The first settlements in the territory of Monforte San Giorgio date back to the Early Bronze Age (fifteenth century BC) as shown by archaeological findings in the district Pistarini, inaccessible places, far from the town of Pilgrim, the mountain village of Monforte. It is accepted that the primitive inhabitants belonged to the Sicilian, that is the first population of Sicily which can really prove its existence.
In Greek and Roman times it was mainly the banks of streams to be inhabited, and particularly those of the stream Niceto, where there were significant archaeological finds: a Greek necropolis in the area of \u200b\u200bBonerba and a hoard consisting of valuable coins of the fifth century BC found in 1947 in Contrada Annunziata. The town of Monforte
originated during the resistance to the occupation of Sicily by the Muslims. It was organized in Monforte Byzantine monks who fled from the East to escape persecution during the fight against the sacred images (813-820), found asylum in the caves above as used by Sicilian tombs, they gave birth to two religious communities organized according to the rules of St. Basil from Caesarea (Byzantine monks).
In fact, the chronicles of the time Monforte not named, but the great Arabist Michele Amari given the position of the country says that the site where today are the remains of the castle of Monforte corresponded to the Demons, one of the castles that participated in the most heroic defense of Christianity from the attack of the Arabs and one of the last to be tamed. The Muslim invasion of Sicily began in 827 in 965 ended with the fall of Rometta.
In 1061 an expedition led by the Norman Count Roger of Hauteville and the brother Robert began the conquest of Sicily. After taking Rometta and Messina, the Normans passed for Monforte, Direct Tripura, according to tradition, was triumphantly welcomed by the population and especially by the Basilian monks. The memory of this episode in the lives tammurinata and bells of St Agata Katabba or which is the background music of this page. The bell and drum, means of addressing the world's first Christian, Muslim than the second, recall the various stages of the event: the pace of the camel ridden by Roger, the trotting horse, the tramp of the soldiers are returned from realisticamnente sounds more or less intense of the two instruments that reproduce the atmosphere festive followed the liberation. Activates or stops the bell (katabba)
The name of the country, Montisfortis appears for the first time in a document that is dated 1104, while the Arab geographer Al - Idrisi calls the country Munt da furt (upstream of the strong) Perhaps remembering the heroic behavior held by local residents in the resistance against the Muslims in the memory was still alive at the time of writing of his work (1154). The castle of Monforte was important especially in the Swabian and Angevin. The Emperor Frederick II included him among the castles to be important in the defense system of the island were controlled directly by him. Great was the confidence he had in the castle of Monforte Charles I of Anjou: on it had to reject particularly popular uprisings.
Monforte and its castle was owned by the real Sicily which was granted provisionally to benefit people. Starting in 1357 came into possession of the family Alagona as barony. In 1393 the King confiscated the estate to Martin Baron Monforte Alagona Blasco, accused of treason because he had participated in guerrilla actions against him, and aggregated to Messina. Then Martin, remain those decision, assigned to the family estate in Monforte Cruillas from which it passed in 1405 for selling Nicholas Castagna. They were the descendants of the barons of Monforte Castagna, then the bags. Then starting in 1596 was subject to Monforte Moncada, the last rulers of the country, which since 1628 had the title of prince.
Published by Antenna Monfortese the day Friday, January 21, 2011 at 20:14 Source
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