Niscemi


Niscemi is a small city and comune in the free municipal consortium of Caltanissetta, Sicily, Italy. It has a population of 24,620 inhabitants.
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.
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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.

Geography

Territory

The town is located on a plateau 332 m above sea level. 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.

History

2026 Landslide

On 16 January 2026, a landslide occurred, causing the collapse of Provincial Road 12, which connects Niscemi to the Gela-Catania state road. The mayor had noticed a much larger landslide.
On January 17, 2026, the Mayor ordered the evacuation of the affected area. 35 people were evacuated for safety, schools were closed, and the Civil Protection Department was already monitoring the area, which presents serious risks of further worsening of the landslide. According to the Civil Protection Department, the landslide has recorded an estimated subsidence of between 6 and 7 meters, moving in the direction of the Maroglio River, with a front measuring 1.6 km and an extension of almost 1 square km. According to initial reports from the Civil Protection, the landslide is already very large. This correct assessment allowed the inhabitants of Niscemi to be saved.
Starting on 19 January 2026, with the arrival of strong weather conditions, and then on 25 January 2026 with the arrival of Mediterranean Cyclone Harry, which lashed central and southern Italy, the landslide situation further worsened. On January 25, 2026, the landslide widened at 1 p.m. and residents fled. The mayor realized the magnitude of the landslide and was already taking all necessary measures to evacuate as many people as possible from the affected area.
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.

Monuments and places of interest

Religious architecture

Civil architecture

  • Belvedere Terrace: formerly known as Tunnu, is a panoramic terrace built in 1803, 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.In the area below the belvedere, a path dedicated to the Italian aviator Angelo D'Arrigo was recently built. It offers a panoramic view of the Gela plain.

Demographics

Ethnic groups and foreign minorities

As of January 1, 2025, there were foreigners residing in the municipality, representing 2.8% of the total population. The following are the largest national groups:
  1. Romania:
  2. Tunisia:
  3. Morocco:

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

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, 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, environmental damage and opposition to the use of armed drones in the Middle East, allegedly guided from this base. Allegations of armed drones being operated from this base have never been verified however, as the newly installed MUOS 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.

Notable people