La Conca d’oro di Palermo : storia di un toponimo

Conca d’oro (lit. ‘golden basin’) is the name of the fertile plain, included between sea and mountains, surrounding the city of Palermo for an extension of ca. 100 km2, celebrated for its fertility since classical antiquity. This study aims to outline the history of the place name, investigating the linguistic and cultural implications related to it. Attested as Co(n)ca aurea in the milieu of cultural renewal that involves the city of Palermo around the year 1470, the place name might conceal an Arabic-Latin hybrid and tautological formation, in analogy to other well-known Sicilian cases (e.g. Mongibello).