Region of Sicily

Index of Sicilian Arbëresh Villages:

Region of: Sicily

Province of: Catania (CT)

Village of: Biancavilla

• Location:
• Physical Features:
• History:
• Original Founders/Early Family Surnames:
• Most Frequent Surnames Today:
• P.O.I.N.T. Identification Numbers of Genealogical Researchers working on the village: 2057, 2082
• Internet E-Mail Addresses of Persons interested in the village:
  

Province of: Catania (CT)

Village of: Bronte

• Location:
• Physical Features:
• History:
• Original Founders/Early Family Surnames:
• Most Frequent Surnames Today:
• P.O.I.N.T. Identification Numbers of Genealogical Researchers working on the village: 955
• Internet E-Mail Addresses of Persons interested in the village:
•  

Province of: Palermo (PA)

Village of: Contessa Entellina ('Contessa' prior to late 19th century)
"Kundisa" (in T'Arbëresh)
(English: Contessa = Countess)

• Location: 90 km south of city of Palermo; 24 km southwest of Corleone, 14 km north of Bisacquino.
  
• Physical Features: Elevation 571 m.on slope of Monte Genuardo (1179m) sited on three hills.
  
• History: A military garrison camp of Albanian soldiers and their families between about 1450 and 1462 centered on fortress of Castello Baronale. Permanent village structures were first built after 1462 on land leased from Count Alfonso Cardona. Named in honor of Countess Cardona of Chiusa Sclafani ('Entellina' was added to name in modern times when borders of village were expanded to include lands around the Rocco Entella). The original residents were soldiers under command of Girogio and Basilio Reres of Epiros, sons of the military governor of Calabria, Demetrios Reres. Between about 1469 and 1520 the village received an influx of new settlers known as "Coroni", first mostly Albanian and Greek nobility from the region of the Peleponnese and then later, from many of the Greek islands.
  
• Original Founders/Early Family Surnames:
  Albanian surnames - Action of Excise, December 1517: BUSICCHI, CAGLEXERA, CARNESI, CARNESIMINORI, CASESI, DEERMI, LALA, MUSACCHI, MUSARI, RABETTA, SKILLITTI, SKIRO, ZAMANDA
  Albanian surnames - Action of Obligation, November 1520: CARNESI, CAVALCANTE, CHISESI, DEERMI, LUCA, SCHIRO, ZAMANDA, ZIMANDA
  Albanian surnames - Declaration of Vassallaggio, September 1521:(Arrivals from Andros Island, Aegean) CURBI, CUSTAGLIORSI, GERBINUS, LOPES, LOPIS, MANALI, MUSACCHI, NICOLOSI, PETTA, SERVEJA
  Surnames of Albanian and Greek(gr.) Families - Rivelo of 1593:
  BARBACHIA, BARBAKIA, BARBAKJA, BARCHIA, BARCIA, BARCJA, BARGHIA, BELLO, BRAYLLA, BREPA, BURLESHI, CALIVA, CALVA, CAMAZA, CARNESI, CASESI, CAVALCANTI, CHETAA, CHETTA, CHIULLA, CLEPA, CLEPIA, CLEPIA(gr.), CLESI, COMIZI, CONTI, CRIPA, DARA, DORSA, DRAGOTTA, DRAMISI, DULCHI, DULCI, FLOCCA, FRANCO, GASISI, GIRBIRA, GRASSIA, GRIGNURI, GUGUNA, GUIDERA, INGRIGNERA(gr.), LACHETTA, LACUCHJA, LADRAMISI, LALA, LALALA, LAMANALI, LAMSZA, LICURSI, MACALUSO, MANALI, MASI, MASZA, MONTIRA, MUSACCHI, MUSACCHIA, MUSTACCHIO, PARRINO, PIRCHI, POPADA, RIBETTA, SCARIANO, SCHIRO, SCIAMBRA, SCORDILI, SCURDIIJ, TAGLOTTA, THARMA(gr.), VERDIA, VITAGLIOTTA, ZAMANDA,
  Surnames of later arriving Albanian families (after 1600): BILESCI, BRIGNANI, BRILA, BUCCOLI, CHIARCHE, COLCA, COSTANTINI, CRAPIS, CRISCIA, CRISPI, DALMI, DICARLO, FERITI, FORTI, FOTI, FRANCO, GRAVIANO, KIAFALIA, LOJACONO, PEPI, PRAILLA, PREFESA, RAVIOTTA, REZZA, SGROPPA, SPRIFERI, STASSI, SULI, ZALAPI
  
