History and etymology of Ispica

The history of Ispica (and its name) is a pretty fascinating and intricate side of the Sicilian town, situated on a hill south-east of the island, about 200 meters above sea level, from  which it  is about six kilometers. Much of the information that the tradition was handed down to us in recent years was subject of a  important revisal, which has re-designed the face of the ancient “Ispica”, giving it a look quite different than traditional data.

What did  say scholars  from the seventeenth and the contemporary period about Ispica? We can start by the name of the city, because from it then derive the most important historical facts of  Ispica.   About it  Huberto Goltzio wrote: “[...] “Yspia vel Ypsa in Pachyno urbs erat, unde Ispicae fundus, qui nunc corrupte “Spaccafurnus” vocatur [...]” ( See Huberto Goltzio, “Sicilia et Magna Graecia”, 1618, I, p. 12); or, “formerly 'Yspia' or 'Ypsa' was located on the  Pachino promontory, whose name is derived from ‘Ispicae Fundus’ ('Ispica Farm’), that then in vulgar tongue  was corrupt in ‘Spaccaforno’.”  Thus, according to Goltzio, would have been an ancient town, known as  "Yspia," which later would be called "Ispicae Fundus", a name which, in medieval times,  would become “Spaccafurnus.”

This tradition was perpetuated by all scholars in past centuries. V. Amico ("Dictionary of Sicily", edited by G. Di Marzo, Palermo, 1859, Vol. II: 540 note 1) told that "[...] 'Spaccaforno' is now in the district of Modica (. ..) It was called the ' Ispicae fundus ' by Maurolico, Arezio, Baudrand, Pirri, where it was also called 'Hispice fundum'; it was called 'Spaccafurnus'  in a bull of Alexander III (1105-1181) in the year 1169, by Gaetani and Maurolico, who believes a word is corrupted by 'Ispicae fundus'; then  it was called 'Spaccafurnum' by Cluverio and Arezio, and 'Spacca furnus' by Fazello [...]". It 's true that in a bull of Pope Alexander III Ispica was called "Spaccafurnum" ("In a bull of Pope Alexander III, written in year 1169 we find 'Spaccafurnum', scored among the cities included in the Diocese of Syracuse, which proves the existence of that land in the twelfth century "(See S. Salomone, “The Sicilian Provinces…”, Ragonisi, 1884: 129). However, how  was ancient this site?

It’s clear that the caves of Ispica were inhabited by Sicules since prehistory, and then in Greek and Roman times (as also reflected by the finds of Roman coins), but the new studies, especially those of A. Messina, have clearly and unequivocally demonstrated  a very important fact, namely that the name "Ispica" was "unknown" to the ancient toponymy. A. Messina writes: "[...] The name of Ispica, unknown to the ancient toponymy, is due to the Byzantine locative form  "eis Pegàs" (“to the springs”), which is well suited to a site where the springs emerge to the head of the quarry conducted through appropriate horizontal karst water supply. One of these, now dried up and buried, is the "Grotto of the Lady" (...) The source retains considerable traces of a late medieval assiduity [...]" (See A. Messina, "The Rocky Churches in the ‘Noto’ Valley", 1994: 56). So the etymology of the name "Ispica" derives from the Byzantine expression  "eis Pegàs" ("to the sources").

Established this fact, what  is the "true history" of Ispica? The "new face" of Ispica has been re-designed by  studies of G. Stefano and S. Fiorilla, who have traced the main stages of the town, providing a historical overview of the area very attractive. Meanwhile, the "context" is one of the most dramatic and characterized by extreme insecurity of  the local populations for  the advance of the Arabs in Sicily. Faced with this danger, we are present at the phenomenon of a "return" to the so-called "troglodytism", for which people returned to live in caves. Ispica was therefore a "troglodytic  city", characterized by "[...] a type of settlement [that] develops in the terraced walls of spurs at the confluence of two quarries and culminates with a brick citadel. The internal road is ensured by winding paths, ramps and steps cut into the rock. It shows some  affinities with the Berbers towns of the Tunisian south-east and of the Lybian Jebel Nefusa and it is a deeply rooted settlement, often arising from the  Byzantine 'kastra'  and still active today. This category includes the towns of Modica, Scicli, Ragusa  but even   Ispica and Pantalica [...]" (See V. Salerno, “Il territorio Comunale di Modica (RG). Analisi quantitative e strumenti per una carta archeologica”, Tesi di Laurea, University of Siena, Academic Year 2004-2005:  27-29).

