Encyclopedia of Southern Italy: Ae – Aj
Part of The Encyclopedia of Southern Italy.
Ae – Aj
Aeaea (or Aia): An island mentioned in the Odyssey where the sorceress Circe made her home. It is uncertain exactly which island Homer was referring to although it appears to have been either Aegusa (mod. Favignana) or another isle somewhere off the east or west coasts of the Italian mainland.
Aebalia: An alternate name for ancient Tarentum.
Aecae (Aeca, Aecani, Aecas) (>mod. Troja [FG])>: Ancient name for the Puglian city of Troja (Troia). It lay within the confines of Samnium and originally belonged to the Samnite Hirpini or the Daunian Apulians. The city lay of the Via Traiana between Beneventum and Brundisium (or on the Via Egnatia, between Equus Tuticus and Ad Pirum). Captured by Hannibal in 216 BC during the the 2nd Punic war, it was retaken by the Romans in 214 BC. Under the early Empire, a colony was established there and the city was renamed Colonia Augusta Apula. Its citizens may have been enrolled in the Papiria voting tribe. Pliny the Elder called the place Aecani and Aecas.
Aeclanuii: See Vertumnus.
Aeclanum (sometimes Aeculanum) (It. Eclano; mod. Mirabella Eclano): (AV) : An ancient Oscan city of the Hirpini-Samnites, located 24 km E of modern Benevento and 30 km NE of Avellino, in the communal territory of Mirabella Eclano. (full entry)
Aeculanum (Aeclanum)>: (mod. Le Grotte, near Mirabella Eclano (AV)). Ancient town of the Hirpini, in Samnium. It was situated on the Via Appia, to the ESE of Beneventum.
Aedile: A Roman magistrate who oversaw the running of the public games, public places, and the grain supply for the city of Rome. Four aediles were elected each year, two of which were required to be plebians. The two others, known as curule aediles, might be either plebians or patricians. The aediles were charged with a number of detailed duties. They saw to the general welfare of Rome and its inhabitants, keeping the peace, overseeing public works (buildings, aqueducts, baths, etc) and procuring the necessary food and other provisions for Rome. They were also changed with regulation of weights and measures.
The title of aedile derived from the Latin word aedes (=building), an apparent reference to their original function as overseers of public works. As Roman culture and government spread throughout Italy, aediles were elected in all of the municipal towns.
Aeeae: One of the Aegadian Islands.
Aegadian Islands: See Aegates.
Aegates (: >Aegades, Aegusae, Aegadian ) Islands >(=>goat islands ) (TP) : Ancient name for the Isole Egadi, a group of small, rocky islands off the W coast of Sicily. (full entry)
Aegesta: See Segesta.
Aegestanum emporium: an ancient port in Sicily, situated at the mouth of the river Simois. It served as the port for the city of Segesta, in western Sicily.
Aegestes: See Acetes.
Aegetini: The inhabitants of ancient Azerium (or Netium), in Peucetia (Apulia).
Aegimius: See Aegimus.
Aegimus (Aegimius): (b. Velia; fl. 5th century BC). Physician. Galen credited him with being the first physician to write a treatise (De Palpitationibus) on the pulse.
aegis: a sash or breastplate associated with both Athena and Zeus. It was said to bear the head of a gorgon. The aegis was made from goat skin, its name deriving from aisk, the Greek word for “goat.”
Aegithallus (Acellum)>: An ancient fortress situated on the Aegithallus promontorium of W Sicily. In 249 BC, during the First Punic War, it was occupied by the Romans under the command of Lucius Junius, as part of the operations against Lilybaeum. It was soon retaken by the Carthaginians under Carthalo and Junius was taken prisoner. Diodorus Siculus called it Acellum.
Aegithallus promontorium (Aegitharsus) (TP): Ancient name for Capo di S. Teodoro, a promontory on the W coast of Sicily between Marsala and Trapani. Later called Acellus, it was near ancient Lilybaeum.
Aegusa (sometimes Aethusa) (TP): Ancient name for the island of Favignana, off the W coast of Sicily. It lay at the far E point of the archipelago, the closest of the islands to ancient Lilybaeum. It is sometimes identified as the Aeeae mentioned by Homer. Mod. Favignana.
Aegusae: See Aegates Islands.
Aemilii: A patrician gens (= clan) of ancient Rome. (full entry)
Aemilius Paulus, Lucius: (d. 216 BC): Roman consul (219 and 216 BC). Co-commander of the Roman forces at the battle of Cannae, he was among those who fell in that disastrous defeat to the Carthaginians.
Aenaria (Inarime, Pithecusa) (NA): Ancient name for the island of Ischia. Sources attribute the name to the Roman Emperor Augustus who was apparently related the island with the epic of Aeneas.
Aeneas: A mythological hero of the Trojan War, claimed by the Romans as the founder of their race. He was the son of Anchises, King of Dardania, and the goddess Aphrodite (=Venus). According to Roman mythology, as set down in the 1st century BC by Vergil in the Aeneid, Aeneas led the surviving Trojans from the ruins of their city on a seven-year journey in search of a new homeland. Part of his epic story takes place in Sicily and Campania. In the 3rd book of the story, Aeneas’s father, Anchises, died at Drepanum in W Sicily. In the 5th book, during Aeneas’s second visit to Sicily, he is welcomed by Acestes (see which) near Mt. Eryx. In the 6th book, Aeneas meets the Sibyl at Cumae in Campania, who leads him through a cave at Lake Avernus to visit his father in the Underworld.
