Mirto

Mirto (Zip Code 98070) is 231 km. distant from Agrigento, 185 km. from Caltanissetta, 131 km. from Catania, 144 km. from Enna, 120 km. from Messina, which province it belongs to, 157 km. from Palermo, 235 km. from Ragusa, 189 km. from Siracusa, 256 km. from Trapani.

The municipality has 1.184 inhabitants and an area of 943 hectares for a population density of 126 inhabitants per square kilometre. It rises along the coast on a hilly area and is 428 metres above sea-level.

The Town Hall is placed in Piazza Municipio n. 1, tel. ++39 0941-919226 fax. ++39 0941-919226.

Main economic activity is agriculture. Products mostly cultivated are grain, olives, wine-grapes, chestnuts, hazel-nuts and citrus fruit.

Mirto derives its name from Greek Myrtos, that just means Myrtle plan. The village was founded in the Medieval age.
In the XIV century, during Aragonese domination, it has been under the jurisdiction of Episcopal Curia. Later it has belonged to different feudatories: Angellotto of Larcan, Riccardo Filangeri, Antonio Branciforte, Balsamos and again to Filangeri. Since 1643 it has been principality of the Filangeris.

The most interesting monuments are the church of St. Maria del Gesù; the church of St. Alfio restored in 1607 with a pretty bell-tower and the church of St. Nicolò which keeps a beautiful Medieval portal.

Among the most important persons original of Mirto we cite the franciscan naturalist Francesco Cupani (1657-1710), who founded in 1692 in Misilmeri the first botanical garden and published a work about Sicilian plans: "Syllabus plantarum Siciliae".