History News

Notes by ANTASICILIA-ONLUS.

The province of Palermo

The countryside, from February to the end of the summer, exhales sweet fragrances in the period of the almond tree in flower, light and abiding during the flowering of the citrus trees, strongly heady in the period of flowering of the arab-jasmines. This environment reminds one of an ancient Sicilian song of the 1800s, which says :"Sicilia bedda mia, tu si' na ciurera" (beautiful Sicily , you are a flowerbed).

This area was chosen by the Phoenicians to build Mozia (having the same name of the actual islet of the territory of Trapani), Panormo and Solunto (at the two extremities of the actual gulf of Palermo). Panormo , Solunto and Mozia were Carthaginian provinces until the Roman victors of the Punic wars didn't decide otherwise.

The Roman period is longest period of domination in the island. It dated from III century B.C to the VI century A.C, precisely from the first Punic war to the arrival of Byzantines (535 A.C).

The Phoenicians disembarked at the plain of Palermo and took office on the cape, calling their city "Panhorm" or big cliff. Many centuries after it was renamed by Arabs "Gebel Grin", shortened in the writing of the Normans into today's Mount Pellegrino.

During the first Punic war for three years the soldiers of Amilcare and Asdrubale encamped there. The mountains loses importance in the pacific Roman period and in the period of the Moslem vandals it became a center of religious life for the followers of the Benedictine order.

The woody promontory hasn't lost this religious function thanks to the presence of St Rosalia, who in the Norman period took her vows there.

The province is the most populated of Sicily (294 inhabitants for square km.). More people are found along the coastal band than in the hilly areas. The mountainous zones are almost desert. The Arabian and Norman dominations left many works in the province. The Palermo's artistic patrimony is the most substantial of the island.

Among the archeological sites and many important national museums is the National Gallery of Sicily, "Palazzo Abbatellis" and the National archeological museum of Palermo. In this museum there are many wonderful findings and those that catch the eye we find a delightful mixture of tastes, smells, foods, and the scenic world connected to a wise and ancient preparation, from Arabian delights to Catalan tastes, from the scenic preparation of the French "monsù", to the genuineness of some fruits of the neighbouring countryside and pastoral activity.

A considerable natural patrimony is found, with many important natural sights and a notable Etnean-anthropological environment, the bright landscapes, mountains, caves, woods and humid areas, a significant presence of flora and fauna, pastoral activity, tradition, popular and patronal feasts ethnic culture (with an exclusive Albanian installation in Sicily: "Contessa Entellina, Mezzojuso, Palazzo Adriano, Piana degli Albanesi and St Cristina, Gela ). An example is: the park of the Madonie that covers a vast territory of the western area being part of 15 communes. The island of Ustica (a volcanic island) is also the only natural marine reserve in Italy. Sicily boasts the largest number of protected areas in the nation. These are: Capo rama; Grotta di Carburangeli; Grotta dei Puntali; Grotta della Falesia del Pizzo Muletta; Isola delle Femmine; Serre Della Pizzuta; Grotta Conza; Capo Gallo; Grotta della Molara; Monte Pellegrino; Grotta di Entella; Bosco della Ficuzza ; Rocca Busambra, Bosco del Cappelliere, Gorgo del drago, Bagni di Cefalà Diana and Chiarastella, Pizzo Cane, Pizzo Trigna, Grotta Mazzamuto, Serre di Ciminna, Mount St Calogero, Favara wood, Granza wood, Mount Genuardo, St Maria del Bosco, Mount Palazzo Adriano, Sosio valley, and Mount Carcaci.