▁name ▁and ▁the ▁rest oration ▁works . ▁In ▁ 1 6 0 9 , ▁a ▁Bas ilian ▁monaster y ▁was ▁founded ▁by ▁R eres ▁with ▁the ▁provision ▁that ▁the ▁Greek ▁r ite ▁would ▁be ▁used . ▁In ▁ 1 6 3 0 , ▁since ▁there ▁were ▁no ▁Bas ilian ▁Alban ian ▁mon ks , ▁eight ▁mon ks ▁from ▁Cre te ▁were ▁brought , ▁causing ▁the ▁reaction ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁Italian ▁nob ility , ▁which ▁accused ▁them ▁as ▁sch ism at ics ▁and ▁false ▁mon ks . ▁The ▁monaster y ▁was ▁abandoned ▁by ▁the ▁mid ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Local ▁life ▁The ▁most ▁significant ▁local ▁event ▁happens ▁before ▁E aster , ▁with ▁the ▁" M astr u ▁Camp u " ▁(" ma estro ▁di ▁campo " ▁in ▁Italian ) ▁which ▁takes ▁place ▁on ▁the ▁last ▁Sunday ▁of ▁Car n ival , ▁just ▁before ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁L ent . ▁ ▁Ref lect ing ▁the ▁town ' s ▁mixed ▁eth nor el ig ious ▁her itage , ▁Me z zo j uso ▁is ▁home ▁to ▁two ▁historic ▁Catholic ▁mother ▁churches ▁both ▁d ating ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century : ▁the ▁Latin - rite ▁parish ▁Church ▁of ▁Maria ▁Sant iss ima ▁Ann un zi ata ▁and ▁the ▁By z antine ▁Greek - rite ▁parish ▁Church ▁of ▁San ▁Nicol ò ▁di ▁Mira . ▁ ▁The ▁municipality ' s ▁economy ▁is ▁based ▁mainly ▁on ▁the ▁cultiv ation ▁of ▁traditional ▁cro ps ▁like ▁hard ▁whe at , ▁sulla , ▁and ▁extra ▁vir gin ▁o