• Most Frequent Surnames Today: LALA, CUCCIA, FERRARA, CLESI, SCHIRO, COLLETTI,
  
• P.O.I.N.T. Identification Numbers of Genealogical Researchers working on the village: 79, 666, 746, 908, 1201, 1732, 2035, 2157, 2261, 2368, 2487, 2498
  
  
• Internet E-Mail Addresses of Persons interested in the village:
  

Province of: Palermo (PA)

Village of: Mezzojuso
"Munxifsi" (in T'Arbëresh)
(Arabic: "Mensel Jusuph" = English: "Houses or 'hamlet' of Joseph")

• Location:
• Physical Features:
• History: A small Saracen settlement from about A.D. 10th Century. Passed into Norman hands in 1091 and then granted, by the Norman king Roger II, to Monastery of Saint John the Hermit, of Palermo in 1132. The village was nearly depopulated in the early 15th century. The Monastery of Saint John granted settlement to 48 families of Albanian soldiers under command of the Reres family in 1490.
  
• Original Founders/Early Family Surnames:
  
  Surnames listed in Byzantine Rite Tax Record of 1618: ALESSI(DI)-BARBACCIA, BARBATO, BARCIA, BARCHIA-CANDILA, BARCIA-COLANTONI, BARCHIA-SOLDARO, BASTA, BELLOXI, BIDERA, BISCULCA, BORAXIESO, BOREXI, BUA, BUCULA, BUCULA-IMPAGLINA, CALANGA, CALANGA-CARROCCHIO, CALANGA-RUSSO, CALÌ, CANDIA(DI), CARNESI, CARNESI-FUMOSO, CARNESI-MOXIRA, CATANIA(DI), CAVADI, CEFALIA, CHETTA, CHISESI, CHIULLA, COLANTONI, COMO, COSTANTINO, CRITOPOLI, CUCHIA, CUCHIA-CURCIO, CUCIA, CUCIA-MARE, DIMARCO, DIMICELI-MOSACIA, DONATO, DRAGOTTA, ELIA(DI), ELMI, FERRARO, FIGLIA, FRANCO, GLAVIANO, GOLEMI, GULEMI, LALA, LANZA, LOATA, LOOTA, LOPES, MACALUSO, MAMMOLA, MANALI, MANOLI, MASARACIA, MASI, MASI-ALEXI, MAZA, MIANO, MOSACHIA, NAUDICO, PARRINO, PINOLA, PLEXA, PLAXIA, PLAXA-TUSILLO, PRIVATA, -RE, RERES, RERISI, RESI-MARCHETTA, REZA, REZZA, RIBECCA, SALAMONE, SANTACRUCI, SCHILLIZZI, SCHIRÒ, SOFRINA, SOFFRINA, SUFFRINA, SPATA, (LA)SPATA, STIPANI, SULLI, SULLA, TAVOLACI, VIRGA, ZASSE, ZUCCARO.
  
  Surnames listed in Latin Rite Tax Record of 1667: ARNONE, ARICÒ, BAIAMONTE, BARONE, BATTAGLIA, BAUSANO, BELLONE, BONADONNA, BORGIA, BORRITTA, BRANCATAO, CINNIRELLA, BRANCATO-IANNELLO, CALÌ, CANINO, CANNIZZARO, CARBONE, CARUSO, CASCINO, COSSENTINO, COSTA-CUCORO, COSTANTINO, COSTANZA, COTTITTO, CUTTITTO, COZZO, CRISCIONE, CUCCIA, D'AFFRONTE, D'ALLESSI, D'AMATO, D'ANSELMO, D'AMICO, D'ARRIGO, DELL'ARTE, DIABERNARDO, DICHIARA, DIFATTA, DIGERACI, DICERATI, DIGRIGOLI, DILORENZO, D'INDIA, DIMADDI, DIMARCHISI, DIMATTEO, DIPAULA, DIPIAZZA, DIPISA, DITERMINE, DONATO, DRAGO, DRAGOTTA, D'URSO, ELMI, FUCARINO, GAETA, GARGIOLA, GATTUSO, GEBBIA, GERBASI, GOLEMI, GRATIANO, GUAGENTI, GUARISCO, INGRASSIA, LABARBERA, LAGATTUTA, LALIOTTA, LAMANNA, LAMANNINA, LANZA, LAROCCA, LAUDICA, LOCASCIO, LOFASO, LOMELI, LOMANTO, LOMONTE, LORE, LORESTIVO, MANICA, MANISCALCO, MARTINELLI, MAURICI, MIANO, MINARDI, MORALES, MUSCARELLO, MUSCARELLO-VIPERA, NICOLETTA, NICOLOSI, NOCILLA, OROBELLO, PARISI, PASSANTINO, CECORARO, PELLINO, PERNICIARO, PINNACCHIO, PIRRI, POLITO, PRAVATÀ, RASPANTI, RIZZO, RUSSO, SAFFINO, SOFFINO, SAMBORCATO, SAMPERI, SANFILIPPO, SANICOLA, SCHIFANO, SCIBONA, SGROPPO, SGUARDO, SPALLITTA, SPITALERI, SPITALERI-SFERRAZZO, TAVOLACCI, TERRANO, TORRISI, VACCARO, VALENTI, VISCARDO
  
