the chronological history of sicily italy

THE CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF SICILY

Prehistory - 35000-5000 B.C. Late Palaeolithic. The Sicilians lived on hunting and berries. Graffiti in grottoes on Monte Pellegrino and on Levanzo from this period.

1900 - 1800 B.C. Groups of Indo-European populations penetrated into Sicily, blending with the natives and starting the Bronze Age. Findings at Castelluccio, Naro, Filicudi, Syracuse and Pantalica.

1400 B.C. Traces of the Aegean-Cretan civilisation. The Elimi, founders of Erice and Segesta, and the Sicuki came to Sicily. The latter brought the use of the horse and of copper, taught agriculture and the cult of the dead.

1200 - 1000 B.C. The Iron Age began. Findings at Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, Monte Finocchitto (Noto), Sant'Angelo Muxaro. In the 11th to 10th centuries the Phoenicians came, founding Solunto, Motya and Palermo.

The Greeks - 753 B.C. With the foundation of Naxos by Greek Mediterranean. In the ensuing years many colonies flourished: Syracuse (734), Catania (729), Gela (689), Selinunte (650), Agrigento (582). The colonies developed and became true towns, rich and decorated with monuments.

485 B.C. Gelon, tyrant of Gela, conquered Syracuse, which in the ensuing year became one of the main cities in the Mediterranean.

405 - 367 B.C. Dionysius I the Elder reached the apex of his power in Syracuse, getting himself elected tyrant of the town. Together with the king of Persia, he was the most magnificent ruler of his days, thanks to the splendour of his court and the power of his army, capable of routing the Carthaginians who fought against the Greeks for the dominion over Sicily.

316 - 289 B.C. Agathocles, tyrant of Syracuse. After the death of Dionysius, he was the first seigneur capable of competing with the power of his predecessor, keeping out the Carthaginians and taking Syracuse back to its former splendour. After his death, the towns was in the hands of weak governors until the accession of Jeron II (276 B.C.), a mild, yet firm king who made an alliance with Rome, a newborn Italic power. Vestiges of Greek Sicily in Syracuse, Agrigento, Selinunte, Segesta and Gela.

The Romans - 264 B.C. the Mamertines, an Italic population who had occupied Messina, feeling threatened by the Carthaginians, turned for help to the Romans, who, supported in Sicily by Jeron II, started the first Punic War against Carthage. At the end of the latter the whole of Sicily - except for the ally Syracuse - was proclaimed a Roman province (241B.C.).

219 - 212 B.C. Second Punic War. The Romans conquered and subjugated Syracuse too. Sicilian History under the Romans is not especially rich in events, except for the slaves' revolts (135 and 101 B.C.). it was a tranquil province, appreciated above all for agricultural production. Findings and vestiges at Termini Imerese, Tindari, Taormina, Catania, Syracuse, Piazza Armerina and other places.

The Barbarians - 440 A.D. Genseric, king of the Vandals, landed at Lilybaeum (now Marsala) and devastated Sicily. After a series of occasional raids in the ensuing years, in 468 he began a true dominion to last until 476. On the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Sicily was ceded to Odoacer, who in turn was to hand over the government to the Visigoths of Teodoric.

The Byzantines - 535 Greek-Gothic War. It was set going at the behest of Justinian, the eastern emperor, who wished to re-unify the empire. To Sicily general Belisarius was sent, who rapidly conquered the island, handing it over to the emperor. Sicily remained in the oriental orbit almost three centuries, absorbing numerous social and cultural aspects of it. Monumental vestiges at Randazzo, Castelbuono and Pantalica.

The Arabs - 827 The Arabs landed at Mazara, starting the campaign for the conquest of the island. This was to be completed in a hundred years and marked a profound change for the social and cultural life of Sicily, which was hurtled into the Muslim world after centuries of Christianity. The Sicilian capital was Palermo, a splendid metropolis with an Islamic look. Monumental traces in Palermo, Favara, Cefalà Diana, Caccamo.

The Normans - 1060 Led by Robert the Guiscard and Roger de Hauteville, the Normans, with the papal blessing, began to reconquer Sicily for Christianity. It was to take them 31 years. The descendants of Roger de Haunteville were to be kings of Sicily until 1194, and to leave recollections of a prosperous and pacific kingdom, the melting pot of the most diverse peoples perfectly integrated with one another. It was above all Roger II, son of the previous Roger, that gave vital impulse to this kingdom, with a wise administration involving all the different races. The capital was still Palermo, a magnificent city adorned with palaces and gardens. Monumental traces in Palermo, Monreale, Cefalù, Messina, Piazza Armerina, Caccamo, Troina, Calascibetta, Favara and other places.

The Hohenstaufens - 1194 With the coronation of Henry VI as king of Sicily, the throne went to the German family of the Hohenstaufens. On Henry's death the throne was to go to his son Frederick II (crowned in 1208), one of the greatest medieval monarchs. At his court in Palermo the arts, science and literature flourished, and indeed the first Italian poetic school was to come into being inside the wall of the Norman Palace. Monumental traces in Syracuse, Catania, salemi and Agrigento.

The Angevins - 1270 Frederick II's death started bitter struggles over the succession. The pope, who had long broken off with the Hohenstaufens, arbitrarily assigned the crown to Charles of Anjou and the latter's army, which had come to stake his claim, clashed with Frederick's direct heirs: his illegitimate son Manfred and his nephew Conrad. Having defeated both, Charles of Anjou acceded to the throne and, moving the capital to Naples, made an oppressive government, ill tolerated by the Sicilians. Monumental traces at Sperlinga.

The Aragonese - 1282 Vespers Revolt. Starting in Palermo, this rebellion was to lead to the French being driven out of Sicily. The island's throne went to Pedro of Aragona, Manfred's son in-law. Monumental traces in Palermo, Messina, Caltanissetta, Trapani, Agrigento, Taormina, Mussomeli, Aragona and Augusta.

The Spanish - 1409 With the extinction of the Sicilian line of the Aragonese, direct relations between the island and the Spanish crown became closer. The marriage of Ferdinand of Aragona to Isabella of Castille laid the foundations for the birth of a Spanish state also comprising Sicily. The island was governed by viceroys and was to belong to the Spanish crown for about 300 years. Monumental traces in Taormina, Palermo, Syracuse, Enna, Nicolosi and on the Egadi Islands.

The Savoys and the Austrians - 1713 By the Peace of Utrecht, Sicily went to Vittorio Amedeo of Savoy. The Piedmont family was to have the island for just five years. In 1718 the Spanish set out to re-conquer it, though they were stopped by the Austrians. By the Hague Treaty (1720) Charles VI of Austria became the new king of Sicily.

The Bourbons - 1734 After the battle of Bitonto between the Bourbons and Austrian troops, Sicily moved back into the Spanish orbit. Charles I of Bourbon, the son of the king of Spain, was crowned king of Sicily in 1735. Monumental traces in Palermo, Noto, Avola, Ragusa, Modica, Catania, Syracuse and Trapani.

The kingdom of Italy - 1860 After Garibaldi's exploits, Sicily was annexed to the kingdom of Italy. From then on the island was to share the fate of the new kingdom.

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