History
Palermo was already inhabited during prehistoric times, as graffiti and rural paintings testify. They were found in the caves of Addaura and portray dancing people in a propitiatory rite, maybe they were the shamans of an ancient people that lived here.
The first town was founded between two rivers: Kemonia and Papireto. It was called Sis: this word means “flower” in the African ancient language of its first inhabitants, Matabei people coming from Jordan. They called their settlement “Lidobello” and made of it the heart of the region, called Sicania, between XII and X century b.C. In 734 b.C. Phoenicians coming from Tiro, settled a rich colony here and called it Mabbonath (that is “inhabited town”). They wanted to distinguish themselves from Sicilian people that lived in the Eastern part of the isle. This town became very important. Between VIII and VI century b.C. Greeks called it Panormos (that is “all port”), because it was like a peninsula surrounded by the mouths of two rivers, Kemonia and Papireto. They had commercial relationship with Carthagen. The town was under Phoenician domination until the first Punic war (264 - 241 b.C.), when Sicily was conquered by Romans and became part of the province of Syracuse. After the Punic Wars, Palermo was in the middle of the fights between Carthagen and Rome. In 254 b.C. Romans fleet occupied the town and it had to surrender. Citizens were taken as slaves and they had to pay to get their freedom. Asdrubale tried to get it back but Rome won once again. In 247 b.C. Amilcare tried to conquer the town. He camped at the feet of Pellegrino Mount, called Ercta. But he couldn’t conquer the town that remained loyal to Rome. After Vespasiano government, Palermo started a period of decadence and it was invaded by Barbarians people (Vandals in 445 and then Goths). In 535 Belisario conquered the town defeating Goths and this was the start of Byzantine period that lasted until 830. In 830 Arabians (arrived to Marsala in 826) transformed Palermo into the capital of their reign in Sicily and they called it “a paradise on earth”. The emirate was very powerful and rich. Arabian rulers first persecuted Christians then gave to their population the freedom to profess the religion they chose. Citizens had only to pay a fee, “gìzia”, that was used to promote the rich commerce of the reign.
In 1072 after a four-year siege, count Ruggero d’Altavilla the Norman conquered Palermo. Normans restored Christian religion, declared that Palermo was the capital of the isle and in 1130 Ruggero became the king of Sicily. This reign had also a Parliament, created in 1129. After Ruggero there were two kings William I (called The bad) and William II (called The good). They tried to resist to Frederick the Redbeard that wanted to destroy Norman reign in Sicily. Then Henry VI, son of the German Emperor, married Costanza d’Altavilla, daughter of Ruggero II. This marriage promoted in 1185 the conquer by Svevians and in 1194 Palermo was taken by the German king. In Palermo there was the creation of a school dedicated to poetry, “Scuola poetica siciliana”: the first vernacular poetry was written here. Frederick II wanted to be buried in the cathedral of Palermo (in 1250). After his death there were violent fights: Manfredi (his son) was defeated in Benevento by Charles of Anjou, brother of the king of France. Thus the Angevin domination started; it lasted until 1282. Charles imposed heavy taxes and moved the capital of the reign to Naples. Citizens were really unhappy and they organised a rebellion, on 31st March 1282. They rebelled eventually when a French man, Drouet, bothered a local woman. Angevins had to leave and people invited King Peter III of Aragon as their new king. A war started: it ended in 1302 with the peace of Caltabellotta. In 1494 Sicily was annexed to Spain and Palermo became the seat of the viceroy. They governed sharing their power with governors. Hebrew people were exiled and nobles increased their privileges. Palermo was involved in the European wars between France, Austria and Spain. In 1713 with the treaty of Utrecht Sicily passed to Vittorio Amedeo II di Savoia for a short time. Then in 1734 Bourbon family returned to rule the isle. Charles III chose Palermo as the place of his coronation as the king of two Sicilies. His son, Ferdinand, was not really appreciated by citizens. In 1798 he had to take refuge in Palermo (because of the events of the French revolution). Garibaldi entered the town in 1860 with his men.
Between 1800 and 1900 Palermo lived a period of great development.
The most serious problems of the town (and of the region) were “mafia” and brigandage (the leader was Salvatore Giuliano). Too many people died fighting against mafia, among them General Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa; Judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, murdered with other people in Capaci and Via D’Amelio; a brave and generous priest, Don Puglisi, murdered because of his commitment in the defence of the humblest.
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Written by Stefania Maffeo
Translation by Linda Liguori |
