PIANA DEI GRECI (degli Albanesi), DIOCESE OF. — Since 1937, the see of the Greek eparchy or diocese with jurisdiction over the territory of Piana, detached from Monreale, and of Santa Cristina, detached from Palermo, as well as personal jurisdiction over the other parishes, churches, oratories, and houses of the Byzantine Greek rite in Sicily. Piana is the largest of the Italo-Albanian towns (v.): the Tosk Albanian dialect is spoken there, the traditional female costume is still worn, and the Greek rite flourishes, whence the name Piana dei Greci.
Cardinal Archbishop Giovanni Borgia granted the Albanians two fiefs, Merko and Aindigni, in the Val di Mazara (deed of 30 Aug. 1488 by notary N. Altavilla of Palermo). Several churches and rural oratories arose. Around 1590
an attempt was made to comment on and poetically amplify an episode that the historical source (Ex. 10:23) relates in sober, essential traits.
The parish of St George was transferred to the larger church of St Demetrius, declared the “mother church” with all its prerogatives, which Pope Pius VI then designated for episcopal functions in his bull Commissa nobis divinitus of 6 Feb. 1784, by which he established a bishop of the Greek rite in Sicily; it is now the cathedral of the eparchy with its Chapter. It is adorned with frescoes (1641–44) by the painter Pietro Novelli, of whom there also remains a fresco in the church of the same name and one of St Anthony Abbot in the church of St George. There are 20,500 faithful in 6 parishes, the Latin-rite parish being in the church of St Vitus, ceded to a chaplain of that rite on 18 Nov. 1590 (deed of notary Pietro Vienna of Monreale). In Piana, the cult of the patroness, the Madonna Odigitria, and of Sts George and Demetrius prevails. Institutions: the Seminary, founded through the zeal of Fr G. Guzzetta (v. 1734) and now provided with new premises through the care of the Sacred Congregation for the Eastern Church; the Collegio di Maria; the house of the Basilian Sisters; the university institute in Palermo; the orphanage for peasant children entrusted to the Basilians; a kindergarten; a hospital (1626); and an almshouse.