Prizzi

Traces have been found of a small Elymian settlement, called Hippana or Hyppana, dating from the 8th-6th centuries BC on the nearby Montagna dei Cavalli. This settlement was later rebuilt in the 4th century BC, by Hiero I of Syracuse, and subsequently inhabited by Carthaginians, Greeks, Arabs, and Romans. Hippana has the highest altitude Greek theater known in Sicily. The ancient town of Comiciana was probably nearby. The town of Prizzi is thought to have been constructed by the refugees of a Roman invasion,Prizzi{{Circular reference|date=August 2015}} but it is better documented to have at least pre-existed the Saracen invasion, when it was controlled by the Byzantines prior to the Arab conquest. The name Prizzi derives from the Greek Pyrizo, meaning "incendiary"{{Nomi|515}} as in the context of sending smoke signals, referring to its origin as an important point for fighting off enemy invaders in Sicily. The present town, of Norman origin, was a fief of Guglielmo Bonello. In 1150, it passed to the Cistercian Monastery of Sant'Angelo. Between the 13th and 15th centuries, control of the town was disputed by various lords until it finally fell to the Bonanno family, whose fief it was until 1812.

The town is known for its Easter celebration, U Ballu dei Diavoli, or, in Italian, Ballo dei Diavoli.[http://www.comune.prizzi.pa.it/paese/tradizioni/pagina_ballo%20diavoli.htm Ballo dei Diavoli] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100522181255/http://www.comune.prizzi.pa.it/paese/tradizioni/pagina_ballo%20diavoli.htm |date=2010-05-22 }}

Prizzi has a Hot-summer Mediterranean Climate, albeit tempered compared to surrounding regions due to its high altitude. Summers are warm (and dry), but noticeably cooler than lower altitudes, with an average high of 28 C (83 F), but heat waves can increase the temperature over 32 C. Winters are cool and wet (following the Mediterranean climate pattern), much colder and somewhat rainier than lower altitudes (Palermo, for example has an average temperature of 11 C and an average high of 15 C during the coldest month, over 6 C warmer than Prizzi) - it is possible to see snow on a yearly basis during winter, something that is far less common in lower altitudes. {{Weather box

|location = Prizzi (1991–2020)

|metric first = Yes

|single line = Yes

|collapsed = yes

|Jan high C = 7.6

|Feb high C = 7.9

|Mar high C = 10.9

|Apr high C = 14.3

|May high C = 19.7

|Jun high C = 25.1

|Jul high C = 28.4

|Aug high C = 28.5

|Sep high C = 22.9

|Oct high C = 18.6

|Nov high C = 12.9

|Dec high C = 8.7

|year high C = 17.1

|Jan mean C = 5.1

|Feb mean C = 5.1

|Mar mean C = 7.4

|Apr mean C = 10.4

|May mean C = 15.2

|Jun mean C = 20.1

|Jul mean C = 22.9

|Aug mean C = 23.3

|Sep mean C = 18.6

|Oct mean C = 15.0

|Nov mean C = 10.1

|Dec mean C = 6.3

|year mean C = 13.3

|Jan low C = 2.6

|Feb low C = 2.2

|Mar low C = 4.0

|Apr low C = 6.5

|May low C = 10.7

|Jun low C = 15.0

|Jul low C = 17.4

|Aug low C = 18.0

|Sep low C = 14.3

|Oct low C = 11.4

|Nov low C = 7.3

|Dec low C = 3.9

|year low C = 9.4

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 98.8

|Feb precipitation mm = 76.5

|Mar precipitation mm = 80.3

|Apr precipitation mm = 66.0

|May precipitation mm = 37.8

|Jun precipitation mm = 21.4

|Jul precipitation mm = 16.0

|Aug precipitation mm = 24.2

|Sep precipitation mm = 77.9

|Oct precipitation mm = 102.2

|Nov precipitation mm = 107.5

|Dec precipitation mm = 111.5

|year precipitation mm = 820.1

|unit precipitation days = 1 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 10.2

|Feb precipitation days = 9.1

|Mar precipitation days = 8.3

|Apr precipitation days = 7.4

|May precipitation days = 4.2

|Jun precipitation days = 2.2

|Jul precipitation days = 1.4

|Aug precipitation days = 2.0

|Sep precipitation days = 7.1

|Oct precipitation days = 7.9

|Nov precipitation days = 9.8

|Dec precipitation days = 12.0

|year precipitation days = 81.6

|Jan humidity = 77.7

|Feb humidity = 74.5

|Mar humidity = 69.8

|Apr humidity = 64.2

|May humidity = 59.1

|Jun humidity = 52.2

|Jul humidity = 51.9

|Aug humidity = 53.6

|Sep humidity = 66.5

|Oct humidity = 70.1

|Nov humidity = 75.8

|Dec humidity = 78.9

|year humidity = 66.2

| Jan dew point C =0.7

| Feb dew point C =-0.3

| Mar dew point C =0.4

| Apr dew point C =2.0

| May dew point C =4.3

| Jun dew point C =6.5

| Jul dew point C =9.7

| Aug dew point C =10.3

| Sep dew point C =10.3

| Oct dew point C =7.9

| Nov dew point C =4.3

| Dec dew point C =2.0

|source 1 = NOAA,{{cite web

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230830054628/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Prizzi_16434.csv

| archive-date = 30 August 2023

| url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Italy/CSV/Prizzi_16434.csv

| title = Prizzi Climate Normals 1991–2020

| work = World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020)

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = 30 August 2023}} (Dew Point for 1981-2010){{cite web

| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1981-2010/RA-VI/Italy/WMO_Normals_CliNo81-10.xls

| title = Prizzi Climate Normals for 1981–2010-16434

| format = XLS

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = 1 March 2024}}

}}

• https://web.archive.org/web/20100522181255/http://www.comune.prizzi.pa.it/paese/tradizioni/pagina_ballo%20diavoli.htm
• :it:Teatro di Hippana
• :it:Prizzi

{{reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060516045550/http://www.gentracer.com/prizzi.html www.gentracer.com/prizzi.html]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070930083442/http://www.agriturismoedintorni.com/comune.php?comune=prizzi%2F Agriturismo e Dintorni - Prizzi]

{{Province of Palermo}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Municipalities of the Metropolitan City of Palermo

{{Sicily-geo-stub}}