History and etymology of Alcamo
In the article about the history of Castellammare-del-Golfo (close to Alcamo) we alluded to the fact that this territory was part of the ancient settlement in the Elymi; in fact, during the archaeological excavations some achromatic and black ceramics relating to the Elymi were found, although in small amounts. In fact, the ancient civilizations of the Elymi is present in the historical sources, but it is rather fading in archeology.
The phenomenon was explained by the fact that the Elymi soon "merged" with other peoples such as Phoenicians and the Greeks who colonized Sicily, for which it is extremely difficult to find traces of them. The territory of the ancient Segesta, towards the end of the classical and Hellenistic times is characterized by a scattered rural settlement, especially with farms, that Diodorus [90-27 BC] (34-35, 2, 28.48) called "epaulis," a term indicating precisely "a house in the country."
At close range by farms, there were some villages, located in some specific areas of particular economic and strategic importance, such as “Ponte Bagni”, attested by sources as the "Emporium Segestanorum " or "Aquae Segestanae sive [or] Pincianae" or Alcamo on Mount Bonifato (See the article on Castellammare del Golfo). With regard to “Aquae Pincianae”, we add only that the change of denomination was presumably due to the decline of Segesta (hence the loss of the name) and the establishment of a huge landed estate, which bore the name of the owner; in the case of "Aquae Pincianae" some scholars have assumed that the owner of the place was called “Maesius Picatianus”, who lived in the second century AD, and whose name was corrupted in "Pincianus.”
G. Nenci, however, thought a tenant mentioned by Cicero (106-43 BC), who was called "Phimes"; it is possible that in ancient times the famous "Aquae" were called "Phimianae", and then the name had been corrupted with "Pincianae" (on these subjects , See S. Bernardini, F. Cambi, A. Molinari, I. Neri, “Il territorio di Segesta fra l’età arcaica e il medioevo …”, in “Atti terze giornate di studi sull’area elima”, Pisa-Gibellina, 2000, I, pp. 91-133).
And now we’ll go on the look the problem about Alcamo and Mount Bonifato. It must be said that the territory of Mount Bonifato is considered of ancient settlement. According to the studies by A. Filippi, “the mountain was inhabited at various times; the archaeological findings suggest a primitive indigenous settlement dating from the fifth century BC, which then was inhabited in Late Antiquity, even if not continuously, whereas the evidences are sure for the Arab, Norman and Swabian times. We have found the remains of an ancient castle, antecedent the thirteenth century and later renovated by the Ventimiglia (See A. Filippi, “ Ricerche archeologiche sul Monte Bonifato ...” ["Archaeological research on Mount Bonifato…”] , 2003, pp. 7-9).
However, the problem of the birth of Alcamo is rather intricate. The issue was formulated by the scholars of the nineteenth century in a different way; some of them said that we should speak of a city called "Old Alcamo”, founded by the Arabs at the top of Mount Bonifato, and then of “New Alcamo”, re-founded by Frederick II of Swabia (1094-1250) and later enlarged by Frederick III of Aragon (1274-1337). In this case we may rightly speak of a sort of "continuity" between the two villages. In fact, Vincenzo di Giovanni, in his study on Alcamo, wrote that “in the 'Cambridge Chronicle' (...) we read that in 6421 (913 AD) 'occisus est Panormi Amran Dominus Alchams' [in 913 AD was killed in Palermo Amran, Lord of Alcamo). V. di Giovanni pointed out that "Alchams" should be interpreted as a clear reference to Alcamo. If this is true, Alcamo therefore already existed from 913, and one could rightly assume that it was even older. V. di Giovanni also said then that Gregorio reported a similar document, in which ‘Alcamo’ appeared in the form of "Al Cami”: “Occisus est Panormi Dominus Amran ‘Al Cami’ "(See V. di Giovanni, “La topografia antica di Palermo dal secolo X al XV”, 1889, Vol I, p. 487).
Beyond the fact (but it is by no means certain) that the two villages had the same name, it seems was existed an oldest village on Mount Bonifato , and it seems confirmed by contemporary studies, for which on Mount Bonifato had risen “one of the oldest settlement of Alcamo. The village is located northwest of the castle, whose ruins are visible today ( the most significant ruins of which is the so-called 'Saracen Tower') and near which now stands the small shrine of the ‘Madonna dell'Alto’” (See M. Collura, “Sicilia sconosciuta: itinerari insoliti e curiosi”, Milan, Rizzoli, 1998, p. 67). According to other scholars of the late nineteenth century, there were two contemporary villages which had different names: “The current Alcamo existed simultaneously to the other town located on the Mount, which was not called at all Alcamo, but ‘ Longuro’ and then ‘Bonifato’. (See P.M. Rocca, “Notizie storiche della città di Alcamo”, in “Rivista Universale” , 1876, p. 492).