Aeneid: The epic poem of ancient Rome, created by the poet Virgil. It was the National Epic of the ancient Romans, telling the tale of the Trojan hero Aeneas, who led his followers of a 7-year journey to Italy. There, after several adventures, they settled in Latium and became the ancestors of the Romans. In the third book of the Aeneid, Virgil includes an itinerary of the Sicilian coast from Messina to Syracuse, from Syracuse to Selinunte (Selinus), and then on to Trapani. Nearly the entire fifth book of the epic, describing the funeral games of Anchises, take place in W Sicily, in and around Trapani and Eryx.
Aeolia: In classical mythology, the floating island home of Aeolus, ruler of the winds. Traditionally, Aeolia is identified with one of the Lipari Islands, thus providing that chain with its classical name, Aeoliae Insulae. It was said to have been surrounded by a great bronze wall.
Aeoliae Insulae (Vulcaniae, Hephaestiades, Lipareae, Planctai (?))(ME): >: Classical name for the volcanic Lipari Islands off the NE coast of Sicily. (full entry)
Aeolian Harp: An early musical instrument, named for Aeolus, legendary ruler of the winds. It has strings of different thicknesses, all tuned to the same note and stretched across a box that create sounds when the wind blows through them.
Aeolus (Grk: “fleet”): (see full page)
Aequa (mod. Equa): An ancient village (vici) in Campania, located on the Cumanaus Sinus, to the east of Surrentum and west of Stabiae.
Aequanus Vicus: an ancient town in Campania, near Surrentum. Mod. Vico Equense [NA].
Aequi: An ancient people of central Italy. Their territory included parts of eastern Lazio and western Abruzzo. Kinsmen of the neighboring Volsci, they were a formidable threat to early Rome. In 418 BC, they lost their stronghold on Mt. Algidus, but were not completely subjugated until 304/303 BC.
Aequus Tuticus (or Aequum Tuticum) (AV): A town of the ancient Irpini, the site of which is thought to have been between Casalbore and Ariano Irpino, near Sant’ Eleuterio. The name means “wide field.” Conquered by the Romans during the 2nd Century BC, it flourished thanks to its location at the junction of the Via Appia and Via Herculia. It survived into the 6th century AD until a series of strong earthquakes and the violence of warfare caused the site to be abandoned. Excavators at the site have discovered remains of buildings, honorary statues, bases and funerary steles.
Aesai: Ancient Oscan deities equivalent to the Etruscan Aiseras (The Shrouded Gods) The name translates to mean “the Hidden Ones.”
Aesarus (Avien) River: A river in ancient in ancient Bruttium which emptied into the Ionian Sea at Croton. (Mod. Esaro).
Aescheion: (b. Syracuse; fl 1st part of the 1st century BC). His wife, Pippa, was a mistress of the corrupt Roman governor Verres. Dishonest and greedy himself, he willingly carried out Verres’s crimes.
Aeschines: (b. c389 BC; d. c314 BC). Philosopher and orator. A native of Athens, he was a student of Socrates and a rival of Demosthenes. He spent several years as part of the court of Dionysius I of Syracuse, later returning to Athens. He advocated a simple life, unencumbered by possessions.
Aeschines the Orator: A famous ancient statue discovered at Herculaneum. A Roman copy of a Greek original from the late 4h century BC, it is now displayed in the National Museum at Naples.
Aeschines (b. c389 BC; d. c314 BC), an Athenian philosopher and orator, he was a student of Socrates and a rival of Demosthenes. He spent several years as part of the court of Dionysius I of Syracuse, later returning to Athens. He advocated a simple life, unencumbered by possessions.
Aeschylus: (b.525/4 BC; d. 461 or 456 BC). (full entry)
Aesculapius: An ancient god of medicine. He was very popular in ancient Sicily, where malaria was an endemic problem. He was said to have been the son of Apollo and Coronis, and was a patron god of ancient Messene (Messina).
Aesernia (IS): Classical name for the area now occupied by the province of Isernia (Molise) and for the city of Isernia (CB). It was also the name for center of the ancient Caraceni Samnites, which became a Latin colony was founded here in 263 BC. It was situated on the Via Numicia, between Aufidena and Bovianum. Mod. Isernia.
Aeserus, River: A small river in ancient Bruttium, named for a legendary hunter who drowned there. It emptied into the Ionian Sea just N of Croton. It is identified with the modern river Esaro. Unimportant historically, it was the site of a mythological battle between Herakles (Hercules) and Lacinius.
Aethusa (TP): An ancient name for the island of Favignana (TP).
Aetius>: An ancient physician from Sicily to whom has been ascribed the book De Atrabile. It is believed that the famous physician Galen used Aetius’s writing for source material.
Aetna (Aitna): An ancient Sicilian nymph and the goddess of the Sicilian volcano Mt. Etna. According to some versions of her myth, she was one of the Oceanides, a daughter of Uranus and Gaea, and, thus, older than the Olympian gods themselves. Other sources say she was the daughter of the Cyclops Briareus. She is known principally as the mediator in a dispute between Hephaestus and Demeter over control of Sicily. She may have been considered the consort of the Sikel fire-god Adranos (see which) (Other sources name Hephaestus or Zeus), as she is named as the mother of the Palici (Palikoi), the gods of thermal geysers and springs.
Aetna (: Inessa )(CT) : An ancient town that sat at the S. (full entry)
Aetna, Mons (CT): Classical name for Mt. (full entry)
Aetnaeus: An epithet attached to several deities or mythical beings associated with Mount Etna (anc. Aetna mons). Among these were Jupiter Aetnaeus, to whom a statue and a festival were dedicated on the slopes of the mountain. The name was also attached to Vulcan and to the Cyclopes.
Afan de Rivera, Achille: (b. 1842, Santa Maria di Capua. d. 1904, Naples). Military leader and politician. He loyally served the Bourbons until the fall of Gaeta to the Sardinians in January 1861. Transferring to the new army of the Kingdom of Italy, distinguishing himself during the war against the Austrians in 1866. By 1896, he had risen to the rank of Lieutenant General. Having also begun a political career, he became a Deputy in 1890, served as Undersecretary of War, and, in 1898, had become Minister of Public Works. In 1898, he was awarded the title of Marchese.
