San Giovanni Germini is a town in the province of Agrigento, a town rich in history and traditions. We find the presence of a very important nature reserve where there have been several archaeological finds within it.
San Giovanni Gemini it is one of the most characteristic municipalities of thehinterlands Agrigento, as well as being a real cultural reservoir. As we usually do with our content, through this article we want to introduce you to the fascinating story of San Giovanni Gemini, a place that still reserves many mysteries but also important certainties about the most ancient times of Sicily.
In the area of San Giovanni Gemini, in fact, there are several archaeological sites, most of which are included within the Monte Cammarata Oriented Nature Reserve. Here you can observe the testimonies left by Sicani, the first inhabitants of Sicilia, who settled there creating the first Sicilian villages, whose remains are still visible crossing this area and the many Sicilian museums that tell the origins of the island civilizations.
The Origins of Saint John Gemini
As regards the origins of San Giovanni Gemini, it has been possible to reconstruct its history thanks to the many historical documents that have come down to us, although there are still some auras of mystery today, as some information has been lost over the centuries.
The current municipality appears to have been founded in 1451, thanks to the concession of King Ferdinand who gave authorization to Count of Cammarata, Federico Abetellis, to build on his fiefdoms, so as to populate this area of Sicily that had until then been totally wild.
Three very fascinating theories are still told today about the birth of Saint John Gemini that we would like to illustrate to you:
- Following the earthquake which affected this area in the early years of Five hundred, forcing the inhabitants of Cammarata to move to re-establish their community;
- Founded by some accounts banned from Cammarata, who took refuge in San Giovanni Gemini also to plot their revenge, given that at that time conflicts between neighboring municipalities were frequent precisely due to power issues;
- Population of the hinterland occurred gradually and spontaneously, simply with families who moved from urban centers to the countryside.
San Giovanni Cammarata
San Giovanni Gemini is included within the territory of Cammarata, a larger municipality whose origins are closely linked. In fact, the original name was its own San Giovanni Cammarata, as reported by the words present in ancient documents in the municipal archives.
Apparently it was 1587 the year in which, for the first time, the name of San Giovanni Cammarata appeared, while the last time, of which there are multiple confirmations, occurred in 1878, the year that marks the definitive transition to the current toponym.
The Branciforti Family of San Giovanni Gemini
Among the most influential families in the history of San Giovanni Gemini there is certainly that of Branciforti, originally from the Piacenza area but who settled in Sicily starting from 1300, finding in this municipality, in 1540, their ideal home in which to continue their dynasty.
Among the most important figures we mention Ercole Branciforte, the Count of Cammarata who authorized, in 1587, the construction of various structures in the area now occupied by San Giovanni Gemini, offering a great contribution to the development of this locality.
