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History of Sicily
It 'obvious that taking a complete history of Sicily is a company claims to be encyclopaedic. The best approach is to a presentation accompanied by evocative images pills that stimulate the capacity for empathy and evocative. course, understand the history means to live it up close, and then sail with the remains left in their steps historical memory, that is worthwhile approach through a historical tour of the island, greek, Roman, Byzantine, Norman, Arabic, Swabian, English ... Just choose a historical theme, domination, and circumnavigate the memory remains preserved throughout the island. A fruitful history: About 3500 years ago, the Sicilians, the population of Latin origin, landed in Sicania, an island located in front of the Calabrian coast. After long battles, its inhabitants, the Sicilian, were driven towards the western part of the island. Farewell Sicania, was born in Sicily. Since then, this land became the object of so much greed. Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Spaniards invaded the island, they clashed in battles, founding families, cultivated land, built temples, theaters, churches, palaces and lavish mansions. All tried to seize it but no one could ever win. The heart of Sicily that does not beat itself. Sicily is unique, a melting pot of peoples and cultures, a mixture of sweetness and passion, pride and modesty. A land of contrasts where oranges and lemons flourish on the ashes of the volcanoes.
Greek Age
The eastern area of \u200b\u200bSicily was the destination of Greek colonization of different populations in search of new lands to colonize. The first Greek colony in Sicily was Naxos (Giardini Naxos today), founded by Chalcis (or ion) from dall'Eubea in 734 BC. The same people founded the colony of South Lentini in 729 BC. The calcidesi Naxos moved south along the east coast, and founded a settlement which today is the city of Catania (729 BC). Other Greek peoples landed in Sicily, the Corinthians, who founded Sfiracusa in 733 BC, and who founded Megara Megarian-Hyblaea. Messina, the most continental of the Sicilian cities, was founded in 730 by pirates from Cuma Chalcis. Among the Dorians, the people of Rhodes and Crete founded Gela. Then the people who settled in Sicily, they moved to new settlements: the Corinthians founded in Syracuse in 633 BC Akrai (equivalent today, roughly, in Palazzolo Acreide). The Cretans of Gela settled in Agrigento (Akragas) in 580 BC, and Megarian from Megara founded Hyblaea Selinunte in 627 BC. What remains of that history is the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento and Segesta acheologica area. In order to build the theaters can grasp one of the main characteristics of Greek culture, and the sites of Syracuse, Eraclea Minoa, Segesta, Solunto, Morgantina, Palazzolo Acreide, Taormina are an example.
Roman Period
At the end of the Punic Wars, Sicily became a Roman province in the third century BC. The interest that inspired the Romans was prevalntemente agriculture, and this means using the earth's resources. Rose small villages, farms and villas that make up the nucleus of what will be in more recent times the estate. Sicily thus became the "Barn" in Rome, important for grain sourcing. Roman era are important signs to the Villa del Casale di Piazza Armerina and the Amphitheatre in Catania in Piazza Stesicoro.
Byzantine era
In 535 the Byzantines conquer Sicily with an expedition sent by Emperor Justinian in the East and led by his general Belisarius. In 660, under the threat of Muslim expansion, Constantius decided to transfer the capital of Constantinople in Syracuse. This gave new luster to the city of Syracuse, but did not bring any benefits to the island. Rather large and heavy financial burden and unjust tyranny led to the assassination of the emperor in 668. The following year he returned to the capital to Constantinople at the behest of the son of Costanzo. The Byzantine art represented God, through a new form of painting, the so-called "icons" golden backgrounds, the absence of three-dimensional, designed with fixed terms to indicate the solemnity of the subject and eternity. High performances of these art forms Byzantine mosaics are the cathedrals of Cefalù, Palermo and Monreale.
Arab Period Between the ninth and tenth centuries was completed the conquest Arabic of Sicily and Palermo was the capital of the new kingdom, which still has the urban look more Arab in Sicily. The new capital had a period rather than thriving, it was equipped with gardens, mosques and palaces. The Arab influence brought new life to the exploitation of the earth, thanks to new irrigation systems and new crops such as sugar cane, melon and citrus fruit.
Norman times
In 1072 Palermo was conquered and made capital of the new Norman kingdom. The capital was the center of a new renovation with the construction of churches and palaces, but the most famous case is that of the Palazzo d'Orleans, which was originally a Moorish palaces and modified according to Norman architecture. Today it houses the Sicilian Regional Parliament. The Norman church of Monreale is entirely and was built in XII century. Today there are high historical evidence of this domination thanks to Norman castles of Adrano, Paterno and Aci Castello, built on a rock emerging from the water during the birth of Etna.
Sicily under Frederick II of Swabia
The most prosperous period in Sicily was when he assumed power Federico II Hohenstaufen. Grandson of Frederick Barbarossa, ruled Sicily from 1198 to 1250.
grew up in Palermo in a cultural environment very challenging due to the coexistence of different races and cultures, Frederick was caught builder, patron of the arts. During his reign in Sicily was a great cultural flowering of the administration associated with a renewal and a revival of trade and manufacturing activities. His court became a literary center of Palermo at the European level, a meeting point of Arab culture, Byzantine, Hebrew, and Latin America. Tolerant and respectful towards Islam had a very open atteggiamneto, bringing together the best scholars in his court from all the Mediterranean coasts.