Afan de Rivera, Carlo: (b. 1779, Gaeta. d. 1852, Gaeta). (full entry)
Afan de Rivera, Fernando: (b. 1570 or 1584, Seville, Spain. d. 1638, Villach, Austria. Duke of Alcala; and Spanish diplomat. A great patron of the arts, he built a collection at his palace at Seville, which included both works of art and codices. He served as ambassador to the court of Pope of Urban VIII, later becoming vicar to the Kingdom of Naples (1629-31) and then to Sicily (1632-35). In 1636, he was appointed vicar-general to Italy. He died while serving as plenipotiary at the congress of Colonia for European peace.
Afan de Rivera, Pedro: (b. c1508; d.1571). Duke of Alcala. Spanish politician. He served as Spanish vicar of Naples from 1559 until his death in 1571. During his term in this office he effectively combated Turkish pirates from without and Calabrian bandits (including the famous Marco Berardi, popularly known as “King Marco”) from within the Kingdom of Naples. One of the few Spanish colonial officials to be truly conscious of the needs of the local people, de Rivera attempted to relieve the terrible suffering of the Neapolitan peasants caused by famine, pestilence, and earthquakes. Despite his persecution of the Waldensians in Calabria, he also refused to allow ecclesiastic authority and privilege to take precedence over civil law in Naples.
Afesa, Pietro (also called Della Basilicata): (fl. mid-17th century). Painter. A native of the Basilicata, he created a number of works still extant in several churches and convents in the city of Naples. Among of his finest works in an altar-piece in the chapel of the convent of Marsico Nuovo depicting the “Assumption of the Virgin Mary.” He received high praise in Bernardo di Domenici’s “Lives of Neapolitan Painters and Architects” (1744).
Afflitto, Giovanni Maria: (b. Naples; d.1673). A monk and writer. His best-known work is a “Treatise on Fortifications.”
Afflitto, Eustachio d’ (1): (b. 1742; d. 1785). Nobleman (Duke of Roccagloriosa) and scholar. He was a teacher of ecclesiastical hitory at the University of Naples. He also served as directory of the Royal Library and the Royal Museam of Capodimonte.
Afflitto, Eustachio d’ (2): (d. 1790). Dominican monk and historian. He is principally known for the unfinished 2-volume Memorie degli Scrittori del Regno di Napoli (“Memoirs of the Writers of the Kingdom of Naples”) (posth.1792).
Afflitto, Matteo d’ (Lat. Matthaeus de Afflictis): (b. Naples, 1430 or 1448; d. 1510 or 1524). Lawyer. An author of several legal works, in 1469 he became professor of civil and canon law at the University of Naples. He was an advisor to King Ferdinando I. His principal works are Commentarius in Costitutione Siciliae et Neapolis; Commentarius super tre libros feudorum; Decisiones neapolitanae antiquae et novae; Lecturae super consuetudines Neapolitani Siciliaeque regni; and Lecturae super septem libros codicis Justiniani.
Afflitto, Rodolfo: (b. Roccagloriosa [SA]; fl 19th century). Politician. A member of Garibaldi’s expedition against the Kingdom of Naples (1860-61), he refused to accept an offered ministry in the later government. He served as Prefect of Genoa, and later, Prefect of Naples.
Afragola: (NA): A town and commune (Area: 17.99 km². (full entry)
Afranius, Lucius: (b. c150 BC). Latin Comic poet and playwright. He is best known for his works with southern Italian settings, including one play entitled Brudusinae (“Women of Brundisium”). Another play, Exceptus, set in Naples, deals with a young man whose love is rejected by a local woman. He unsuccessfully attempts to drown himself but is rescued by a fisherman. Afranius’s play, “Bucco Adopted”, shows strong influences from native Oscan productions. The title character, Bucco (=fat fool), is a stock character in Atellan farces. He borrowed much of his work from Menander.
African Sea: The section of the central Mediterranean Sea between southern Sicily and North Africa.
Africo >(or Africo Vecchio) (RC): A commune in the province of Reggio Calabria. Area: 51.02 km². Alt. 15 m. CAP: 89030. Tel. Pref.: 0964. Geographical Coordinates: Lat 38°3’6″12 N/Long 16°8’2″40 E. Population Information: 3,465 (2001); 3,223 (1991). % Change in Population from 1991 to 2001: . Population Density (2001): / km². Inhabitants Designation: Africesi.
Location & Setting: Part of Comunità Montana Aspromonte Orientale. Part of Regione Agraria n. 5. Part of Parco Nazionale dell’Aspromonte.
Agapetus I, St.: (b. prob. Rome; d. Apr. 21, 536, Constantinople). Pope (rMay 13, 535-Apr 22, 536). The son of a Roman priest named Gordianus, he was already elderly when he succeeded John II as Pope. An opponent of Arianism, he was the only pope to hold authority over the Eastern Church. He was succeeded by Silverius.
Agapetus II: (b. Rome; d. 955). Pope. (rMay 10,946-Oct/Dec 955). The successor of Marinus II, he was aided, in 953, by King Otto I “the Great” against Berenger. He was succeeded by John XII.
Agasus portus: A port of ancient Daunia, located below Mount Garganus to the NE of Sipontum. It is believed to be the same as the Apenestae mentioned by Ptolemy. Mod. Porto Greco.
Agatha, St: .: (d. cAD 251) The patron saint of Catania, Sicily. (full entry)
Agatharchus: (fl. second half of the 5th Century BC). Naval commander. A Syracusan, he commanded a fleet of 12 ships sent by Syracuse, in 413 BC, to visit allies and harass the Athenians. That same year he was among the Syracusan commanders who fought the Athenians in the sea battle in the harbor of Syracuse.
