Burgio

Photo © Pendola Paolo

Burgio (Zip Code 92010) is 63 Km. distant from Agrigento, the province it belongs , 133 Km. from Caltanissetta, 259 Km. from Catania, 174 Km. from Enna, 336 Km. from Messina, 96 Km. from Palermo, 199 Km. from Ragusa, 280 Km. from Siracusa, 131 Km. from Trapani.

Photo © Municipality of Burgio 

The municipality counts 3.487 inhabitants, its surface measures 4.222 hectares, and its population density is of 83 inhabitants per square kilometre. It rises on an internal hilly area, 317 meters above the sea-level.

The Town Hall is located in via Francesco Crispi n. 1, tel. ++39 0925 65011 fax. ++39 0925 65007. E-mail address is: comunediburgio@virgilio.it.

The agriculture is characterized by the production of olives, grapes, almonds, citrus plantations, and other fruit. The home-made pastries from Burgio (cannoli - Sicilian pastries filled with cream) are typical.  Very  characteristic are the ceramics hand painted with the typical yellow and green color, the bronze bells, wooden objects, and embroideries.

The name Burgio derives from the Arab term burg, that means "tower".

The town was founded by the Arabs, who had a military tower built, that is visible to this day. This tower was conquered by the Normans during the XI century, who actively utilized it.

During the XIV century, the suburb was acquired by Count Federico D'Antiochia Burgio, and afterwards became a possession of the Peralta family first, and then of the Cardona family. Furthermore, Burgio belonged to the Colonna family until 1812, when the feudal rights were abolished.

Photo © Affinità Elettive 

Among the town's monuments, there is the Chiesa di San Vito (Church of Saint Vito), dated 1500, that beholds a statue of the homonymous Saint, the Chiesa di S. Giuseppe (Church of Saint Joseph), rich of of paintings and plasters of the seventeenth century, and the Chiesa di S. Luca Evangelista (Church of Saint Luke the Evangelist), of the XIV century. Historically remarkable is the Arab Castle (or Tower), that has recently been restructured.

Among Burgio's famous citizens, the jurist Michele Majetti (1888-1958), author of Il codice dei minorenni e la difesa dell'infanzia (Code for the minors and the defense of childhood), and Father Andrea from Burgio (1705-1772), who was a missionary in Congo for a long period of time.