• Most Frequent Surnames Today: BURRIESCI, CUCCIA, LABARBERA, LAGATTUTA, LALA, LOMONTE, PERNICIARO, TAVOLACCI, VALENTI, BARCIA, BRANCATO, COMO, DIMICELI, FIGLIA, LOPES, MORALES,
  
• P.O.I.N.T. Identification Numbers of Genealogical Researchers working on the village:207, 662, 1069, 1383, 1542, 1810, 1896, 2162, 2565
  
• Internet E-Mail Addresses of Persons interested in the village:
  

Province of: Palermo (PA)

Village of: Palazzo Adriano
"Pallaci" (in T'Arbëresh)
(English: "Adriatic Palace")

• Location:
  
• Physical Features:
  
• History:
  
• Original Founders/Early Family Surnames:
  
• Most Frequent Surnames Today: CUCCIA, PARRINO, DIGIOVANNI, VAIANA, MARINO, BARBATA, GRANA, PACINO, RUSSO, ALESSI, BUFALO, FRANCAVIGLIA, GAGLIANO, MASARACCHIA, RIGGIO, COSTA, SULLI
  
• P.O.I.N.T. Identification Numbers of Genealogical Researchers working on the village: 455, 1517, 1810, 1980, 2284, 2368
  
• Internet E-Mail Addresses of Persons interested in the village:
  

Province of: Palermo (PA)

Village of: Piana degli Albanesi (Piana dei Greci- prior to 1940)
"Hora e Arbëreshëvet" (in T'Arbëresh) "Home of the Arbëresh"
(English: "Plain of the Albanians", "Plain of the Greeks")

• Location: 24 kilometers south of city of Palermo, Palermo Province, Sicily.
  
• Physical Features: The village, 720 meters altitude, was built on the southeastern slope of Mount Pizzuta and overlooks a shallow bowl-shaped plain formed by Mounts Pizzuta (1333m), Kumeta(1233m) and several lesser peaks. A man-made lake, Lago di Piana degli Albanesi, a dam, and hydro-electric plant are all sited directly south of the village.
  
• History: Official founding date: 30 August 1488. (May have been settled earlier: 1482-1485?) Original families, according to folk-legends, left from the area of Albania called Himarë, where they were rebels against Turkish takeover of the area. Part of this group was perhaps also from central Albania, from where they had been displaced earlier, probably some time after 1468.
  About 1482-1485 a Turkish attack forced these families to Adriatic coast where they hired ships from Venice and escaped by sailing to northern Sicily. They apparently were housed in temporary camps somewhere near city of Palermo until about 1486 or 1487, when they then applied to Cardinal Giovanni Borgia, Archbishop of Monreale, for the right to make permanent settlement on his fiefs of Merku and Daidingli, known as the "Plain of the Archbishop" in the mountains above the city of Palermo. The official concession of land was granted to the settlers in 1488.
  In 1534 another group of families, known as the 'Coroni', settled in the village. They were Greco-Albanians and Greeks from the Venetian fortress of Corone in the Peloponnese region of southwestern Greece (More: go to Links below).
  
