an important stronghold. It is believed that the last remnants of the original Muslim stronghold were demolished in 1246 by the troops of Frederick II of Sicily
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
.
The modern village was founded in 1779 at the foot of Mount Jato
Ietas
Ietas , was an ancient town of the interior of Sicily, in the northwest of the island, not very far from Panormus , in the modern comune of San Giuseppe Jato whose name reflects the ancient town's.-History:Ietas was mentioned by Philistus as a fortress, and it is called by Thucydides a fortress of...
. It was known simply as San Giuseppe, until 1864 when the suffix
Suffix
In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns or adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs...
Jato was added to differentiate it from San Giuseppe Vesuviano
San Giuseppe Vesuviano
San Giuseppe Vesuviano is a comune in the Province of Naples in the Italian region Campania, located about 20 km east of Naples...
, near Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
.
San Giuseppe Jato is the birthplace of Giovanni Brusca
Giovanni Brusca
Giovanni Brusca is a former member of the Sicilian Mafia. He murdered the anti-Mafia prosecutor Giovanni Falcone in 1992 and once stated that he had committed between 100 and 200 murders but was unable to remember the exact number...
, a notorious mafioso who, in 1996, was arrested for the assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
of Judge Giovanni Falcone
Giovanni Falcone
Giovanni Falcone was an Sicilian/Italian prosecuting magistrate born in Palermo, Sicily. From his office in the Palace of Justice in Palermo, he spent most of his professional life trying to overthrow the power of the Mafia in Sicily...
, a prominent Sicilian
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,...
anti-mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
campaigner.
Economy
Like many villages and towns in the north of SicilySicily
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,...
, its inhabitants rely on the production of corn
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
, olives and grapes for their livelihood. Each September the village holds a Festival
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
of Grapes and Wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
where these commodities and other agricultural produce is displayed. The area around San Giuseppe Jato is also known for its beef
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
breeding
Selective breeding
Selective breeding is the process of breeding plants and animals for particular genetic traits. Typically, strains that are selectively bred are domesticated, and the breeding is sometimes done by a professional breeder. Bred animals are known as breeds, while bred plants are known as varieties,...
and as a centre for woodturning
Woodturning
Woodturning is a form of woodworking that is used to create wooden objects on a lathe . Woodturning differs from most other forms of woodworking in that the wood is moving while a stationary tool is used to cut and shape it...
and iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
works.