Agathartus promontorium: ancient name for the NW promontory on Sicily located at Cetaria.
Agatho, St. (1): (d. AD 306). Martyr. A little-known saint from Triphina, Sicily, he is listed as martyr during Diocletian’s persecution of the Christians. Feast Day: July 5.
Agatho, St. (2): (d. Jan. 10, AD 681). Pope (rJune 27, 678 – Jan 10, 681). Born in Palermo to wealthy Greek parents, he led a successful life and may have been married before choosing a religious life as a Benedictine monk. He became noted for his devotion and miracle-working. In 678, he was chosen to succeed Domnus as pope. During his reign, he showed himself as an enemy of Monothelitism. He also played an important role in the role of the Roman church in England, being a supporter of Wilfrid, archbishop of York, during his dispute with Theodore of Tarsus, archbishop of Canterbury. Feast Day: Jan. 10.
Agathocles (Agathokles): (b. 361 BC in Thermae Himeraeae; d. (full entry)
Agathyrna (Agathyrsa, Agathyrsum, Agathyrnum): an ancient port town on the N coast of Sicily located between Tyndaris and Aluntium. Its site is located near modern Sant’Agata di Militello [ME]. It was named for its mythical founder Agathryrnus, son of Aeolus, ruler of the Winds. Archaeological evidence dates as early as c1100 BC.
Agathyrnum: Ancient name for Capo d’Orlando [ME] in Sicily.
Agathyrnus: Mythical founder of the Sicilian city of Agathyrna (Agathyrnum). He was a son of Aeolus, god of the winds.
Agathyrsa: See Agathyrna.
Agathyrsum: See Agathyrna.
Agave: (American Aloe; Century plant). It received this last name from the belief that did not bloom until it reached the age of 100 years, after which it died. Whatever the origin of this belief, it bloomed very frequently in Sicily, its blossoms sometimes reaching 20 feet in height or more. Found throughout Sicily, there is a unique variety located at Cefalu, on the N coast of the island.
Agelli (sometimes Ajelli; Lat. Agellius), Antonio: (b. 1532, in Sorrento; d. 1608, in Rome). Commentator and ecclesiastic. Having entered the Teatine order in 1551, he rose to become that order’s head at Genoa (1572) and Cremona (1579). He was a member of the commission which, under Popes Pius V and Clement VIII, designed a version of the Vulgate Bible. He also translated a translation of the Greek Septuagint for Pope Sixtus V. In 1593, he became bishop of Acerno, a seat which he held until 1604. Other works by Agelli include a commentary on the Psalms, the Lamentations of Jeremiah, and several other parts of the Bible.
Agello, Giuseppe: (b. Sorrento; fl. 1st half of the 17th century). Painter. Having settled at Rome, he developed a reputation for his landscapes. He served as an assistant to Roncelli and several other painters.
Ageltrude: (d. Aug. 27, AD 923). Holy Roman Empress and Queen of Italy. Daughter of daughter of Prince Adelchis of Benevento and Adeltrude, she married Guy, then the duke and margrave of Spoleto and Camerino, future Holy Roman Emperor and king of Italy. When, in 891, Guy became emperor, she was also crowned. Ageltrude was a favorite of the army and used this influence to insure the succession of her son Lambert to the imperial throne. She later arranged for the body of her enemy, Pope Formosus (r AD 891-896), to be disinterred, condemned in a trial, and thrown into the Tiber. After the death of Lambert (Oct 15, 898), Ageltrude devoted the remainder of her life to religious pursuits.
Ager Camere: An area of ancient Bruttium, located near the mouth of the river Crathis.
Agerola >(NA): A commune in the province of Napoli. Area: 19.62 km². Alt. 630 m. CAP: 80051. Tel. Pref.: 081. Geographical Coordinates: Lat 40°38’19″32N/Long 14°32’22″92 E.
Population: 7,392(2004); 7,348 (2001); 7,508 (1991). % Change in Population from 1991 to 2001: . Population Density (2001): / km². Inhabitants Designation: Agerolesi.
Location & Setting: Part of Comunità Montana Zona Penisola Sorrentina. Part of Regione Agraria n. 3 – Colline litoranee della penisola Sorrentina.
Historic Population Figures: 3,958(1861); 4,625(1901); 4,819(1921); 6,585(1951); 7,111(1981); 7,348(2001).
Agesias: An athlete of ancient Syracuse. He was victor in the Apene at the Olympian Games in 468 BC.
Agesidamos: An athlete of ancient Locri Epizephyri. He was victor in Boy’s Boxing in the Olympian Games in 476 BC.
Aggia, Torrente: A short torrential stream (length: 4 km) in Basilicata. It rises on the slopes of the Serra Longa (1,097 m) and flows into the river Agri at Casa Palermo near Paterno (PZ).
Agilulf: (d. AD 616). Duke of Turin (r589-590). King of Italy (r590-616). Assuming the Lombard throne in AD 590, he devoted his energies to the strengthening and consolidation of his kingdom. Having defeated the Byzantines at Ravenna, Agilulf laid siege to Rome. He spared the city from plunder only after the payment of a heavy tribute by Pope Gregory I. Despite these successes, Agilulf was unable to secure control over the autonomous duchies of Spoleto and Benevento.
Agira: (EN): (anc. Agyrium, Agyrion; mod. (full entry)
Aglianico: A red wine grape found throughout much of Basilicata, Campania and Puglia. The grape was originally brought to Italy by the ancient Greeks and Phoenicia. This ancient origin is remembered in the grape’s name which is believed to derive from Ellenico (=Greek). Some sources, however, believe the name derives from Apulianicum (=Apulia).
