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Archiver > ITALY-ARBERESH > 2004-01 > 1073149943


From: "Leita" <>
Subject: [ITA-Arberseh] Mezzojuso
Date: Sat, 3 Jan 2004 09:12:23 -0800
References: <010320041622.8181.4523@att.net>


Mike,
Do you belong to the Mezzojuso mail list? Sal Lagattuta started that list
and he is very knowledgable about the history of Mezzojuso.
I have his email address as

Leita
Here is what is posted as the history of Mezzojuso at the mail list site
"Mezzojuso presents a very fascinating history:
It was founded in approximately 1000 AD, during the Saracen Arab era of
Sicily, being named initially as "Manzil Jusuf" (as known in Arabic) in
honor of Yusuf-Abd-Ibd-Allah, the last reigning Emir of Palermo, who was
deposed in 1072 by Norman conquerors.

The Normans, after 60 years, granted "Mensiliusuph" (as known in
Norman-French) as a ecclesial fief, in 1132, to the Monastery of Saint John
of the Hermits, in Palermo. This Monastery ruled the village for nearly 400
years, throughout the times of the Norman-French, Swabian-German,
Anjevin-French, Aragonese and early Spanish periods of Sicily.

The Monastery's abbots governed this village of "Mezojuso" (as known in
common Latin) or "Medii usum" (as known in high Latin) during its gradual
decline in the 1400's when it became nearly depopulated. The abbots then
permitted, by charter in 1501, that 48 Albanian (Arbëresh) soldiers and
their families could officially settle in this village, also called
"Munxifsi" (as known in Arbëresh).

The abbots subsequently granted the village as a baronial fief, in 1527, to
the noble lord Giovanni Corvino (with ancestry from Pisa), a high-ranking
and prominent administrator in Palermo. The Corvino family ruled for just
over 300 years, until 1832, when the village's feudal status ended upon the
death of Francesco Paolo Corvino Filingeri, who left no heirs.

In 1832, local appointed politicians began to govern "Mezzojuso" (spelled
with a "j" due to Spanish influence), also called "Mezzoiuso" (spelled with
an "i" due to Italic influence), during the harsh Bourbon-Spanish era. In
1856, numerous Mezzojusari assisted the rebellious Francesco Bentivenga in
an uprising in Palermo, but they were subsequently captured and executed by
the Bourbons.

In 1860, the revolutionary general Giuseppe Garibaldi and his Thousand
Red-Shirts landed by ship at Marsala, in order to liberate Sicily and
mainland Italy, and 150 Mezzojusari joined Garibaldi in this campaign.
Later, during 2-4 August 1862, Garibaldi actually stayed in Mezzojuso,
tumultuously greeted by the Mezzojusari.

Since 1860, elected officials have managed Mezzojuso / Mezzoiuso. The
village's inhabitants still proudly celebrate their distinguished history,
and their unique dual Catholic heritage as practiced in the Roman rite as
well as in the Byzantine (Italo-Albanian) rite. "

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