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At the same period, the feudalisation of the Kingdom of Sicily was intensified, through the enforcement of feudal bonds and relations among its subjects. The 1669 Etna eruption destroyed Catania . In 1693, 5% of the Kingdom's population was killed because of earthquakes .
Internal colonization and the foundation of new settlements by feudal aristocrats in Sicily was significant from 1590 to 1650, involving the redistribution of population away from the larger towns back to the countryside.
With this in mind, let's cast a glance over some features of medieval Sicily's royal and feudal institutions, specifically kingship, nobility and knighthood. This is intended only as a brief overview to consider how these institutions existed in Sicily, and to dispel misconceptions.
Sicily’s unique multicultural milieu, shaped by tolerant rulers who were also philosophers and scientists, poets and academics, disappeared before the start of the Italian Renaissance, around...
Sicily's religious unorthodoxy is attacked by scandalized opponents who describe a later Sicilian king, Frederick ii, as a 'baptized sultan' (he justifies the nickname at a more elementary level by keeping a harem). The vitality of the island is evident in the superb Norman architecture.
18 gru 2022 · The origins of the Mafia in Sicily are shrouded in mystery, emerging possibly from a combination of feudalism, social upheaval, and resistance to foreign rule. The term "Mafia" itself may have originated from an Arabic word meaning "refuge" or "place of safety," reflecting its early roots in clandestine networks.
16th century: isolation and misgovernment continue. Nobility reinforces the feudal system forcing peasants off the land and leaving estates in the hands of Massari or Gabellotti, bailiffs charged with the collection of rent. Sicily is now essentially a source of funds for Spanish expansion.