According to the studies of G. Stefano and S. Fiorilla "[...] Cava Ispica was known to travellers since the eighteenth century and inhabited  in some parts up to the early twentieth century; it was also devastated by the 1693 earthquake that involved the eastern Sicily. The town was therefore abandoned, like most of the rock settlements of Mountains Iblei probably due to change in landscape due to the earthquake. According to the sources, the oldest city in the area of Ispica is 'Isbarha', which (...) could be one of the centers of the Islamic period, integrated and  re-evaluated by the Normans (...) 'Isbarha' already lost its importance in 1169, perhaps for the persecutions of the Lombards in  1161 or for the earthquake of 1169 or the hostility of the Norman nobility of Modica, interested in local enlargements. Already in the  Bull  of  some properties confirmed to the diocese  by Pope Alexander III in 1169, 'Isbarha' no longer appears, seemingly replaced by the 'Tenimentum Spicafurni'. In 1282  neither  'Spicafurnum' nor 'Isbarha' are mentioned among the centers that are required to pay    the ‘Fodro’ to Peter of Aragon, but only Moac (Modica) and Sicli (Scicli) are  mentioned. These data seem to confirm as 'Isbarha - Ispica' was being abandoned, absorbed by Modica, who gained prominence, while 'Spaccafurnum' was considered mainly for the agricultural potential of the territory [...] "(See G. di Stefano-S. Fiorilla, “L’abitato rupestre nella Sicilia Sud-Orientale”, III Congresso Nazionale di Archeologia Medievale”, Firenze, All’Insegna del Giglio, 2003: 510-514, 510).

Before coming to some recent historical facts,  also the etymology of  "Spaccafurnus" deserves  a note.  However the term, written in this way, according to  vulgar tongue, is  deceiver. G. Stefano and S. Fiorilla, quotes  from medieval documents the exact name of "Spaccaforno" (which preceded the modern name "Ispica”). They do not write "Sp-a-ccafurnus" with the  "a", but "Sp-i-cafurnus" (with the "i"). Which perhaps could do much to make sense of the etymology of "Spaccaforno”. "Spica" in Latin is the "ear of wheat." About "furnus”, all  ancient and modern scholars have noted that" furnus "is a corruption of the word “fundus ", or "country-estate "," arable land ". This means that the "real" medieval name of "Spaccaforno" was just "Spica-fundus", which refers to the concept of a farming area, a "farm" ("fundus")  particularly rich in "ears" (Lat. "spicae"). Indeed, as noticed G. Stefano and S. Fioravanti, the term "Spicafurni" referred to a territory more than a city. Other historians speak of "Tenimentum Sp-i-ca-furni" as an agricultural area rather than a specific place. For example, L. Catalioto writes that "in the nearby barony of Scicli the farmhouse of  Cotali dominated that had belonged to Anselm de (...) Landolina.  Anselmo was also landowner of the hamlet of Camertino, which was in 'Tenimentum ‘Spica-furni’ "(see L. Catalioto, “Lands, barons and towns in Sicily in the age of Charles I of Anjou”, Intilla, 1995: 119). "En passant" then we observe that, from the etymological point of view, the transition from "Spica" (fundus) to "I-spica” (fundus) is a very quick pace, and perhaps the  “I”  might be a typical initial euphonic “I”, a phonetic phenomenon widely present in the early Italian language  and its dialects; it is a linguistic phenomenon that is witnessed in Italy since the fourteenth century, and this in some terms starting with  “S + consonant”, such as, “i-specie” (for ‘specie’), “I-spagnoli” (for ‘Spagnoli’ ["the Spaniards"]), “I-spagna” (for “Spagna”  [“Spain”]. The same Latin word "Tenimentum" could indicate either a "possession" or a "country estate" and a "land between certain boundaries." In Arabic,  "Tenimentum" was translated as "Rahal-Bahari," a term that has many similarities with "Is-Barha," or the old Arabic name of Ispica.  With the term "Is-Barha," without further specification,  perhaps the Arabs marked no  any one possession, but "the" possession, or the 'big'   “fundus’ that they were working. (About the meaning of "tenimentum" See P. Jones, "The “Rollum Bullarum”, in  “Le terre del capitolo della cattedrale di Lucca (900-1200)”, in P. Jones , “Economia e società nell’Italia medievale”, Torino, Einaudi, 1980:283 and footnote 16).

Coming now to more recent times, before the earthquake of 1693 the village was within the Cava d'Ispica. From here  the Sicules, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs and Normans passed. With Norman we have the first written documents about Ispica. The earthquake of 1693 marked a profound transformation of the town, which was moved to the plains outside the quarry, which was not, however, never completely abandoned. The Arab rule lasted until the eleventh century, when the entire South-Eastern Sicily was conquered by the Count Roger. After the  Swabian and Angevin age, in the fourteenth century  Ispica was a possession of Berengar (or Berlinghero) of Monterosso, who gave it to Queen Eleanor, wife of Frederick II of Aragon (1272-1337). Frederick 's son, Peter II (1305-1342), granted it to his brother William. It was occupied in the fourteenth century by Francesco Prefoglio (14th century), and later became part of the County of Modica, and it become the possession of Andrea Chiaramonte (died in 1392). The Statella were the last lords of the town, which ruled it until the nineteenth century. The family of Statella marked the history of the town, especially for the construction of many churches. Since 1812  it was included in the district of Modica and the province of Siracusa. In 1927 Ispica was assigned to the new Province of Ragusa and in 1987  it was awarded the title of City. It has a plant that dates from the eighteenth century,  but it has   one part of medieval shape, which is close to a cliff where there are the ruins of a fortress, the so-called "Fortilitium",