Country Italy Elevation 468 m (1,535 ft) Dialing code 0921 Province Province of Palermo Local time Thursday 3:26 AM Dialling code 0921 | Province / Metropolitan city Palermo (PA) Time zone CET (UTC+1) Area 108 km² Region Sicily Postal code 90016 | |
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Patron saint Madonna of the Miracles Weather 9°C, Wind N at 21 km/h, 83% Humidity | ||
Collesano (Sicilian: Culisanu) is a small town in the Province of Palermo, Sicily. It is situated roughly 70 kilometres (43 miles) from the provincial capital of Palermo. It lies in the Madonie Park between the hills and the Tyrrhenian Sea and is also on the Targa Florio racing circuit since its beginning (1906). The town owns the official Targa Florio Museum. The long history of Collesano relates to the history of original inhabitants of Sicily called "Sicani", people coming from Spain, and later to the town of Imera, town of the poet Stesichorous, the old Greek town founded by Calcidide (Eubea Island) inhabitants and destroyed by Hannibal in 408 B.C. The Arab geographer Al Idrisi speaks of Collesano, which he described in "The Book of Roger". He tells of the destruction of the town Qal-at-as-Sirat situated on the top of Golden Mountain by the Norman king Ruggero II. Afterwards the town was rebuilt and was called Bagherino. In the Middle Ages, the name was changed to Golisano and then to Collesano. Many aristocratic families have been involved in the governance of the town, such as the countess Adelicia de Alife, niece of the Norman king Ruggero II; the count of Avenel; the Ventimiglia's; the Cicala's; the Centelle's; the de Folch Cardona; the Aragona; the Moncada's; and the Ferrandina's. Monuments to visit include: the ruins of the Norman castle; the old ceramic manufactory; the Cathedral of St. Peter; the churches of St. Mary "the Old", St. James, St. Sebastian and Fabian, St. Dominic or St. Mary "the New", and of St. Mary of Jesus; the Pedaly's Abbey and the Targa Florio Museum which many old-time car clubs stop at during their event on the Madonie Circuit. Collesano is also famous for its ceramic artwork and the Mystery Plays: "la Cercha", a procession with the Penitentes organized every year in Holy Week; and "la Casazza", the "Cycle of Collesano" that has been presented five times in the last century.
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Map of 90016 Collesano Province of Palermo, Italy
Twin towns – Sister cities
Collesano is twinned with: