Santa Cristina Gela

Santa Cristina Gela
Sëndahstina
Comune di Santa Cristina Gela
View of Santa Cristina Gela from a nearby hill
View of Santa Cristina Gela from a nearby hill
Coat of arms of Santa Cristina Gela
Location of Santa Cristina Gela
Map
Santa Cristina Gela is located in Italy
Santa Cristina Gela
Santa Cristina Gela
Location of Santa Cristina Gela in Italy
Santa Cristina Gela is located in Sicily
Santa Cristina Gela
Santa Cristina Gela
Santa Cristina Gela (Sicily)
Coordinates: 37°59′N 13°20′E / 37.983°N 13.333°E / 37.983; 13.333
CountryItaly
RegionSicily
Metropolitan cityPalermo (PA)
FrazioniAltofonte, Belmonte Mezzagno, Marineo, Monreale, Piana degli Albanesi
Government
 • MayorGiuseppe Cangialosi
Area
 • Total38 km2 (15 sq mi)
Elevation
670 m (2,200 ft)
Population
 (31 December 2010)[2]
 • Total927
 • Density24/km2 (63/sq mi)
DemonymSantacristinesi (Albanian Sëndahstinarë)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
90030
Dialing code091
Patron saintSaint Cristina
Saint day24 July
WebsiteOfficial website

Santa Cristina Gela (Arberesh: Sëndahstina) is an Arbëreshë village in the Metropolitan City of Palermo in Sicily.

The village, along with Contessa Entellina and Piana degli Albanesi, is one of three Arberesh settlements in Sicily where the Arberesh language is still spoken. It is the smallest and newest Arbëresh settlement in Sicily, founded at the end of the 17th century by settlers from the nearby Piana degli Albanesi (Hora e Arbëreshëvet), which is 3 km away.

Ecclesiastically it belongs to the Byzantine rite Eparchy of Piana degli Albanesi although is a church that uses the Latin rite.[3] It is also the seat of the Union of Albanian Municipalities of Sicily "BESA".

Its inhabitants call themselves Sëndahstinarë and have maintained the Arbëreshë Albanian identity.[3] The municipal administration uses the standard Albanian language in official documents, in accordance with current legislation that protects ethno-linguistic minorities.

La sede locale dell'Unione dei Comuni Albanesi di Sicilia "BESA" in Via Tirana
  1. ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. ^ All demographics and other statistics from the Italian statistical institute (Istat)
  3. ^ a b Toçi, Fatmir (2021). ARBËRESHËT – Midis realitetit dhe mitit (vështrim i shkurtër historiko-kulturor) (in Albanian). Botimet Toena. p. 353. ISBN 978-9928-327-94-9.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)