Alcamo

Alcamo Àrcamu
—  Comune  —
Comune di Alcamo
Coat of arms
Alcamo Location of Alcamo in Italy
Coordinates: 37°58′N 12°58′E / 37.967°N 12.967°E / 37.967; 12.967
Country	Italy
Region	Sicily
Province	Trapani (TP)
Frazioni	Alcamo Marina
Government
• Mayor	Sebastiano Bonventre
Area
• Total	130 km2 (50 sq mi)
Elevation	256 m (840 ft)
Population (2010)
• Total	45,985
• Density	350/km2 (920/sq mi)
Demonym	Alcamesi
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	91011
Dialing code	0924
Patron saint	Madonna of the Miracles
Saint day	June 21
Website	Official website

Alcamo (Sicilian: Àrcamu) is the fourth largest city in the province of Trapani, in north-western Sicily, southern Italy.

History

Alcamo was founded in 828 by the Muslim commander al-Kamuk (after whom it is named), though other sources date its origin to c. 972. The original Christian settlement, definitively abandoned in the 14th century, was located where remains of a tower and a water reservoir (Funtanazza) can be seen in the neighbourhood.

Castle of the counts of Modica.

The first document mentioning Alcamo is from 1154, a document by the Arab geographer Idrisi. Not many years later, ibn Jubayr describes the city as a beleda (town with mosques and a market). In the Middle Ages Alcamo was largely inhabited by Muslim people, whose numbers declined however after the Norman conquest of Sicily, begun in 1060. A series of Arab revolts between 1221 and 1243 led King Frederick II to move much of the Arab population to a colony at Lucera, while Christians from Bonifato came to inhabit the city. In this period was born the famous poet Ciullo or Cielo d'Alcamo.

Several feudataries of the Kingdom of Naples succeeded in the rule of the city until in 1618 Vittoria Colonna sold Alcamo to Pietro Balsamo, prince of Roccafiorita, for 2,000 scudi.

In the 14th century Alcamo had some 3,000 inhabitants. In the late 16th-century the population was decimated by a pestilence, but gradually recovered, increasing to 13,000 in 1798. Four years later its feudal status was abolished and the city became a direct royal possession. In 1829 an outbreak of cholera again killed much of the population, a misfortune which was repeated in 1918, this time due to the Spanish flu.

In 1860 a revolt broke out and numerous Alcamesi were active in the unification of Italy, supporting and fighting under Garibaldi's expedition to southern Italy. The Allied troops entered Alcamo without opposition on July 21, 1943, freeing the city from Fascist and German forces.

Main sights

This section requires expansion.

• The Castle of the Counts of Modica (14th century). It has a rhomboidal plan, with four towers; two are quadrangular, two are cylindrical. In the northern part a mullioned window in Gothic style can be seen.
• Cathedral (18th century) has works of art by Giacomo Gagini and Giacomo Serpotta, as well as frescos by Guglielmo Borremans.

The surrounding areas include interesting tourist and historical locations like Segesta and Gibellina. The old fishing village of Scopello, 20 km from Alcamo, has been referred to as having a remarkable seaside. Another village considered worth visiting is Castellammare del Golfo which is between these two places.

People from Alcamo

• Cielo d'Alcamo
• Franca Viola
• Antonino Asta
• Giuseppe Scurto

Twin towns

• Jelgava, Latvia

External links

• Alcamo - Official website (Italian)
• Alcamo.it
• Notizie storiche, foto di Alcamo, informazioni, curiosità, etc.
• Financial Club - Associazione Culturale per la promozione della cultura d'impresa
• Alcamo Information
• Al centro delle colline Alcamo D.o.c.