Comenius Project ’05 - ’06 Kings Road

1. Comenius Project’05 - ’06Kings Road I.T.C. “S. Calvino” - Trapani Proff. Luigi Clemente / Mariano Mondello/Elvira Tosto Studenti: Paola Genovese / Marina Vivona (IV A igea)

2. TRAPANI

3. The history of Sicily . This beautiful land, described by Goethe as “an inexpressibly wonderful region”, was populated by Phoenicians, Romans, Arabians, Normans, French, Spanish, Austrians (and other peoples) and each population has left important marks, today still visible in our monuments, in the names of our places and in our traditions.

4. The prehistory • The graffitis discovered in the caves of Monte Pellegrino in Levanzo revealed that during the Paleolithic, the Sicilians lived on hunting and harvesting. • The men of the Neolithic developed navigation, the manufacturing of ceramic and weaving. We can find important testimonies of this period in Stentinello, San Cono, and Villafrati. • During the Bronze Age groups of Indo-European peoples came to Sicily and with the aboriginals started the civilization of Castelluccio, Naro, Filicudi, Syracuse, Pantalica. • In Sicily there were the Elimis (a legend tells that Elimo, a Trojan prince, was Enea’s stepbrother), founders of Erice and Segesta, and the Sicans who arrived in Sicily during the III century b.C. probably from Spain and settled near the river Salso.The Sicilians introduced the use of the horse and the copper, the cultivation of the ground and the cult of the departeds. Erice - Mura Elimo Puniche (VIII-VI sec. a.c.) Isole Egadi - Levanzo - Grotta del Genovese

5. Erice: Elim-Punic walls.

6. The Phoenicians The Phoenicians invented the legend of Scilla and Cariddi, two monsters who sank the ships near the Straits of Messina. The Colombaia. This tower was built by the Phoenicians 2500 years ago.

7. The Greeks Attracted by the fertility of the volcanic regions and by the lands rich of natural resorts,in 753 b.C. groups of merchants founded Naxos. Unlike the Phoenicians , the Greeks created not only commercial emporiums but also agrarian colonies which reached the size of big cities: Syracuse (by the Corinthians), Catania, Selinunte, Akragas, Gela. In 480 b.C. the greek cities joined their forces against Carthaginians, who were defeated in Imera. The following period was culturally and artistically rich. Selinunte Akragas Syracuse

8. Mothia – Il porto fenicio (The city was destroied by the Romans) The Romans • In 264 b.C. the Mamertini,an Italic population who had occupied Messina, challenged by the Carthaginians, asked for help to the Romans. This was the First Punic War. Sicily, except for Syracuse, was declared a Roman district. • In 218 b.C. the Second Punic War burst out. The Romans conquered also Syracuse. They introduced the latifundium and Sicily, after the Third Punic War and the distruction of Cartagena, changed into a district with a rich agricultural production. • Exhibits and monuments of this period can be seen in Termini Imerese, Catania, Tindari, Piazza Armerina and Taormina. Piazza Armerina – I mosaici Marsala – Nave da guerra punica Taormina – Teatro greco

9. The barbarians • In 440 A.D. Geiseric, king of the Vandals, docked at Marsala and destroyd the whole Sicily. For Rome this was a heavy defeat, since Sicily produced much of the corn necessary to the Italic peninsula and to Rome. During the fall of the West Roman Empire Sicily was given to Odoacre and then to the Visigoths of Theodoric. Teodorico Marsala Genserico Odoacre

10. The Byzantines • 535 A.D. is the year of the Greek-Gothic War.It began during the reign of Giustiniano, Emperor of the Eastern province, who wanted to recompose the integrity of the Roman Empire. General Belisario cames to Sicily and quickly conquered the island.We can find monumental testimonies in Randazzo, Castelbuono and Pantalica.In 660 A.D. Emperor Constanz moved the capital of the Byzantine Empire to Syracuse. Killed in 668 because of his tyrannical attitude, his successor was an aristocrat Armenian Emperor. In 669 the son of Costanz brought the capital back to Costantinople. Monreale – Mosaico bizantino

