cathedral
Monreale Cathedral
A Norman cathedral above Palermo blazing with golden Byzantine mosaics, among Europe's greatest.
10 km · about 20 min drive
Sicily, Italy · Europe
Piana degli Albanesi is worth a stop: 5 minutes from Santa Cristina Gela, 42km from Lo Zingaro Nature Reserve.
Piana degli Albanesi is a town located in Sicily, Italy. With a population of 5,651, it is an important destination in Europe.
On a road trip, Piana degli Albanesi sits in Italy, where you drive on the right. It's in the Europe/Rome time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add Piana degli Albanesi to your route.
Piana degli Albanesi (Arbëreshë Albanian: Hora e Arbëreshëvet or Hora, Sheshi) is a town and comune in Sicily, Italy. The town is situated on a mountainous plateau and encircled by high mountains, on the eastern side of the imposing Mount Pizzuta, the city, which is mirrored on a large lake. It is located around 24Read more
kilometres (15 mi) from Palermo and is administered as part of the Metropolitan City of Palermo. In 2018, the comune had a population of 6,128.
The town is the most important centre of the Arbëresh community of Sicily, as well as the largest and most populous settlement of Arbëreshe (Italo-Albanian or Albanians of Italy) and it is the episcopal see of the Eparchy of Piana degli Albanesi, constituency of the Italo-Albanian Church whose jurisdiction covers all Albanians of Sicily who practice the Byzantine rite.
The community, founded five centuries ago, has maintained many ethnic elements of Albanian culture such as language, religious rituals, traditional costumes, music and folklore. Piana degli Albanesi has contributed greatly to the advancement of Albanian culture and literature with a large group of intellectuals. It is considered the place of origin of Arbëreshe literature, the birthplace of the first work of the Albanian diaspora (1592), and initiator – in the early 16th century – of the first European school in which Albanian was taught. The founders of the Albanian Language and Literature departments of the universities of Naples and Palermo come from the town, and it is the headquarters of the Italo-Albanian Seminary, which was founded in Palermo in 1734 and moved to the town in 1945. Its traditional music and Byzantine songs are part of the Intangible Heritage Registry of Sicily recognized by UNESCO. The municipal government uses bilingual documents and road signs in Albanian and Italian under existing Italian legislation on protecting ethnic and linguistic minorities.
The Arbëreshe are the descendants of Albanian families, including nobles and relatives of Skanderbeg, that settled in Southern Italy during the Ottoman Turkish conquest of the Balkans. It had a significant role in the revolutionary uprisings for the unification of Italy, for the Albanian National Awakening in the Albanian movement for secession from Ottoman rule, and for regional movements of the Fasci Siciliani dei Lavoratori; furthermore, it is also infamous for the Portella della Ginestra massacre (1947). Between late 1944 and early 1945, Piana degli Albanesi became an independent people's republic, which lasted fifty days.
The main economic activities are the primary sector, agriculture, pastoralism, crafts, and tourism. Its intangible heritage was nominated for the European Heritage Label in 2023.
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Piana degli Albanesi offers many attractions including tourist sites, museums, parks, and local restaurants. Explore famous landmarks, scenic roads, and natural wonders on our interactive map and plan your visit.
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Piana degli Albanesi is located in Sicily, Italy, Europe. The coordinates are 37.9937 latitude, 13.2846 longitude.
Piana degli Albanesi has a population of approximately 5,651 people, making it a town in Italy.
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Essential numbers in Italy
ACI roadside assistance: 803 116. ZTL (limited traffic zones) in city centres are camera-enforced.
Full driving guide for Italy8 notable places within an hour's drive.
cathedral
A Norman cathedral above Palermo blazing with golden Byzantine mosaics, among Europe's greatest.
10 km · about 20 min drive
castle
The oldest royal residence in Europe, housing Palermo's Palatine Chapel with its extraordinary gold-ground Byzantine mosaics.
14 km · about 25 min drive
cathedral
A stylistic kaleidoscope of Arab-Norman, Gothic and Baroque dominating Sicily's vibrant capital.
15 km · about 30 min drive
photogenic
Ancient tuna fishery on a cove guarded by faraglioni sea stacks and crumbling watchtowers, in use from the 13th century until the 1980s. The anchor-strewn terraces above gin-clear water are one of Sicily's most painted and filmed corners.
41 km · about 50 min drive
national park
Sicily's first nature reserve, a wild coastal path linking pebbly coves of crystal water near San Vito.
42 km · about 50 min drive
famous road
The public mountain roads near Cerda in Sicily that hosted the world's oldest road race from 1906 to 1977; the old Floriopoli pits still stand and the 72 km Piccolo Circuito remains driveable today.
47 km · about 55 min drive
beach
Arc of white sand and shallow turquoise water beneath the bare pyramid of Monte Monaco, at the end of a dead-end road past the Zingaro reserve. Hosts the Cous Cous Fest each September: a legacy of Sicily's Arab kitchen.
52 km · about 60 min drive
museum
Small museum in the Madonie hill town of Collesano honouring the Targa Florio, the world's oldest road race, run on these mountain roads from 1906. Photos, cars and memorabilia of racing legends.
58 km · about 65 min drive
April to October
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