Aglianico del Vulturno (or Bartolo): a variety of dry, red wine produced by the Aglianico grapes on the vineyards of M. Vulture in Basilicata.
Agliata: a type of garlic sauce or cream of medieval origins.
Agliata, Francesco (1): (fl. mid-15th Century). Government official. He served as protonotary under Queen Joanna II and King Alfonso I “the Magnanimous.” Some of his works has survived under the title of Allegazioni.
Agliata, Francesco (2): (fl. 17th Century). Poet. A native of Palermo, he was the son of the prince of Villafranca. Several members of this noble family became notable writers of poetry and prose. Best-known as the author of Chansons Siciliennes, he is sometimes confused with Gerard Agliata, a 16th Century poet also from Palermo.
Agliata, Gerard: (fl. 16th Century). Poet. A Sicilian probably from Palermo. He composed some verses which were included in the Collection of the Academy of the Accesi at Palermo.
Agliata, Giovanni: (b. Palermo; d. 1675). Lawyer. He held several important government posts, including Protonotary during his career.
Agnana Calabra >(RC): A commune in the province of Reggio di Calabria.
Region: Calabria. Province: Reggio di Calabria.
Elevation: 210 m. Area: 8.35 km². Population: 673 (2001). Population Density: /km² ().
Location & Setting: 117 km from Reggio di Calabria.
Tel. Prefix: 0964. Postal Code: 89040.
Population Designation: Agnanesi.
Historic Population Figures: 1,144(1861); 1,113(1901); 1,297(1921); 1,532(1951); 833(1981); 673(2001).
Agnano, Lago di: See Agnano Caledra.
Agnano Caldera: (Lago di Agnano): A volcanic crater (6.5 km in circumference) in the Phlegraean Fields, located to the NW of Naples. (full entry)
Agnelli, Giuseppe>: (b. 1621, Naples; d. Oct. 17, 1706, Rome). Jesuit Scholar and Consultor of the Inquisition. Have entered the Jesuit order in 1637 he served as rector at the Jesuit colleges at Montepulciano, Macerata, and Ancona. Settling in Rome in 1671, authored several sermons, treatises on the “Spiritual Exercises” and a commentary on the Sunday gospels. He also served as Consultor, or advisor, of the Inquisition of the Rome.
Agnelli (or Agnello), Salvatore>: (b. 1817, Palermo; d. 1874, Paris or Marseilles). Operatic Composer. Having received his musical education at Palermo and Naples (where he studied under Giovanni Furno, Niccolo Antonio Zingarelli, and Gaetano Donizetti), he produced several works in the style of Rossini and Donizetti. He lived at Naples from 1834 to 1842 and at Marseilles, in southern France, from 1849 to 1860. In 1856, he visited Paris where he wrote a cantata entitled L’apoteosi di Napoleone I. His works include: I due pedanti (1837 Napoli Fo); La jacquerie (1849 Marseilles); Léonore de Médicis (1855 Marseilles); and Cromwell. His works of church music include a Stabat Mater.
Agnellus, St.>: (d. ?AD 596). Having lived as a hermit for many years he eventually became abbot of the Benedictine monastery of San Gaudioso, near Naples. He is one of the traditional patron saints of Naples who was invoked for protection from invaders. (Feast Day: Dec. 14.
Agnesi (or Agnese), Astorgio degli>: (b. 1391, in Naples; d. 1451, in Rome). Ecclesiastic. He became bishop of Melito in 1411, bishop of Ravello in 1413, and bishop of Melfi in 1418. He served as bishop of Ancona and Numana from 1418 to 1436. He was Pontifical commissioner and Inquisitor General for Marca d’Ancona in 1426, governor of Romagna in 1435, and archbishop of Benevento in 1436. In 1448 he was elevated to cardinal.
Agni da Lentini, Tommaso>: (b. Sicily; d. 1277). Ecclesiastic. Having entered the Dominican order, he founded the convent of S. Domenico Maggiore in Naples in 1231. It was here, in 1243, that he received St. Thomas Aquinus into the Dominican order. He later became bishop of Bethleham, of Cosenza (1267), and, in 1272, became Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem. He supported the crusades and union with the Greek church at the Council of Lyon in 1274.
Agnifilo della Rocca, Amico: (b. 1393 in Roccadimezzo, Abruzzo; d. 1476 in L’Aquila). Ecclesiastic. He became bishop of L’Aquila in 1431 and was elevated to cardinal in 1464. He served as a counselor to King Alfonso V “the Magnanimous” of Naples and Aragon and, later, to King Ferdinand “the Catholic” of Spain.
Agnolo, Gabriele d’: (b. Naples; d. 1510). Architect. He designed the beautiful Renaissance Palazzo Gravina and the church of Santa Maria in Naples.
Agnomen>: a name added by the Romans to those of a person to commemorate his services, or an aspect of his character. For example, the Roman triumvir, Pompey “the Great” (Pompeius Magnus) was so-called because of his abilities as a general. In some circumstances the descendents of such individuals retained the agnomens at part of their own names. One example of this is the agnomen Caudinus which was used by the descendants of Lucius Cornelius Lentulus, the general who, in 324 BC, avenged the Roman disgrace at the hands of the Samnites at the battle of Caudine Forks (2nd Samnite War).
Agnone (IS): A commune in the province of Isernia.
Region: Molise. Province: Isernia.
Elevation: 850 m. Area: 96.27 km². Population: 5,628 (2006e); 5,667 (2005). Population Density: /km² ().
Coordinates: Lat. 41°48’37″N/Long. 14°22’42″E.
Location & Setting: It is situated on the W slope of the Apennines, 22 miles NW of Campobasso.
Frazioni: Castelverrino, Fontesambuco, Villacanale.
Tel. Prefix: 0865. Postal Code: 86081.
Population Designation: Agnonesi.
