A Unique Sicilian History

Historic Erice cobblestone streets, dating back to 8th century BC

Some believe the island of Sicily was inhabited over 20,000 years ago. Many different civilizations conquered Sicily over the years, including the Ancient Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Spanish, and French before Sicily became unified with Italy in 1860. As you might imagine, the island is a melting pot of ethnic groups. You will still find influences today from all of those cultures in the food, the language, the architecture, and the art. In 1946 Sicily gained regional autonomy (it is one of five autonomous regions in Italy), which means Sicily has greater control of their laws and funds spent than other areas of Italy.

The mafia (also referred to as Cosa Nostra- “our thing”) developed in Sicily in the 19th century around the time that Sicily unified with Italy. For many years, the mafia was a strong influence in politics and business, in addition to smuggling. Although the mafia still exists today, they do not have the same stronghold on the region as they did in the 19th and 20th century.