San Costantino Albanese

San Costantino Albanese is a town and comune in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. Geography San Costantino Albanese sits on a hilltop overlooking the Sarmento Valley and is located across the valley from San Paolo Albanese. The Sarmento River is a dry rock-strewn riverbed during the summer but can be a torrent during the winter rains. The two towns are 3 kilometres (2 mi) apart but the path through the river valley by road is about 8 kilometres (5 mi). The village is bordered by the towns of Alessandria del Carretto (CS), Cersosimo, Noepoli, San Paolo Albanese and Terranova di Pollino. It is also adjacent to Pollino National Park. Demographics San Costantino is larger than the neighboring Arberesh Village San Paolo Albanese. Source: FONTE DEMOISTAT.IT History San Costantino Albanese was founded in approximately 1534 by ethnic Albanians refugees or Arbëreshë, from Corone, Morea in Greece which was occupied by the Ottoman Turks. Surnames such as Scutari, reflect this connection with the Albanian heritage. In the early 1900s, the town and much of Southern Italy saw a wave of emigration to the United States and South America. Immigrants initially clustered in the New York Metropolitan Area but can be found distributed throughout the US. Culture Monuments Churches Districts The commune of San Costantino Albanese encompasses two Frazione, or villages/administrative districts, that lie outside of town. Venticalia Venticalia is a village located approximately 3.9 kilometres (2.4 mi) from San Costantino. Since the end of the seventeenth century, it has been the feudal rustic retreat of the Pace family of St. Constantine Albanese. In the seventeenth century. the Pace family built a small votive chapel dedicated to the cult of Saint Helena mother of the Emperor Constantine, of which today only a few remnants remain visible. Today the village is the site of a compressed wood pellet factory. Martorino Martorino is one of the concessions granted by the Pignatelli feudal family in the late 17th century to the Pace family. Local businesses include agriculture and agritourism. Notable People Tomasso Pace - Writer and Historian Donato Scutari - Politician Nicola Scaldiferri - Ethnomusicologist References