Patron Saint (s): San Crinstanziano. Feast Day: May 13.
Historic Population Figures: 10,637(1861); 10,189(1901); 10,142(1921); 9,664(1951); 6,324(1981); 5,842(2001).
Points of Interest: Known as “Città d’Arte”.
Economy: Center for iron and copper industries.
Agnozzi, Nicola: (b. Nov. 5, 1911, in Fermo). Ecclesiastic. Ordained as a priest in 1934, he became auxiliary bishop of Ndola, Zambia, in 1962, rising to full bishop of that see in 1966. Resigning from that post in 1975, he returned to Italy and was appointed bishop of sees of Ariano and Lacedonia in the following year. In 1986, he became bishop of Ariano Irpino-Lacedonia. He retired on June 11, 1988.
Agora (Grk= assembly): The market-place or main square of an ancient Greek town. In ancient Sicily, the term was used by the Greek-speaking inhabitants in place of “forum” as the political, religious, and commercial center of a city or town. In several cases an agora was built with covered porticoes along the sides.
Agosta: Former name for Augusta (SR).
Agostino, S.: Bishop of Capua (rAD 252-260).
Agostino, Giuseppe: (b. Nov. 25, 1928, Reggio di Calabria). Ecclesiastic. Ordained a priest in 1951, he rose to be appointed archbishop of Santa Severina and bishop of Croton in 1973. In 1974, he was ordained archbishop of Santa Severina. In 1986 he became Archbishop of Crotone-Santa Severina, and, in 1998, Archbishop of Cosenza-Bisignano. He retired on Dec 18, 2004.
Agraz, Antonio: (b. 1640, in Palermo). Judge. Raised to the level of a justice by Don Pedro Téllez-Girón, 3rd Duke of Osuna, the Spanish viceroy of Naples (1616-1620), he filled a similar position under popes Clement IX (1667-1670) and Clement X (1670-1676). He published two Latin treatises.
Agresti, Filippo: (b. 1797 in Naples; d. 1862 in Naples). Patriot. An officer in the Bourbon army of Naples, he participated in the unsuccessful constitutional revolt of 1820. He escaped into exile in 1821, only returning home in 1848. In 1850, he was arrested and condemned to death as an associate of the Unita italiana. The sentence was commuted to imprisonment, from which he was only released in 1860.
Agri, River: (anc. Aciris). A river (length: 109.4 km) located in the region of Basilicata. It rises in the Apennines about 19 km S of Potenza, on the Piana del Lago (1,290 m) to the south of Monte Maruggio (1,576 m). Flowing first to the south, it passes Marico Nuova. Turning E, it empties into the Gulf of Taranto at Torre Mozza, about 26 km SE of Pisticci. Along its course. its waters are blocked by dams to create the reservoirs of Lago di Gannano and Lago di Pietra del Pertusillo. In 1937, an aqueduct system was opened which allows the river’s waters to irrigate much of the province of Matera.
The Agri River captures the waters of 16 smaller watercourses.
Agricola, Christophe Ludwig: (b. Nov. 5, 1667, in Augsburg or Ratisbon; d. 1719, in Augsburg or Ratisbon). German landscape painter. He traveled throughout his career, spending much time in Naples and elsewhere in Southern Italy.
agriculturi: Sicilian term for “farmer.”
Agrigento, Province of: A province of Sicily. It measures 3,042 km² in area.
Agrigento: (anc. Akragas; Acragas; Agrigentum) (AG): A commune and provincial capital of the province of Agrigento. (full entry)
Agrigento, Metropolitan Archdiocese of:
Type: Metropolitan Archdiocese
Rite: Latin/Roman
History: Date of foundation is uncertain. Most sources claim the see was created in either the 1st century or 4th century. There is much evidence, however, which indicates that it dates to the late 5th century.
It was elevated to the status of a Metropolitan Archdiocese on Dec. 2, 2000.
Conference Region: Sicilia
Metropolitan (if applicable):
Suffragans (if applicable): Caltanissetta, Piazza Armerina
Area: 3,041km² (1,174 sq. miles).
In 2006 the diocese had a population of 461,000, 449,000
(97.4%) of which are Catholics. There are 194 parishes, 286 priests (237 Diocesan and 49 Religious), 34 permanent deacons, 59 male religious, and 443 female religious.
Agrigentum: Ancient Roman name for Agrigento.
Agrippa, Marcus Vipsanius: (b. 63/62 BC; d. 12 BC). Roman Statesman and general. He was the principal supporter of Octavian, and it was his talents as a general which allowed Caesar’s nephew to become Augustus, the first Roman emperor. Agrippa was the commander in charge of Octavian’s fleet which defeated that of Antony and Cleopatra at Actium (32 BC). He also defeated and drove Sextus Pompey from Sicily (38 BC), and was responsible for the development of the great Roman naval port at Misenum on the coast of Campania. Agrippa held the consulship 3 times and was governor of Syria twice. He married Julia, the daughter of Augustus.
Agrippa, Menenius: Roman consul (503/502 BC). He was noted for his defeat of the Sabines and Samnites.
Agrippina the Elder>: (d. AD 33, Pandataria (mod. Pantellaria)) Roman noblewoman. She was the daughter of M. Vipsanius Agrippa and Julia (daughter of the Roman Emperor Augustus). Having married Germanicus, she shared the affection given to her husband by the Roman people. This incurred the jealousy of Augustus’s successor, Tiberius, who, in AD 30, had her arrested and exiled to the small island of Pandataria. She starved herself to death there in AD 33. Her son, Gaius Caligula, succeeded Tiberius as Emperor in AD 37. One of her daughters, Agrippina the Younger, became the wife of Emperor Claudius and the mother of Emperor Nero.
