Cerami (Sicilian: Cirami) is a comune in Sicily, soothren Italy, pairt o the Province o Enna. The toun itsel is perched on a muntaintop 1,000 metres abuin sea level. A river namit Cerami flows throu this aurie an aw.

Cerami
Comune di Cerami
Cerami is located in Italy
Cerami
Cerami
Location o Cerami in Italy
Coordinates: 37°49′N 14°30′E / 37.817°N 14.500°E / 37.817; 14.500
KintraItaly
RegionSicily
ProvinceEnna (EN)
Govrenment
 • MayorMichele Pitronaci
Area
 • Total94 km2 (36 sq mi)
Elevation
970 m (3,180 ft)
Population
 (2008)
 • Total2,258
 • Density24/km2 (62/sq mi)
Demonym(s)Ceramesi
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
94010
Diallin code0935
Patron sauntSaunt Sebastian
WebsiteOffeecial wabsteid

Cerami produces cereals, olives, grapes, an almonds. It is kent for cattle breedin an sheep herdin an aw. It haulds a Cattle Fair durin the month o August.

History eedit

Cerami wis foondit bi the Greeks as pairt o Magna Graecia in the fowert century BC. The name Cerami derives frae the Greek term Keràmion, that means terracotta. The territory hosts several aircheological auries, such as the Raffo destrict whaur remains o a Greek necropolis wur discovered.

A hilltop toun, Cerami wis the location o a major battle atween Normans an Muslims in 1063, durin the Norman conquest o the Island bi Roger I o Sicily son o Tancred ofHauteville. Accordin tae historian Goffredo Malaterra, efter bein besiegit in the neebourin toun o Troina for fower month, Roger an 136 ferocious Norman knichts teuk tae the field o Cerami an facit approximately 50,000 Muslim sodgers. The apparition o St. George was said tae hae materialisit on a white horse carryin the sign o the cross on his lance an chairgin intae the enemy whaur their array wis the maist dense. Malaterra claims the Normans slauchtered 35,000 o the enemy.[1] Accordin tae Inglis historian Edward Gibbon, even accoontin for 5 or 6 men at airms accompanyin each Norman knicht intae battle, an even accoontin for the Normans' superior martial trainin, the victory wis either miraculous or fabulous.[2] Nivertheless, the Normans went on tae captur the island.

The current commonty rose approximately in the 11t century, an it belangit tae the Count o Policastro, Simone d'Altavilla, an then tae his son Manfredi. It wis conquered bi the Arnaldo faimily, an wis subsequently bestoued tae the Antiochia faimily, thus tae the Manna noblemen. In 1336, the toun wis acquired bi noblemen Rosso, who beheld it till the abolition o the feudal richts.

Durin the Seicont Warld War, the hamlet briefly servit as heidquairters for the U.S. 1st Infantry Diveesion as it prepared tae assault German strangpoints locatit north an sooth o Troina.

Main sichts eedit

The maist ootstaundin landmarks are the Chiesa Madre dedicatit tae Saunt Ambrogio o the 16t century, preservin a statue o the Madonna col Bambino bi Gagini, the gothic Kirk o the Madonna del Carmelo, an the baroque Kirk o the Abbey, that haulds a Byzantine style pentin o the Madonna.

Citations eedit

  1. Goffredo Malaterra, The Deeds of Count Roger, Book 2, Chapter 33, The Battle of Cerami, at which St. George appears.
  2. Edward Gibbon, Decline and Fall of The Roman Empire, Volume 3, Chapter LVI, page 1977