1. History

2. Demographic evolution

3. Notable people from Villalba

4. References

5. External links

Villalba (Sicilian: Villarba) is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Caltanissetta in the Italian region Sicily, located about {{convert|51|km|mi}} northwest of Caltanissetta, about {{convert|98|km|mi}} southeast of Palermo and 68 km from Agrigento. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,852 and an area of {{convert|41.5|km2|mi2}}.^[1] It rises over an internal hilly area, 620 meters above sea-level.

The name Villalba has Spanish origins, and it means "the white city" because of town's white houses. Villalba is known for the cultivation of cereals, grapes, vegetables, tomatoes, and lentils. The Sagra del Pomodoro (tomato festival) is held every year in the month of August.

Villalba borders the following municipalities: Cammarata, Castellana Sicula, Marianopoli, Mussomeli, Petralia Sottana, Polizzi Generosa, Vallelunga Pratameno.

History

Since the 17th century, the fief was owned by the Miccichè family. In 1751, it was acquired by Nicolò Palmieri Calafato, who also obtained the approval to populate the area.^[2] The first houses were constructed in 1763.^[3]

During the 18th century the town experienced a remarkable urban and architectural growth. There are various important monuments, such as the Chiesa Madre built in 1700, and the Chiesa della Concezione erected in 1795, preserving a statue by artist Filippo Quattrocchi (first half of the 18th century). Noteworthy is the Palace of baron Nicolò Palmieri Morillo, built during the 18th century.

Demographic evolution

  id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9)  id:darkgrey  value:gray(0.8)  id:sfondo value:rgb(1,1,1)  id:barra value:rgb(0.6,0.7,0.8)

  bar:1861 text:1861  bar:1871 text:1871  bar:1881 text:1881  bar:1901 text:1901  bar:1911 text:1911  bar:1921 text:1921  bar:1931 text:1931  bar:1936 text:1936  bar:1951 text:1951  bar:1961 text:1961  bar:1971 text:1971  bar:1981 text:1981  bar:1991 text:1991  bar:2001 text:2001

  bar:1861 from: 0 till:3353  bar:1871 from: 0 till:3580  bar:1881 from: 0 till:4181  bar:1901 from: 0 till:3426  bar:1911 from: 0 till:4113  bar:1921 from: 0 till:3505  bar:1931 from: 0 till:3924  bar:1936 from: 0 till:4392  bar:1951 from: 0 till:4932  bar:1961 from: 0 till:3737  bar:1971 from: 0 till:2408  bar:1981 from: 0 till:2307  bar:1991 from: 0 till:2152  bar:2001 from: 0 till:1916

  bar:1861 at:3353 fontsize:XS text: 3353 shift:(-8,5)  bar:1871 at:3580 fontsize:XS text: 3580 shift:(-8,5)  bar:1881 at:4181 fontsize:XS text: 4181 shift:(-8,5)  bar:1901 at:3426 fontsize:XS text: 3426 shift:(-8,5)  bar:1911 at:4113 fontsize:XS text: 4113 shift:(-8,5)  bar:1921 at:3505 fontsize:XS text: 3505 shift:(-8,5)  bar:1931 at:3924 fontsize:XS text: 3924 shift:(-8,5)  bar:1936 at:4392 fontsize:XS text: 4392 shift:(-8,5)  bar:1951 at:4932 fontsize:XS text: 4932 shift:(-8,5)  bar:1961 at:3737 fontsize:XS text: 3737 shift:(-8,5)  bar:1971 at:2408 fontsize:XS text: 2408 shift:(-8,5)  bar:1981 at:2307 fontsize:XS text: 2307 shift:(-8,5)  bar:1991 at:2152 fontsize:XS text: 2152 shift:(-8,5)  bar:2001 at:1916 fontsize:XS text: 1916 shift:(-8,5)

  fontsize:S pos:(20,20)  text:Data from ISTAT

Notable people from Villalba

• Don Nicolò Vincenzo Palmeri Baron of Michiche Marquis Villalba d. 1914 NYC, NY) http://milioto.com/roots/historyOFvillalba.htm
• Angelo Bruno (1910–80), Sicilian-American mobster born in Villalba who ran the Philadelphia crime family for two decades.
• Michele Pantaleone (1911–2002), journalist and expert on the Sicilian Mafia and one of the first to shed light on the links between organized crime and political power.
• Joe Plumeri (born 1944), the Chairman & CEO of Willis Group Holdings and the owner of the Trenton Thunder, is the descendant of grandparents who emigrated to the U.S. from Villalba^[4]
• Patricia F. Russo Pat Russo (born June 12, 1952 in Trenton, New Jersey) is an American businessperson most widely known for having served as chief executive officer of Lucent Technologies and its successor, Alcatel-Lucent, a large communications equipment manufacturer. She currently serves on the board of directors of HP, General Motors, Merck & Co. and ALCOA, Inc. She serves as Chairman of the nonprofit organization Partnership at Drugfree.org Forbes magazine rated Russo as the tenth on its list of the most powerful women in 2006. Pat's great-grandparents and grandparents emigrated from Villalba to the United States.
• Calogero Vizzini (1877–1954), Mafia boss considered to be one of the most influential bosses after World War II until his death. In the media he was often depicted as the "boss of bosses"–though such a position does not officially exist in the structure of Cosa Nostra.

References

External links

• {{it icon}} Comune di Villalba
• Villalba
• {{it icon}} Interesting site with many historical photos

• Cartmel College, Lancaster
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