Leonforte
Liunforti
Comune
Comune di Leonforte
Granfonte
Granfonte
Location of Leonforte
Leonforte is located in Italy
Leonforte
Leonforte
Location of Leonforte in Italy
Leonforte is located in Sicily
Leonforte
Leonforte
Leonforte (Sicily)
Coordinates: 37°38′30″N 14°23′45″E / 37.64167°N 14.39583°E / 37.64167; 14.39583
CountryItaly
RegionSicily
ProvinceEnna (EN)
Government
 • MayorSalvatore Barbera
Area
[1]
 • Total84.39 km2 (32.58 sq mi)
Elevation
603 m (1,978 ft)
Population
 (30 November 2017)[2]
 • Total13,117
 • Density160/km2 (400/sq mi)
DemonymLeonfortesi
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
94013
Dialing code0935
Patron saintMadonna del Carmelo
Saint dayAugust 16
WebsiteOfficial website

Leonforte (Liunforti in sicilian) is an Italian comune with a population of 14,046[3] in the Province of Enna, Sicily. The town is situated 22 km from Enna, in the centre of the Erean Mountains at 600 metres a.s.l.

History

The ancient settlement of Tabas or Tavaca stood in the approximate location of Leonforte. During the Byzantine period of Sicily, and later under the Muslim Emirate of Sicily, a castle was built with a farmhouse in its vicinity. Irrigation systems were introduced and many mills took advantage of the abundance of water. In 1610 Nicolò Placido Branciforti founded a city, naming it Leonforte in tribute to his family's coat of arms; a lion holding a banner with the motto in fortitudine bracchii tui.

Main sights

  • Chiesa Madre (mother church)
  • Capuchin church and convent (mausoleum that houses the sarcophagus of Princess Caterina Branciforte, who died in 1634, and a painting by Pietro Novelli, depicting The Election of Matthias to the Apostolate
  • Church of Madonna del Carmelo
  • Granfonte (Fountain)
  • Palazzo Branciforti
  • Castello di Tavi

Economy

The economy is largely based on agriculture. In the past century Leonforte has always had an agricultural economy with many labourers. This has made the town a stronghold for the political left. There are a few industries located within an industrial zone. Another important activity is construction work. Leonforte has one of the highest unemployment rates of the province, at 22%.[4] Leonforte is adjacent to the road Strada Statale 121 that connects Enna, Palermo, Nissoria, and Paternò. The train station is located 10 km from the centre of Leonforte.

References

  1. ↑ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. ↑ "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  3. ↑ "Statistiche demografiche ISTAT".
  4. ↑ "Leonforte - Mercato del lavoro | Disoccupazione".

Sources

  • Giovanni Mazzola, Notizie Storiche sulla vetusta Tavaca e sulla Moderna Leonforte, Tipografia Editrice del Lavoro, 1924
  • Domenico Ligresti, Leonforte: un paese nuovo, in «Archivio Storico per la Sicilia Orientale» a. LXXIV, 1978, I pp. 89–118
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