Mongrassano

According to reliable sources, in 1750 Baron Miceli, having obtained jurisdiction over the fiefdom, prohibited the use of the Albanian language. A symbol of the identity of the Arberëshë community of Mongrassano is the sculpture depicting the face of Skanderbeg, the Albanian prince and general who led the revolt against the Ottoman Turkish occupation of Albania. Discovering Mongrassano means following in the footsteps of a past made up of customs and traditions whose memory is still vivid. Thus, around the numerous fountains with Arberëshë names (Kroi Madhe, Kroi Pete, Kroi Stiro), one can almost smell the intense scent of homemade soap with which the women washed their clothes.

The village, embraced by the green surrounding hills, is rich in sacred buildings: the Church of Santa Caterina with its bell tower, the Church of Sant'Anna (the oldest in the village, dating back to the 10th century), the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, the Church of San Francesco with its red brick staircase and the Carmelite Convent, which today houses the Town Hall and has a cloister inside. Also worth admiring are the ancient noble residences, such as Palazzo Miceli, which houses the Museum of Albanian Culture, with its beautiful marble portals.

In Mongrassano, the rituals of the Arberëshë culture are kept alive, but the tradition of the Vallje is particularly evocative during Carnival, when women wear precious traditional costumes embroidered with silk and satin threads and ancient songs resound through the streets of the village, their lyrics recalling Skanderberg's victory over the Turks.

The agricultural vocation of the area makes Mongrassano a benchmark for the cultivation and processing of vegetables, combining tradition and innovation. The Gias Experience Business Museum was created to recount the more than 50 years of entrepreneurial history of the Tenuta family, which distributes its frozen products in twenty countries around the world. The museum, which hosts training activities for school and university students, also features touch stations, video projections, workshops and an area for tastings and show cooking.