11. The Arabians • In 827 A.D. the Arabians reached Mazara and in 100 years they conquered the isle.The Sicilian capital, Palermo, became a wonderful metropolis with lots of Islamic characteristics.In this period fires and deforestations created lots of damages to the territory.We can find testimonies of this period in Palermo, Favara, Cafalù, Diana and Caccamo.The diffusion of the Arabian culture is today visible in the toponymy and in the farming. Cefalà Diana – Terme arabo normanne

12. The Normans • In 1060 the Normans, leaded by Roberto il Guiscardo and Ruggero D’Altavilla, reached Sicily.During this period Sicily was a prosperous and peaceful reign, the melting-pot of different populations.In 1172 William II, called the “Brave”, ascended the throne and enacted, with the wedding of Costanza D’Altavilla and Enrico Barbarossa, the alliance with Federico Barbarossa, supporting the Hohenstaufen’s reign. We can find testimonies of this period not only in Palermo, but also in Monreale, Cefalù, Messina, and Piazza Armerina. Monreale– Il duomo Caccamo – Il castello

13. The Swabians • In 1194 the Hohenstaufens conquered the throne. Federico II, called ”Stupor Mundi”, was one of the greatest monarchs of the Middle Age and his court in Palermo was a place rich of art, science and literature. He promulgated in 1231 a new constitution, a document by which he underlined for the first time the will to centralize the government of the country into the sovereign’s hands. He took part to the fifth crusade. Testimonies are in Siracusa, Catania, Salemi and Akragas. Catania – Castello Ursino

14. The Angioini • In 1270, when Federico II died, after the empire of the English prince Edmund of Lancaster, which lasted 10 years, the Pope assigned the crown to Carlo D’Angiò, who defeated the illegitimate son of Federico II. The capital was moved to Naples. Carlo D’angiò Francesco Hayez – I vespri siciliani

15. The Spanish • In 1409 , after the Aragona’s supremacy and after the wedding of Ferdinando d’Aragona and Isabella of Castiglia, Sicily was dominated for 400 years by the Spanish.In this period the new emperors started carrying out important public works: they renewed the harbour of Palermo and founded the a new university in Catania. Their successors drove the Jews out of the isle and introduced a new court called “Sant’Uffizio”.We can find important testimonies of this period in Taormina, Palermo, Syracuse, Enna, Nicolosi and the Egadis. Pietro III d'Aragona sbarca a Trapani - manoscritto, Biblioteca Vaticana

16. Torre di Ligny , Torre di S. Vito, Torre di Cofano e Torre di Nubia Several towers were built during the Spanish period as a defence of the coasts from the Saracen pirates raids.

17. The house of Savoy and The Austrians • After the peace of Utrecht in 1713, Vittorio Amedeo II of the House of Savoy became the new emperor of the region. After only 5 years, in 1718, the Spanish embarked on an important campaign to regain the land, but they found a big obstacle….the Austrians.After the Treaty of Aia, Carlo VI of Austria became the new king of Sicily. Carlo VI d’Austria Vittorio Amedeo II di Savoia

18. The reign of Italy • In 1860 following to Garibaldi’s deeds, Sicily became part of the Italian reign.The administration of the House of Savoy was ineffective and heavy taxation caused impoverishment of the economy of the South.This was the period of the brigandage. Garibaldi e Vittorio Emanuele II di Savoia

19. Mussolini’s power • In 1922 Mussolini became the most important government figure of our nation.During the Second World War, Italy fought by the Germany’s side.In 1943 in only 38 days the Americans conquered Sicily and Mussolini had to capitulate. Sbarco in Sicilia

20. After the Second World War • In 1946, Sicily was proclaimed one of the five regions under special statute.The cultural and economic division between Sicily and the North remained the same and today it’s still a big problem.