Niscemi

Niscemi
Comune
Comune di Niscemi
Niscemi skyline
Coat of arms
Niscemi Location of Niscemi in Italy Show map of Italy Niscemi Niscemi (Sicily) Show map of Sicily
Coordinates: 37°09′N14°23′E / 37.150°N 14.383°E / 37.150; 14.383
Country	Italy
Region	Sicily
Province	Caltanissetta
Government
• Mayor	Massimiliano Valentino Conti
Area [1]
• Total	96 km2 (37 sq mi)
Elevation	332 m (1,089 ft)
Population  (October 31, 2025) [2]
• Total	24,575
• Density	260/km2 (660/sq mi)
Demonym	Niscemesi
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	93015
Dialing code	0933
Patron saint	Maria Santissima del Bosco
Saint day	May 21
Website	Official website

Niscemi is a small city and comune in the free municipal consortium of Caltanissetta (Italian: libero consorzio comunale di Caltanissetta), Sicily, Italy. It has a population of 24,575 inhabitants. ^[3]

The municipality is located in the Gela plain area and constitutes its north-eastern part in contact with the territory of Caltagirone. It is 90 km from Catania.

Church of Santa Maria d'Itria

Etymology

The name Niscemi is derived from the Arabic word نَشَم neshem or its singular form نَشَمَة neshemeh, this being the name of a particular type of tree. ^[4]

Geography

Territory

The town is located on a plateau 332 m above sea level. ^[5] The municipality covers an area of 9,654 hectares with a population density of 285 inhabitants per square kilometer. Niscemi is situated on a hill nestled in the Erei Mountains and on the slopes of the Iblei Mountains, with a western view of the Maroglio River valley and the Gela Plain.

The territory of Niscemi is located in a geological context characterised by Miocene clay hills, covered by a large mantle of Pliocene sands, calcareous tuffs and conglomerates.

The Sugherata di Niscemi Nature Reserve is the remnant of a vast wooded area that covers the last foothills of the Iblei Mountains, sloping down towards the coast of the Gela plain. It rises at 330 meters above sea level, on the part of the plateau where the town is located. ^[6]

History

Foundation and Norman period

Following the Norman conquest, a new town was founded under the name of Nixenum in 1143. Having become a rural fief, the territory underwent radical changes until, in 1324, a branch of the Branciforte family moved from Piacenza in Sicily (in the 13th century) and bought the lands of Nixenum. ^[7]

Niscemi, a simple rural village during the Swabian-Angevin period, was part of the County of Garsiliato, which included the territories of Terranova di Sicilia, present-day Gela. After a complex history, the county was granted in 1393 by the Aragonese King Martin the Younger to Don Nicola Branciforte, Lord of Mazarin, and his successors. A long and intricate historical network connects this event to the founding of Niscemi, officially recognized by the Licentia populandi of June 30, 1626, granted to Donna Giovanna Branciforte on behalf of her son Giuseppe by the Viceroy, Cardinal Giovanni Doria, in exchange for the payment of 400 eleven. This network spans the history of all of Sicily, woven by the most powerful families on the island and leading, as everyone knows, to the repopulation of the region through the policy of large estates and the founding of new cities. ^[8]

The principality of Niscemi was founded in 1627 by the Branciforte family, ^[9] the city was heavily damaged by the earthquake of 1693 and was completely rebuilt on the same site. ^[10]

Contemporary Age

In 1997, a landslide swept away a large part of the Sante Croci neighborhood; 70 homes were destroyed. The church for which the neighborhood is named remained standing on the edge of the chasm but had to be demolished later. ^[11]

2026 Landslide

Main article: 2026 Niscemi landslide

On January 25, 2026, the town was damaged by another landslide in the same area, spectacular and highly destructive although it caused no casualties: during a storm, a section of the cliff bordering the plateau on which the town center is perched collapsed, destroying some buildings and leaving houses dangerously on the edge of the precipice, while according Italian civil protection authorities have evacuated more than a thousand people within a four-kilometer radius of the disaster. ^{[12] [13]}

ISPRA's IdroGEO allows the analysis of the landslide through thematic maps, historical data and satellite and ground monitoring systems, used to follow the evolution of the phenomenon. ^[14]

Monuments and places of interest

Niscemi historic center

The historic center dates back to the second half of the 17th century. Piazza Vittorio Emanuele III is rectangular in shape and overlooks the churches of Santa Maria d'Itria and Addolorata, as well as the Palazzo di Città.

