The early urban origins of this territory remain undefined. An important
Iron Age village arose around the 13th century BC by indigenous people, identified with the
Sicani . Archaeologically the village constitutes a valid chronological guide for local production of objects from the first native societies to the relationship with the first Greek settlers during the great season of the
apoikiai during the 8th - 7th century BC. The town is sitting atop of a hill, partially excavated. To this day a small part has revealed a collection of small and big tombs, varying in size, carved in soft stone. In it proximity many small
necropolises can be found. Four
gold and
silver bowls dating from 650 to 600 BC were found in a tomb in the vicinity of the village in the 18th century, by
Paolo Orsi. Only one
gold bowl remains, now in the
British Museum's collection. The BM's phiale is decorated with 6 striding bulls and has become a symbol of Sant'Angelo Muxaro. The Archeological Museum of Agrigento, adjacent to the
Valley of the Temples, holds a selection of vases found in the vicinity of the village, mainly inside tombs. Following the
Ottoman invasion of Albania in the late fifteenth century, the present town was colonized by Albanian refugees. The centre of the town was founded in 1506 with further building in 1511. The town retained a distinct Italo-Albanian or
Arbëreshë culture for many years. In the early 17th century the town was still an
Arbëreshë settlement but now the
Arbëresh language has disappeared from usage. In 1600, the barony was acquired by the Princes of Castelvetrano, D'Aragona and Tagliavia and finally came under the jurisdiction of Pignatelli, Dukes of Monteleone, who kept it until 1812, when feudalism was suppressed in Sicily. == Monuments and places of interest ==