Agrippina the Younger: (d. AD 59) daughter of Agrippina the Elder and Germanicus. She was both niece and wife of the Roman emperor Claudius and was the mother of Nero. History remembers her as a cruel and ruthless, yet highly intelligent and courageous woman who was able to obtain the Roman throne for Nero by poisoning Claudius (AD 54). During the first few years of Nero’s reign, she was a powerful force behind his throne. Nero finally sought to free himself from his mother’s control by having her assassinated (AD 59) in her villa in Campania.
Agrippina, St.>: (d. c.AD 256 or 262). Martyr. Born into a good family in Rome, she fell victim to the persecution under Emperors Valerian and Gallienus. Either tortured to death or beheaded, her remains were brought to the Sicilian town of Mineo by three Christian women, Bassa, Paula and Agatonica. Her shrine at Mineo remains a popular pilgrimage site because of the many miracles attributed to her intercession. According to an alternate version of her story, her remains were brought to Constantinople. Feast Day: June 23.
Agrippino (Agrippinus) (or Arpinus), St.>: (dates uncertain). Ecclesiastic. Bishop and former patron saint of Naples. He was renowned for his virtue and miracle-worker and his relics are preserved in the high altar in the Cathedral of Naples. His dating his uncertain with sources putting him anytime between the 2nd and mid-4th Centuries AD. His term is sometimes placed between St. Paulus and St. Eustatius. Feast Day: Nov. 9.
Agrippinus, St.>: (fl. AD 2nd and 3ed Centuries). Ecclesiastic. He served as bishop of Naples, in whose cathedral his remains are preserved. According to some sources, he was the 6th bishop of Naples. Feast Day: Nov 9.
Agrolas>: An architect from ancient Sicily. With Hyperbius, he built most of the walls surrounding the Acropolis at Athens.
Agropoli >(SA): A commune in the province of Salerno.>
Region: Campania. Province: Salerno.
Elevation: 24 m. Area: 32.51km². Population: 20,246 (2005). Population Density: /km² ().
Coordinates: Lat. 40°20’52″N/Long. 14°59’50″E.
Location & Setting: Part of Parco Nazionale del Cilento e Vallo di Diano.
Frazioni: Fuonti, Moio, Mattine, Frascinelle, Madonna del Carmine.
Tel. Prefix: 0974. Postal Code: 84043.
Population Designation: Agropolesi.
Historic Population Figures: 2,038(1861); 3,228(1901); 4,093(1921); 7,774(1951); 14,329(1981); 19,949(2001).
Agùglia, Mimì>: (b. Palermo, Dec. 21, 1884; d. July 31, 1970). Actress. She was a notable entertainer who performed in the theater using local Sicilian dialect.
Aguilèra, Emmanuele>: (b. Licata, 1677; d. Palermo, 1740). Jesuit historian. He was the author of a history of the Jesuits in Sicily from 1546 to 1672.
Aguirre, Francesco>: (b. 1682, Salemi [TP]; d. 1748 or 1753, Milan). Canonist.
Agyris: A tyrant of the ancient Sikel town of Agira. Second in power and wealth in Sicily only to Dionysius I of Syracuse, he formed an alliance with the latter against the threat of the Carthaginians.
Agyrion (Agyrium): (mod. Agira [EN]). A town in ancient Sicily situated on a hill overlooking the Cyamosorus (mod. Salso) and the Chrysas (mod. Dittaino), northwest of Centuripe and about 25 km northeast of Enna. It is best-known as the birthplace of the historian Diodorus Siculus. According to tradition, Herakles (Hercules) passed through the place during his tenth labor. To him was ascribed the foundation of the districts known as Iolaos and Geryon, as well as the creation of a nearby lake.
The city’s population was enlarged when Timoleon settle 10,000 Greeks there in c339 BC. This sparked a new period of growth which included a beautiful theater, believed to lie beneath the churches of S. Pietro and SS. Trinità, and of strong city walls fortified with towers. Little is known of the history of the city in Roman times.
Agyrium: See Agyrion.
Ahenobarbus, Lucius Domitius: (fl. early 1st Century BC). Roman politician. A member of an important Roman family, he served as praetor in Sicily in 96 BC, obtaining the consulship in 94 BC. A supporter of Sulla, he was murdered in Rome in 82 BC by order of Marius.
Ahima as ben Palti’ el (or Achimaaz du Oria): (b. 1017, at Capua). Hebrew chronicler. While residing at Oria, near Brindisi, he wrote an important chronicle of the events of the 9th and 10th centuries. His principal work, “Megillat ‘Ahima’az” (The Scroll of ‘Aħima’az) was originally titled “Sefer Yuħasin” (The Book of Genealogy).
Ahmad ibn Ya’qub ibn Fezara: Aghlabid governor of Sicily (r861-2).
Ahmad ibn Ya’qub ibn Modha ibn Sawada ibn Sufian ibn Salim: Aghlabid governor of Sicily (r872).
Aidone (EN): A commune in the province of Enna.
Region: Sicilia. Province: Enna.
Elevation: 800 m. Area: 209.58 km². Population: 5,380 (2006e); 5,462 (2004). Population Density: /km² ().
Coordinates: Lat. 37°24’59″N/Long. 14°26’45″E.
Tel. Prefix: 0935. Postal Code: 94010.
Population Designation: Aidonesi.
Patron Saint (s): San Lorenzo. Feast Day: Aug. 10.
Historic Population Figures: (1861); (1901); (1921); (1951); (1981); 6,057 (2001).
Situated on a mountain above Piazza Armerina, in the province of Enna, Sicily. It was settled by Lombard soldiers in the army of King Roger II. The modern inhabitants have retained a unique Lombard based local dialect. Some sources identify Aidone with ancient Herbita or Trinacia.
Aielli: (AQ): A commune in the province of L’Aquila. (full entry)
Aiello, Giambattista: See Giambattista Ajello.
