In 1450, Albanian soldiers and refugees fleeing Ottoman expansion settled on the Brinjat slopes to establish Contessa Entellina. Located in the Belìce Valley, this municipality of 1,865 inhabitants is one of Italy's oldest Arbëreshë settlements. Local authorities still use Albanian alongside Italian in official public documents.
Situated 571 metres above sea level near Mount Genuardo and 80 kilometres from Palermo, the town preserves Byzantine-Greek Catholic traditions. Along with Piana degli Albanesi and Santa Cristina Gela, it forms the core of Sicilian-Albanian heritage, driven mainly by agriculture and livestock farming.
Sfincione · Arancina · Pasta alla Norma
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Next up: Saint Nicholas of Myra, patron in an Arbëreshë town with sweets made without salt or yeast, Sunday 6 December
Nearest airport: Palermo Falcone-Borsellino, 50 km away
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📅 Every year, on 6 December, with the traditional Bukiçelet e Shën Kollit sweets
Contessa Entellina celebrates Saint Nicholas of Myra on 6 December; the town's Arbëreshë tradition calls for preparing Bukiçelet e Shën Kollit for the occasion, sweets made of water and flour, without salt or yeast, kneaded and portioned by hand.
Tall, soft bread dough, tomato, onion, anchovies, oregano and caciocavallo: sfincione is Palermo's focaccia, cut into squares.
Read more →Saffron rice, ragù with peas and caciocavallo cheese inside a golden crust. Round and feminine in Palermo, pointed and called arancino in Catania: the quarrel is serious.
Read more →Straight-line distances from the town centre. Tap a point to open its page.
The closest destinations covered by our editors, with straight-line distance.
Outside Contessa Entellina, but an easy day trip away.