The Sicilian Vespers and strife
The Angevin-Aragonese Kingdom of Sicily after the death of Frederick II, passes into the hands Charles I of Anjou, whose bad government generated a strong discontent among the Sicilians because of an oppressive tax policy. In addition, Anjou showed insensitive to the people applying usurpation, oppression and violence. The revolt of the Vespers was caused by a particular event: the hour of evening prayer of Vespers on March 30, 1282, in Holy Spirit Church in Palermo, a French soldier, tried to search a woman under his clothes under the pretext of hunt concealed weapons. The reaction of her husband began the great revolt which spread immediately throughout the island. The Palermo began the hunt for the French, "which lasted throughout the night after causing the death of several French soldiers. Palermo si dichiarò subito indipendente, e la rivolta si estese in tutto il resto dell'isola. Carlo I d'Angiò decise di intervenire militarmente ponendo sotto assedio la città di Messina. I siciliani organizzarono la difesa riuscendo a respingere con successo l'esercito francese. I nobili siciliani decisero di chiedere aiuto a Pietro d'Aragona, offrendogli la corona di Sicilia. Il re spagnolo, sensibile a tale richiesta, mandò una flotta comandata da Ruggero di Lauria. Gli eventi del Vespro così si trasformarono in un conflitto per il controllo dell'isola tra angioini e aragonesi. Il 26 settembre 1282 Carlo I d'Angiò venne sconfitto e ritornò a Napoli,lasciando la Sicilia nelle mani degli aragonesi. Il 31 agosto 1302 nel castello di Caltabellotta peace was signed between Charles of Valois, a representative of Charles II of Anjou and Frederick III of Aragon. In 1347, in the Castello Ursino in Catania was signed a further agreement between Aragon and Anjou, thereby closing the second phase of Vespers. But only with the Treaty of Avignon is finally concluded he could consider the issue of the Evening: August 20, 1372 Jeanne d'Anjou and Frederick IV of Aragon signed the peace treaty after ninety far from the famous Easter Monday.
Sicily Bourbon
The historical events that took place during the Bourbon kingdom will have important repercussions on the history of Sicily to the present day. King Ferdinand Bourbon promulgated under pressure autonomist Sicilian aristocracy, a Constitution (1812). But after the Congress of Vienna and the subsequent post-Napoleonic restoration, Ferdinand abolished Sicilian and dissolved the Parliament (1816). In 1820-21 an uprising broke out against the Bourbons. In 1848 the Revolution broke out, and it was from this time that a parliament's independence are independent from the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Despite these clashes, Sicily enjoyed a high economic and industrial development, becoming one of the richest regions of Italy. According to the "Exposition Universaille de la science" of Paris, half of the 800 Sicily was one of the largest power Economy in Europe. The same increase in population was a sign of health in Sicily under the Bourbons: the population in early 800 was increased by 50%. The Bourbons had built the railway line Messina-Catania, one of the first in Italy.
Sicily and the Unification of Italy
The "Landing of a Thousand" at Marsala on 11 May 1860 marked a turning point. In 1861 it was annexed to the Kingdom of Sicily in Italy, with the expulsion of the Bourbons by Garibaldi. Beaten in the difficult battle of the Bourbons Calatafimi, Garibaldi, after welcoming the Sicilian Picciotti between Mille, occupied Palermo. In July was still beating the royal troops at Milazzo and Messina: Sicily was now a territory italiano e annessa al regno nascente. L'economia siciliana cominciò a declinare a partire dall'Unità d'Italia a causa dell'adozione di misure che ne svilivano l'economia: il servizio di leva obbligatorio,la tassa sul grano macinato, sul pane e sulla pasta (il cibo dei poveri). Varie industrie vennero chiuse o penalizzate per consentire il decollo economico delle regioni del lombardo-veneto. Il governo sabaudo incamerò il tesoro del Banco di Sicilia e del Banco di Napoli e sfruttò queste risorse per concedere crediti alla industrie manufatturiere del nord Italia. Strade e ferrovie vennero abbandonate, i porti persero importanza e l'economia siciliana si avviava verso il declino.
Mafia
Le origini della Mafia si possono far risalire ad una sorta di vuoto di potere creatosi nel corso dei secoli. Terra dominata e mai governata, sede di una originale forma di autogoverno sfociata in una terribile organizzazione criminale. L'oggetto concreto di contesa della Mafia fu la gestione degli agrumeti della provincia di Palermo, mettendo sotto il proprio controllo i proprietari terrieri. Nel corso degli anni il fenomeno emerse sotto gli occhi dell'opinione pubblica, ma senza nessun significativo intervento. L'unica eccezione risale agli anni venti (1926) in cui avvenne un fenomeno di cui parlerà con terrore lo stesso Tommaso Buscetta: l'Assedio di Gangi ad opera del "Prefetto di ferro" Cesare Mori nominato da Mussolini. Il governo dittatoriale non poteva permettere l'esistenza di un governo-ombra come si era instaurato in Sicilia, e si era aperta la caccia a boss e banditi che erano stati scovati e imprigionati assieme a chi era sospetto di proteggerli.
La seconda guerra mondiale in Sicilia
Nel 1939 l'isola fu teatro di una forte propaganda a favore della guerra, ma le vicende si svilupparono in modo particolarmente avverso al popolo siciliano. “L'operazione Husky” era partita: gli alleati sbarcarono a Gela il 10 luglio 1943 con l'intento di occupare tutta l'isola che divenne, in breve tempo, scenario di morte dovuto allo scontro tra Alleati, Tedeschi e Italiani. Dal momento che il Fascismo era avverso alla Mafia, lo sbarco alleato non poteva che essere visto di buon auspicio dalle gerarchie criminali, le quali si sono ristabilite appena finita la guerra riuscendo a penetrare nelle maglie della politica della nascente Repubblica.