Against the presence of two contemporary villages with the same names, Rocca begun from the studies by M. Amari, noting that Yakut [Ibn-Al Vardi Yakut was an Arab geographer] mentioned two names: "Michele Amari (...) mentioned the names of 24 cities quoted in the Sicilian 'Mo' Gem’ by Yakut, among which Alcamo and Bonifato (...) We have no reason to assume that Yakut refer with two different names to the same town "(P.M. Rocca, “Delle muraglie e porte della città di Alcamo”, in “Archivio storico Siciliano”, Palermo, 1894, p. 378).
Similarly, there were many different interpretations regarding the etymology. G.B. Pellegrini, "against the absurd assumptions of previous scholars, traces the Sicilian toponym of 'Alcamo', attested in the Arab sources as 'Alqamah', to the Arabic anthroponym ‘Alqamah’, in turn derived from 'alqam' indicating the ‘coloquinta’ and generally this that is bitter "(See“Centro di studi filologici e linguistici siciliani”, “Bollettino”,1992, p. 336). G.B. Pellegrini took the intuition already made by Michele Amari, and quoted by Francesco D'Ovidio in a study on a great medieval poet of Alcamo, Ciullo d'Alcamo, to whom the town dedicated its Main Square.
About the etymology of the city D'Ovidio wrote: "M. Amari explained me that Alcamo is derived from 'Alqamah', meaning 'coloquinta' [in Latin, "Citrullus colocynthis"; it is an herb of the Cucurbitaceae family, which has a very bitter pulp; it was once used as a purgative], and it is not an uncommon man's name " (See F. D'Ovidio, “Il Contrasto di Cielo D'Alcamo”, in “Versificazione italiana e arte poetica medioevale”, Milano, Hoepli, 1910, p. 630). N. Des Vergers also came to a similar conclusions: "This Muslim city, formidable for its place, at the beginning of the thirteenth century, afterwards the wars between Christians and Muslims, was moved to a less fortified place. There are some remains of ancient fortifications on the site. It was said that it derives its name from a certain Adelcam, who was supposed to have been one of the Muslim conquerors of Sicily, but the Arab historians do not speak on this figure.
Moreover, the name of Alkamah, mentioned by Edrisi and Ebn-Djobair, has a very prosaic etymology, deriving from the 'Colocynthis' plant, that is the fruit of the lotus. "(See N. Des Vergers, “Nuova raccolta di scritture e documenti intorno alla dominazione degli arabi”, Palermo, 1851, p. 225). Taking the “prosaic etymology” by N. Des Vengers, P.M. Rocca was not very convinced of it by proposing another interpretation, which has been ignored:" In my opinion it is not likely that the etymology of the name is derived from the ‘colocynthis’ plant, that is the 'fruit of the lotus' and I think that the name derives from the Arabic term 'Alhama', that is 'land of the baths', alluding to the waters of Segesta that are close to the area of ??Alcamo (See P.M. Rocca, “Rivista universale”, p . 492).
The history of the Lords of Alcamo was drawn in a concise but effective way by P.M. Rocca (See "Archivio storico siciliano”, 1905, pp. 77 ff.) According to Rocca, King Peter II [1304-1342] in 1340 gave Count Raimondo Peralta and his heirs and successors 'in perpetuum' the “Terra” of Alcamo and the castle of Bonifato. After the Peralta and the reign of Frederick III (1355-77), Alcamo was ruled by Guarnerio Ventimiglia, and after him, by Enrico Ventimiglia, who conquered it in 1391. In fact, we read in a diploma (...) [with a mixture of Latin and Sicilian dialect] what follows: “Illustrissime Princeps et Domine, Domine Martine de Aragona (...) Lu vostru fidili sirvituri Herrigu di Ventimiglia si accumanda a la vostra Regali Magistati. Item lu dittu Herrigu supplica a la vostra Magestati chi vi plaza di cunfirmare a sé et a soi Redi la Terra e lu Castellu di Alcamu” "[Illustrious Prince and Lord, King Martin of Aragon ... Your faithful servant Enrico Ventimiglia implores Your Majesty. The above-mentioned Enrico begs your Majesty to confirm to him and his heirs the ‘terra’ and the Castle of Alcamo].
In 1398, Alcamo was liberated from feudal rule and confiscated by the State property by King Martin (1356-1410). But this merger lasted only until 1407 . In this same year King Martin gave Alcamo and Calatafimi his cousin Giaimo De Prades. In 1408 Giaimo bequeathed it to his daughter Violante, who then, in 1414, brought it to Don Giovanni Bernardo Caprera. Bernardo Caprera in 1457 sold it to Pietro Speciale, with the condition that he could buy back, and in fact it was bought back in 1484 by Anna Caprera and Xinienes De Foux, granddaughter of Caprera. Alcamo was then inherited by the Enriquez, who were Lords of Alcamo until 1600.
Today Alcamo is a town dedicated to the production of agricultural products but it has also enhanced its cultural-tourism sector, thanks to a proper appreciation of its remarkable artistic heritage.