Toward BC the Greek rule was coming to an end and Rome was establishing itself as the new power in the Mediterranean. During their year rule of Sicily the landscape was to change again as the Romans used the fields to plant grain and build their rich, extravagant villas. Although it seems that the Romans took more from the Sicilians than they gave, their greatest legacy was to be of a spiritual nature as Christianity spread throughout the island during their time in power. After the fall of Rome at the end of the 5th Century, Sicily was conquered by the Barbarians and then captured by the Byzantines in the Middle Ages, who ruled from Constantinople or modern day Istanbul.
At less than miles from North Africa, it was only a matter of time before the Arabs arrived in Sicily and this was to happen in the 9th Century. After arriving at Mazara del Vallo, it took the Arabs 50 years until they finally took control of the whole island and the changes they brought with them would be great. The Arabic influence was huge, moving the capital from Syracuse to Palermo, they lavishly decorated their new seat of power with gardens, parks, mosques and palaces.
Although the material remnants of their reign are scarce on the island today, their influence upon Sicilian cuisine has never been renounced. Citrus trees, date palms, pistachios, almonds, sugar, eggplant were all ingredients brought over from North Africa and have flavored the local dishes ever since. The Normans were the next group of people to conquer Sicily. The Normans were Christians and their society was highly evolved in its government, law, architecture and literature which would profoundly affect Sicily.
Sicily was to come under Norman rule and saw the introduction of a royal family as Roger II was crowned as the first king of Sicily. The Spanish brought with them some products from the new world but also the Inquisition of with its aim to eliminate potential heretics from society by torturous means. The seat of the inquisition in Sicily was at the Palazzo Steri now Piazza Marina in Palermo where inscriptions from the prisoners can still be seen.
In a huge earthquake devastated the island killing over 60, people and whole cities had to be rebuilt. The Sicilian Baroque style was unique in that it added cherubs and balconies to adorn the dramatic buildings. There are some notable examples of this delightful style that can only be found in Sicily; be sure to visit Catania, Noto or Ragusa among other cities whose architectural style is now protected.
The last dynasty to rule Sicily as a sovereign kingdom were the Bourbons, a branch of the royal houses of France and Spain. The Sicilians dreamed of autonomy and freedom from poverty and maladministration and being full of disillusionment, the Sicilians were ready for a revolution.
After a tumultuous history, liberation was coming for Sicily as part of a revolt led by Guiseppe Garibaldi in which would lead to a unified Italy. In Sicily became an autonomous region of Italy, the position that it enjoys today. With such a colorful history, Sicilians will always be Sicilians, with an identity that comes from the land and is felt in the soul. List of Partners vendors. Share Flipboard Email. Amanda Briney. Geography Expert. Amanda Briney, M.
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Sicily also has plenty of underground water. It was named after the Sikeloi tribe who inhabited Sicily at the time. The first inhabitants, who moved to the island about 10, years ago, were mainly the ancient people of Italy and the Sicani from the Iberian Peninsula.
They also introduced crops, such as grapevines and olives, which became profitable. Eastern Sicily was under Greek Syracuse control, while Carthage controlled the western side. The two cultures clashed quite often, resulting in the Greek-Punic wars. In BCE, Greeks entered into a peace agreement with the Romans, who desired to annex Sicily as one of its provinces.
As the Roman Empire weakened towards its end , the Vandals seized control of the island. In the years that followed, different groups controlled the island, including the Byzantines , Arabs, Normans, Staufer dynasty, and Aragonese. The Italians captured Sicily during their Expedition of the Thousand in and made it part of the Sardinian Kingdom in About , people on the island are immigrants, mostly Romanians, Moroccans, Tunisians, and Albanians.
Since Italian unification, Sicilians and others from southern Italy emigrated in large numbers first to the United States, then to European countries such as France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Germany, as well as South America and Australia. Palermo is the largest city on the island with close to , inhabitants. It is also one of the most crowded places in Italy, with 4, people per km 2. With about , inhabitants, Catania is the second-largest city. Other significantly large cities are Messina, Syracuse, and Marsala, each with at least 80, inhabitants.
The Regional President heads the regional government, which exercises executive powers. The Sicilian Regional Assembly comprises 70 members, elected for a five-year term.
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