Maschito

{{Infobox Italian comune

| name = Maschito

| official_name = Comune di Maschito

| image_skyline = Scorciopaese.jpg

| imagesize =

| image_alt =

| image_caption = View of Maschito

| image_shield = Stemmamas.gif

| shield_alt =

| image_map =

| map_alt =

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| coordinates = {{coord|40|55|N|15|50|E|region:IT_type:city(1834)|display=inline,title}}

| coordinates_footnotes =

| region = {{RegioneIT|sigla=BAS}}

| province = {{ProvinciaIT (short form)|sigla=PZ}} (PZ)

| frazioni = Caggiano, Cancada, Cantarella, Casano, Cerentino, Cerentino-Settanni, Cesina, Fontana d'Argento, Manes, Monte Calvello, Oreficicchio, Piano del Moro, Piano della Trinità, Serra della Nocelle, Sterpara

| mayor_party =

| mayor = Antonio Mastrodonato

| area_footnotes =

| area_total_km2 = 45

| population_footnotes =

| population_total = 1834

| population_as_of = 2007

| pop_density_footnotes =

| population_demonym = Maschitani

| elevation_footnotes =

| elevation_m = 594

| twin1 =

| twin1_country =

| saint = Prophet Elijah

| day = 20 July

| postal_code = 85020

| area_code = 0972

| website = {{official website|http://www.comune.maschito.pz.it/}}

| footnotes =

}}

Maschito ({{langx|aae|Mashqiti}};{{cite book|last=Howard|first=Patricia L.|title=Women & plants: gender relations in biodiversity management and conservation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NuLaAAAAMAAJ&q=Maschito|access-date=2 November 2010|year=2003|publisher=Zed Books|isbn=978-1-84277-156-3}} Lucano: {{lang|nap|Maschìte}}) is a town and comune of the province of Potenza, in the Basilicata region of southern Italy. Like other towns in the Vulture area, Maschito was repopulated by Albanian refugees after the occupation of Albania by the Ottoman Empire.{{cite book|last1=Borghi|first1=Marcella|last2=Arrigoni|first2=Viviana|last3=Italy|first3=Touring Club of |author4=Guglielmo Martinello |author5=Antony Shugaar|title=Italy: a complete guide to 1,000 towns and cities and their landmarks, with 80 regional tours|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6Gny1hm3wZoC&q=Maschito+1467&pg=PA92|access-date=2 November 2010|date=February 1999|publisher=Touring Editore|isbn=978-88-365-1522-6|page=92}}

Geography

Located Northeast of Basilicata, it is a small town covering a hill named Mustafà, about {{convert|594|m|ft}} above sea level. It is bounded by the comuni (Municipalities), of Forenza, Ginestra, Palazzo San Gervasio, Venosa.

Maschito has a typical Mediterranean climate with slight mountain characteristics, because of its distance from the sea.

History

Maschito was founded in 1467 by King Ferdinand I of Naples, when the Albanian hero Skanderbeg was sent with numerous troops to fight the Angevin pretenders to the throne of Naples and the Barons.

The capture of Kruja by the Turks and the abandonment of Shkodër (1478–79) led to the first migration of Albanians (Arbëreshë) to Basilicata.{{cite book|last=Viscardi|first=Giuseppe Maria|title=Tra Europa e Indie di quaggiù: chiesa, religiosità e cultura popolare nel Mezzogiorno, secoli XV-XIX|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kHx2DcmptJYC&pg=PA361|access-date=2 November 2010|year=2005|publisher=Ed. di Storia e Letteratura|isbn=978-88-8498-155-4|page=361}}

In 1533, when the Fortress of Koroni fell the Albanian refugees of the area were allowed to settle areas of the Kingdom of Naples, including Maschito.{{cite book|last1=Bade|first1=Klaus J.|last2=Eijl|first2=Corrie van|last3=Schrover|first3=Marlou|title=Enzyklopädie Migration in Europa: vom 17. Jahrhundert bis zur Gegenwart|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=94QYAQAAIAAJ&q=Als+Korone+wieder+an+die+T%C3%BCrken+zur%C3%BCckfiel,+verlie%C3%9Fen+zahlreiche+albanische+Familien+zusammen+mit+den+Spaniern+Griechenland+und+lie%C3%9Fen+sich+im+spanischen+Vizek%C3%B6nigreich+Neapel+nieder,+vorzugsweise+in+den+Ortschaften+Barile,+Maschito.|access-date=2 November 2010|year=2007|publisher=Schöningh|isbn=978-3-506-75632-9|page=367}} At that time the territory of Maschito belonged to the Bishop of Venosa and the Prior of Gerosolmitano of Bari.

By law, around November 17, 1539, the Notary Giacomo Citamiore of Venosa, and the Spanish viceroy of Naples, Pedro Álvarez de Toledo, ceded the aforementioned territory to Giovanni de Icis. The Albanians were obligated to pay one ducat a year from the annual income of each household, and 200 ducats extra a year if the number of homes increased by one.{{Citation needed|date=November 2010}}

Economy

The economy is based on agriculture, especially grapes and olives.

Notes and references

Category:Arbëresh settlements

Category:Cities and towns in Basilicata