Religious architecture

• Santa Maria d'Itria: mother church of town and it stands in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele III. Rebuilt after the 1693 Val di Noto earthquake. ^{[15] [16]}
• Church of the Addolorata (18th century) ^[17]
• Church of the Madonna del Bosco (18th century), elliptical plan ^[18]
• Remains of the ancient Nixenum

Civil architecture

View from the Belvedere terrace in 2016

• Belvedere Terrace: formerly known as Tunnu, is a panoramic terrace built in 1803, ^[19] offering a magnificent view of the Gela plain and the Maroglio River valley. Built in Baroque style at the beginning of the 19th century, it has a rounded shape surrounded by a wrought-iron railing and benches. It represents the final destination of a stroll through the historic center. It was rebuilt in 1921 following damage sustained in a landslide. It was completely destroyed in a landslide in January 2026. ^[20] In the area below the belvedere, a path dedicated to the Italian aviator Angelo D'Arrigo was recently built. ^[21] It offers a panoramic view of the Gela plain.

Demographics

Historical population
Year Pop. ±% 1861 9,138 —     1871 10,666 +16.7% 1881 12,110 +13.5% 1901 14,748 +21.8% 1911 15,315 +3.8% 1921 17,230 +12.5% 1931 19,270 +11.8% 1936 20,281 +5.2%	Year Pop. ±% 1951 23,928 +18.0% 1961 24,860 +3.9% 1971 24,053 −3.2% 1981 26,089 +8.5% 1991 26,998 +3.5% 2001 27,641 +2.4% 2011 27,975 +1.2% 2021 25,179 −10.0%
Source: ISTAT

Ethnic groups and foreign minorities

As of January 1, 2025, there were 694 foreigners residing in the municipality, representing 2.8% of the total population. ^[22] The following are the largest national groups: ^[23]

1. Romania: 381
2. Tunisia: 173
3. Morocco: 37

Culture

Education

Niscemi has a municipal library, named in memory of Mario Gori, born Mario Antonino Di Pasquale. Since 2006 located in Via IV Novembre in a 19th-century building. It houses approximately 16,000 cataloged volumes as well as a vast newspaper library. ^[24]

The Civic Museum is housed within the former Convent of the Franciscan Friars Minor. It was born from an idea by Totò Ravalli. Its creation is the culmination of 30 years of active research and the collection of thousands of objects, thanks to the synergy between the Municipality of Niscemi, the Lions Club, the Environmental Education Center (CEA), the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage of Caltanissetta, Europe, and the generosity of private citizens. It was inaugurated on October 7, 2018. ^[25]

World War II

During World War II, Niscemi was the location of Ponte Olivo Airfield, a military airfield used by the United States Twelfth Air Force during the Italian campaign. After the war the area was redeveloped and no evidence of the wartime airfield remains.

American military installation

Main article: Naval Radio Transmitter Facility (NRTF) Niscemi

US Navy Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) Earth Terminal Facility at NRTF Niscemi

Today, there is a military radio station for naval communication, U.S. Naval Radio Transmitter Facility (NRTF) Niscemi. Its tallest antenna is a guyed mast, 252 metres (827 ft) high, situated at 37°7'32"N 14°26'11"E.

The United States Navy installation is the focus of ongoing protest by locally based activist groups, who oppose it and demand its removal on grounds of health (danger from electromagnetic radiation), environmental damage and opposition to the use of armed drones in the Middle East, allegedly guided from this base. ^[26] Allegations of armed drones being operated from this base have never been verified however, as the newly installed MUOS (Mobile User Objective System) ^[27] was intended as an upgrade to legacy communication equipment, and is not intended to communicate with unmanned flying drones. Niscemi inhabitants say the Berlusconi government did not consult them before granting the US the use of the location.