Aiello, Giuseppe: See Giuseppe Ajello.
Aiello Calabro >(CS): A commune in the province of Cosenza.
Area: 38.56 km². Alt. 502 m. CAP: 87031. Tel. Pref.: 0982. Geographical Coordinates: Lat 39°7’6″96 N/Long 16°10’3″00 E. Population Information: 2,234 (2006e); 2,446 (2001); 3,079 (1991). % Change in Population from 1991 to 2001: . Population Density (2001): / km². Inhabitants Designation: Aiellesi.
Location & Setting: Part of Comunità Montana del Savuto. Part of Regione Agraria n. 18 – Colline Litoranee di Amantea.
Aiello del Sabato (AV): A commune in the province of Avellino. Population: 3,701 (2007e); 3,548 (2006e).
Area: 10.83 km². Alt. 425 m. CAP: 83020. Tel. Pref.: 0825. Geographical Coordinates: Lat 40°53’24″36 N/Long 14°49’18″12 E. Population: 3,548 (2006e) 3,219 (2001); 2,740 (1991). % Change in Population from 1991 to 2001: . Population Density (2001): / km². Inhabitants Designation: Aiellesi.
Location & Setting: Part of Comunità Montana Serinese Solofrana. Part of Regione Agraria n. 8 – Colline di Avellino.
Aieta (CS): A commune in the province of Cosenza.
Area: 47.97 km². Alt. 524 m. CAP: 87020. Tel. Pref.: 0985. Geographical Coordinates: Lat 39°55’43″68N/Long 15°49’27″48E. Population: 868 (2006e); 892 (2001); (1991). % Change in Population from 1991 to 2001: . Population Density (2001): / km². Inhabitants Designation: Aietani.
Location & Setting: Part of Comunità Montana Dorsale Appenninica Alto Tirreno. Part of Regione Agraria n. 7 – Montagna Litoranea del Lao. Part of Parco Nazionale del Pollino.
Ailano (CE): A commune in the province of Caserta.
Area: 15.49km². Alt. 260 m. CAP: 81010. Tel. Pref.: 0823. Geographical Coordinates: Lat 41°23’29″04N/Long 14°12’21″24E. Population: 1,424 (2006e); 1,466 (2001); (1991). % Change in Population from 1991 to 2001: . Population Density (2001): / km². Inhabitants Designation: Ailanesi.
Location & Setting: Part of Comunità Montana Zona del Matese. Part of Regione Agraria n. 3 – Colline di Monte Maggiore.
Aimnistos: (fl. late 5th century BC). Tyrant of Enna (c403 BC).
Ainemolo >(Aniemolo), Vincenzo: (aka Vincenzo da Pavia or Vincenzo il Romano). A painter (b. late 15th Century; d. 1540 or after 1557) from Palermo (although some sources say that he was a native of Pavia). After studying at Rome, he fled in 1527 when the Spanish captured that city. He settled for a time at Messina before returning to his native Palermo. Many of his works can be seen in the Palermo Museum, as well as in the Gancia and the church of S. Domenico in that city. He is best-known for his ability to make the characters in his paintings seem genuinely human. Among his most important works are: “Virgin and Child between Four Saints” in the church of S. Pietro Martire, “Virgin of the Rosary” in the church of S. Domenico, and “Sposalizo”, in the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli.
Aio I: See Aiulf I.
Aio II: See Aiulf II.
Aione I: See Aiulf I.
Aione II: See Aiulf II.
Airoldi, Alfonso: (b. 1729, Palermo; d. 1817, Palermo). Scholar and ecclesiastic. He served as Archbishop of Eraclea. An expert in the study of Arabic Sicily, he published four Dissertations on Sicilian history [publ. posthumously 1840-42].
Airoldi, Cesare: (b 1774, Palermo; d. 1858, Florence). Politician and naturalist. He took part in the Sicilian Parliament which formulated the 1812 constitution. He was president of the Camera dei Comuni (July 1813) and director of the Ministry of the Inland (Oct. 1813). When England withdrew its support from the Sicilian constitutional government, King Ferdinand IV quickly reinstated his control of the island. To escape arrest and prosecution for treason, Airoldi fled to Milan. From there he continued on to Paris, and finally settled at Florence. Although an exile, he continued to love his native Sicily and, upon his death, willed his precious scientific collections and library to the University of Palermo.
Aisclittino: See Asclettin.
Aita: Etruscan god of the underworld. He was the counterpart of the Greek Hades and Roman Pluto.
Aiulf (Aione; Aio) I: (d. AD 646). Duke of Benevento (AD 641-646). The son and heir of Arechis I, he suffered from mental instability to such an extent that it was necessary to name his adopted brothers Radoald and Grimoald as co-regents. In 646, southern Italy was attacked by Slavic raiders who landed at Siponto on the Adriatic coast. Despite his problems, Aiulf possessed military ability and led his troops against the invaders. While making a reconnaissance of the Slavic camp his horse fell into a pit trap. Discovered by the Slavs, he was surrounded and killed. He was succeeded by his brother Radoald (Radwald).
Aiulf (Aione, Aio) II of Benevento>: Prince of Benevento (r. AD 884-890).
Ajello (Aiello), Giambattista: (b. 1815?, Naples; d. 1860). Scholar and educator. A disciple of B. Puoti, he joined with him in opening a private studio. Dieing in his mid-forties in poverty, he was the author of two notable works: Della muliebrita delle volgar letteratura dei templi di mezzo (1841) and Discorsi di storia e letteratura (1841).
Ajello (Aiello), Giuseppe: (b. fl. 19th Century; Palermo). Italian patriot. He was a member of Garibaldi’s Mille (“Thousand”).
ajri: A form of Albanian-Calabrian multi-part song.
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