| Leonforte | ||
 | ||
| State | Italy | |
|---|---|---|
| Region | Sicily | |
| Territory | Ennese | |
| Altitude | 613 m a.s.l. | |
| Surface | 84.39 km² | |
| Inhabitants | 12.866 (2019) | |
| Name inhabitants | Leonfortesi | |
| Prefix tel | 39 0935 | |
| POSTAL CODE | 94013 | |
| Time zone | UTC 1 | |
| Patron | Madonna del Carmelo and San Giuseppe | |
Position
| ||
| Tourism site | ||
| Institutional website | ||
Leonforte is a city of Sicily.
To know
Geographical notes
Leonforte is located in the center of the Erei mountain system. The town extends along the slope of a hill and has a height ranging from 600 meters above sea level. of the historic area at 700 meters above sea level of the most recently built neighborhoods.
Leonforte is only 22 km from the provincial capital, Enna.
Background
During the Byzantine dominion of Giorgio Maniace, and later the Arab one, a castle was built, called Tavi, and a farmhouse was built in its vicinity; systems for the irrigation of crops were introduced and numerous mills exploited the abundance of water. With the Norman conquest the fiefdom passed from one squire to another until, in the 15th century, it came to the Branciforti family.
In 1610, by means of licentia populandi, Niccolò Placido I Branciforte, thought of making the most of the potential of the fertile territory, founding a city that he called Leonforte in homage to the coat of arms of his family and elevating the property to the rank of principality in 1622.
In the last century Leonforte has always had an agricultural and worker economy, which in the past made the town a stronghold of the political left.
How to orient yourself
Leonforte: full screen map.The city develops in length along Corso Umberto but the historical part is located to the south.
How to get
On the train
- 1 Leonforte Pirato station (about ten kilometers from Leonforte). The station serves Leonforte and I absorb.
How to get around
By car
The blue stripes are active in the city. To pay, tickets can be purchased from authorized resellers. Tickets are € 1.30 daily or € 0.50 hours (Jun 2020).
What see
Churches
Church of the Matrix
- 1 Church of the Matrix (Church of San Giovanni Battista), Via P. Palermo, 125, ☎ 39 0935 903427. The foundation of the Mother Church took place around the year 1611. It was erected out of devotion of Princess Caterina, wife of Prince Niccolò Placido I Branciforte, on a small pre-existing sanctuary. The construction was completed in the second half of the 17th century.
Church and convent of the Capuchins
- 2 Church and convent of the Capuchin Fathers, Cappucci Square, 5. The church was founded by Prince Niccolò Placido I Branciforte in the year 1630. It contains: the sarcophagus of Prince Niccolò Placido Branciforte (at the foot of the altar) who died in 1661; the sarcophagus of his wife Caterina (in the right aisle) who died 1634, and, in an underground chapel, the sarcophagi of the family of Giuseppe Branciforte II, prince of Leonforte. In addition, the painting by Pietro Novelli is kept - a valuable masterpiece depicting the election of St. Matthias to the apostolate.
Church of Maria SS. of Mount Carmel
- 3 Church of Maria SS. of Mount Carmel, Via Gran Fonte, 59 (Next to the Granfonte). Even before Leonforte was founded, this church existed and was officiated by the Carmelite monks of I absorb, who came to celebrate masses there. From 1619 the cultic management was officiated by the barefoot friars of the Third Order Regular of S. Francesco, for whom the prince Nicolò Placido Branciforte had a convent built adjacent to the church. From 1612 to 1624, in the absence of parish churches, this was the office and therefore the sacraments were administered in it. In the year 1651 it was restored and enlarged by the founding prince Nicolò Placido Branciforte. With the passing of time, the church threatened to collapse and the Frs. of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, in 1785, at their own expense, they built it from the foundations as we see today. However, they did not bother to embellish and plaster it. With the enactment of the subversive laws (1866) and the consequent suppression of religious orders, the church of the Madonna del Monte Carmelo was entrusted to the care of the secular clergy. Subsequent restoration interventions show us the current non-optimal conditions of the church; which lacks the vault (collapsed) and most of the floor.
- Inside is preserved the stone which, according to tradition, was placed by a greaser in the stoup to spread the plague, whose contagion was escaped thanks to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin who caused the water to drain.
Church of San Giuseppe
- 4 Church of San Giuseppe, Via S. Giuseppe, 87. The church of San Giuseppe was built at the expense of the sac. Tommaso Crimì as denoted by the inscription on the title page. It was frescoed by the famous Flemish painter Guglielmo Borremans, with characters from the Old and New Testament. The church was built as a parish in 1941.
- Under the floor of the church there is a funerary crypt. The deceased of the ecclesial community of San Giuseppe were buried in it until 1885, when the construction of the municipal cemetery was completed.
Church of Santo Stefano Protomartire
- 5 Church of Sant'Antonio da Padova, Via Cremona, 6.
- 6 Church of Santo Stefano Protomartire, Via Giuseppe Garibaldi, 64.
- 7 Church of the Holy Cross, Via Contrasto.
- 8 Church of Maria SS. of Mercede, Via Mercede, 21.
- 9 Church of San Francesco di Paola, Piazza S. Francesco, 36.
- 10 Church of Maria SS. Annunziata, Piazza Annunziata, 241.
- 11 Church of SS. Savior, Via Capra, 226.
- 12 Church of Maria SS. of the Chain, Via Michelangelo, 2.
Civil architectures
Granfonte
13 Granfonte (Fountain of the 24 Cannoli), Via Gran Fonte. It is a monumental fountain built in the Renaissance-Baroque style. Built by Prince N. Placido Branciforti on the remains of an ancient Arab fountain, it was the usual meeting place for the population and, with its twenty-four spouts, also the public drinking trough. It seems that its architectural design recalls a similar fountain that would be found in Amsterdam. More likely, the work, attributable to the Palermo architect M. Smiriglio, refers to the numerous creations of Flemish artists which were then widespread in Sicily.
- From the 24 bronze spouts every day, except for Good Friday as a sign of mourning for the death of Christ, crystal clear water flows continuously and collects in the underlying rectangular basin.
Branciforti Palace
- 14 Branciforti Palace, Branciforti Square, 2.
- 15 Fountain of the nymphs, Via Gran Fonte, 37A.
- 16 Branciforte stable, Branciforti square.
- 17 Villa Bonsignore, Corso Umberto, 381.
- 18 ex Leonforte Station. This station was part of the former Dittaino-Leonforte railway, now in disuse.
Events and parties
- Feast of St. Joseph.
March 19. - Feast of the Madonna del Carmelo. August 16.
March 19.What to do
Shopping
- 1 Sicilia Outlet Village, ☎ 39 0935 950040. This outlet that recreates the typical Sicilian architecture attracts a large number of customers from all parts of Sicily.
How to have fun
Where to eat
Moderate prices
- 1 Weak Bakery, Via Dalmazia, 63.
- 2 Cangeri Pastry Bar, Corso Umberto, 256 (Next to the square), ☎ 39 0935 904603.
Where stay
Safety
- 2 "Ferro Branciforti Capra" Hospital, Contrada S. Giovanni, 1, ☎ 39 0935 664111.
How to keep in touch
Around
- Mount Altesina oriented nature reserve
- 3 Bozzetta Castle.
- 4 Nicoletti Lake. It is an artificial lake for irrigation and industrial use created by building a dam on the Dittaino river.
Itineraries
- Former Dittaino-Leonforte railway - Breathtaking views between tunnels and viaducts that can be traveled by bicycle or on foot.