See also

• Naval Radio Transmitter Facility (NRTF) Niscemi

Notable people

• Mario Gori poet, writer, and short story writer in Italian (1926-1970)
• Angelo Marsiano Italian historian and essayist (1926-1993) ^[28]
• Alice Mangione Italian sprinter (born 1997) ^[29]
• Simone Cilio Italian film composer (born 1992) ^[30]

References

Citations

1. "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
2. "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
3. ISTAT Data - Population of Niscemi until October 31, 2025
4. Gaetano Trovato; presentazione di Antonino De Stefano (1949). Sopravvivenze arabe in Sicilia: documenti arabo-siculi del periodo normanno. Monreale: Tipografia Vena. p. 141.
5. Gwind Srl, ed. (30 June 2017). "Comune di Niscemi (CL) - CAP e Informazioni utili". tuttitalia.it (in Italian).
6. "Riserva naturale orientata Sughereta di Niscemi" (PDF). italianostra.org (in Italian). Italia Nostra. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
7. Giulia Giaume. "Storia, arte, cultura e patrimonio di Niscemi, la città minacciata dalla frana in Sicilia". www.artribune.com (in Italian). Retrieved 2026-01-29.
8. ""Spazioniscemi: Esplorando la storia!"". spazioniscemi.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2026-01-29.
9. F. Emanuele Gaetani, marchese di Villabianca, Della Sicilia nobile, parte seconda, vol. 1, Stamperia Santi Apostoli, 1757, p. 73.
10. "Niscemi: cerimonia per commemorare le vittime del terremoto". www.today24.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2017-12-10. Retrieved 2026-01-15.
11. "Niscemi, la frana ritorna dopo 29 anni". newsicilia.it. Retrieved 2026-01-25.
12. "La frana di Niscemi vista dai satelliti". Il Post.it. 2026-01-29. Retrieved 2026-01-25.
13. "Frana a Niscemi, centinaia di sfollati e domani scuole chiuse". ansa.it. ansa.it. 25 January 2026. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
14. "Niscemi-Inventario dei Fenomeni Franosi in Italia". idrogeo.isprambiente.it (in Italian). Retrieved 29 January 2026.
15. Pro Loco Niscemi Sourced from Angelo Marsiano, Geografia antropica, Caltanissetta, Lussografica, 1995.
16. Rosario Disca, Niscemi e il suo territorio. Memorie storiche, Niscemi, dattiloscritto inedito, 1947.
17. Salvatore Scuto e Francesco Vergara Caffarelli, Il cantiere barocco: Silvestro Gugliara e l'Addolorata di Niscemi, Accademia nazionale di scienze, lettere, e arti di Palermo, 1992.
18. Administrator. "Il Santuario". www.sanfrancesconiscemi.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2014-04-07. Retrieved 2026-01-15.
19. Rosario Disca; Rosario Antonio Rizzo (2015). Niscemi e il suo territorio: memorie storiche. Gela: Libreria Editrice Gb. Randazzo di Ugo.
20. "Landslide leaves Sicilian town teetering on cliff edge". Reuters. 27 January 2026. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
21. "Viale Angelo D'Arrigo a Niscemi". angelodarrigo.com (in Italian). Retrieved 12 February 2023.
22. "Resident population at 1st January by sex and individual citizenship". demo.istat.it. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
23. "Cittadini stranieri Niscemi 2025". tuttitalia.it (in Italian). Retrieved 27 January 2026.
24. Biblioteca Comunale "Mario Gori" italy.worldplaces.me
25. "Museo Civico di Niscemi". comune.niscemi.cl.it (in Italian). 14 May 2021.
26. Nadeau, Barbie Latza (April 28, 2015). "The Tiny Italian Town Killing the U.S. Navy's Surveillance Plans". The Daily Beast . Retrieved August 5, 2016.
27. "Navy Satellite Programs" (PDF). Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command . August 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 February 2017. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
28. Isabella di Bartolo. "Niscemi, quei 4 mila volumi in bilico:"A rischio l'identità del paese"". palermo.repubblica.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2 February 2026.
29. "Alice Mangione". fidal.it (in Italian). Retrieved 28 January 2026.
30. "Simone Cilio". neufutur.com (in Italian). Retrieved 30 January 2026.

Sources

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Washington, D.C.: Office of Air Force History 1983 ISBN   978-0912799025.

External links

• Municipality of Niscemi
• Educational Museum of Natural History
• ProLoco Niscemi APS
• Geographic data related to Niscemi at OpenStreetMap