• Original Founders/Early Family Surnames:
  Original title holders of the concession of Cardinal Borgia:
  Giovanni BARBATO, Pietro BUA, Giogrio GOLEMI, Giovanni SCHIRÒ , Giovanni MACALUSO, Tomaso TANI, Antoninio ROSCIA, Matteo MAZZA, Teodoro DRAGOTTA, Giorgio BURLESCI, Giovanni PARRINO, Giorgio LASCARI
  Surnames from the Renda family pedigree chart and earliest year the name appears on the chart:
  ALIA (1710), BARBATO (1623), BELLONE (1719), BENEDETTO (1610), BILLONE (1677), BILLUNI (1606), BONANNO (1677), BRANCATO (1672), BUSCICCHIA (1748), BUSICCHIA (1773), CALDARONE (1640), CALDERONE (1615), CARBONE (1719), CEFFALIA (1792), CHISESI (1629), CIPRIOTTA (1638), CORSO (1742), COSMANO (1733), CRISCIONE (1742), CRISCIUNI (1667), CUCCIA (1629), CUSMANO (1705), D'ALIA (1732), DEBENEDECTO (1635), DEMAGGIO (1624), DIBENEDETTO (1661), DIFRANCISCO (1748), DIMAGGIO (1599), DIMARZO (1657), DINO (1636), DRAGOTTA (1722), FERRARO (1594), FICAROTTA (1658), FIGLIA (1589), FRANCO (1674), FUSCO (1557), GALA/LALA? (1679), GIARDINA (1592), GIARDINO (1610), GUIDARA (1619), GUZZETTA (1592), JULLI/LULLI? (1766), LAGRUPPUSA (1629), LALLA (1650), LAPIANA (1724), LASCARI (1761),
  LASCARIS (1786), LOJACONO (1665), LOPEZ (1742), MACALUSO (1720), MANDALA (1639),
  MARCHESE (1628), MATRANGA (1562), MATTISI (1695), MAZZOLA (1720), MECCIA (1587),
  MONTALBANO (1626), MORINA (1581), MUSACCHIA (1666), NORCIA (1628), PACINO (1611),
  PALERMO (1784), PAMALONE (1737), PARISSI (1724), PARRINO (1608), PETTA (1607),
  PRAVATA (1711), RAINERI (1586), RAJNERI (1611), RENDA (1630), RINDINA (1605),
  RIOLO (1599), RIZZO (1690), SCHILLIZZI (1765), SCHIRÒ (1587), SCIRCHIA (1770),
  SIRCHIA (1604), SICARDO (1576), TALENTO (1589), TRAMONTANA (1600), VIRGA (1748),
  ZAMANDA (1629), ZASSI (1658).
  
• Most Frequent Surnames Today: SCHIRÒ , MATRANGA, CUCCIA, STASSI, MANDALÀ, RIOLO, PETTA, PARRINO, PLESCIA, CAPACI, SCALIA, LOGRECO, GUZZETTA, PECORARO, ALES, FUSCO, MUSACCHIA, MARINO, ZUCCARO, DORANGRICCHIA, CARBONE, NORCIA, CLESCERI, BORGIA
  
• P.O.I.N.T. Identification Numbers of Genealogical Researchers working on the village: 274, 662, 677, 695, 746, 885, 1170, 1417, 1503, 1528, 1564, 1802, 1880, 1976, 1978, 1980, 2041, 2529
  
• Internet E-Mail Addresses of Persons interested in the village: John Cusimano-Stradiotti@aol.com;
  

Province of: Agrigento (AG)

Village of: Sant'Angelo Muxaro

• Location:
• Physical Features:
• History:
• Original Founders/Early Family Surnames:
• Most Frequent Surnames Today:
• P.O.I.N.T. Identification Numbers of Genealogical Researchers working on the village:
• Internet E-Mail Addresses of Persons interested in the village:

Province of: Catania (CT)

Village of: San Michele di Ganzaria

• Location:
• Physical Features:
• History:
• Original Founders/Early Family Surnames:
• Most Frequent Surnames Today:
• P.O.I.N.T. Identification Numbers of Genealogical Researchers working on the village:
• Internet E-Mail Addresses of Persons interested in the village:

Province of: Palermo (PA)

Village of: Santa Cristina Gela
"Sëndahstina" (in T'Arbëresh)

• Location: 26 km. south of city of Palermo, Palermo Province. 4 km. east of village of Piana degli Albanesi.
  
• Physical Features: Sited on northeastern shore of Lago di Piana degli Albanesi at 674 m. altitude in depression (shallow valley) between Monte Leardo (1016 m.), Monte Cervo (945 m.) and Monte Parrino (977 m.).
  
• History: Founded in 1691 by a group of farmers from the nearby village of Piana degli Albanesi.
  
• Original Founders/Early Family Surnames:
  
• Most Frequent Surnames Today: PALERMO, CUSIMANO, BRUSCIA, CATANIA, CHIARAMONTE, DIMAGGIO, MATRANGA, PIZZO, TRAINA, ARGENTO, DELBONO, MARFIA, MUSACCHIA, PIRRELLO.
  
• P.O.I.N.T. Identification Numbers of Genealogical Researchers working on the village: 634, 1300, 1802, 2041
  
• Internet E-Mail Addresses of Persons interested in the village: