History of Piazza-Armerina

Let's start with the question on the antiquity of Piazza Armerina, identified as one of the  "Hyblai" in Sicily, which has produced a series of very important, but also extremely intricate studies . In these introductory remarks, it should be noted that about the question on  Hybla from the ancient times there was  a great confusion, since, according to Pausanias (110-180 AD), the "Hyblai" were two, while, in Stephen of Byzantium (6th  century AD) opinion, were three.

 

Among other things, we must also reckon with an epitomist of Stephen of Byzantium, why the plot thickens even more. G. Manganaro, who  got to the bottom of the matter, thereby presented the problem: "The epitomist condensed and contaminated at least four lemma. That is one relating to Hybla 'Meizon', one to Hibla 'Mikrà', one to Hibla 'elatton' and one to Hibla 'Styella', described as ‘one of the 'Hyblai' (See G. Manganaro, “Hybla Megala (Heraia) e Hybla Geleatis (Etnea), in “Un ponte fra l'Italia e la Grecia: atti del simposio in onore di Antonino Di Vita”, Ragusa,  13-15 February 1998, Padova, 2000: 151 ff.). We will not go  into the details of the discussion, and we can begin by saying that modern historians have established that the “Hyblai”  were two. In fact, Manganaro came to a close that there were two towns called “Hyblai”, the one in the “Erea” area, described as 'Meizon', and the other  in the area of Catania (today  Paternò), called "Geleatis.”

 

However, revolving around a gloss of Vibius Sequester [4th or 5th century AD] (Kokalos, 1999: 786) and on a definition of Stephen of  Byzantium, who called “Hybla Heraea” as "elatton",  Litterio Villari had come to  a  close that the site of “Piazza Armerina” would coincide with the ancient “Hybla Heraea.” Starting from the Arabic name handed down by Al Idrisi (1099-1165), or "Iblatasah",  Litterio Villari wrote that Piazza Armerina "[...]  was called by the Arabs ‘Nahr'al'asl’, literally the “River of Honey”, and we know that an ancient Hybla was linked to the production of a famous honey. We  add that the name 'Iblatasah' and its variant 'Iblatanah'  are the Arabic translation, adapted to the pronunciation and spelling,  of the Greek  locution  Ibla 'Elatton' and Ibla 'Elatson' [...]" (See Litterio Villari, “Storia della città di Piazza Armerina (L'antica Ibla Erea)”, La Tribuna, Piacenza Vol I, 1973 [ New Ed. 1981]: 326 ff.).

However, about the Greek word "elatton" (small) used by Stephen of Byzantium, since the early '50s, it was clarified that it was a simple adjective; so we can say that Stephen of Byzantium had in fact spoken on a "Hybla elatton," but the term "elatton" was only an adjective added to the name of the town;  in practice does not exist a toponym called Hybla “Elatton.” In this sense, we read: "The adjective 'elatton'  given by Stephen of Byzantium  (...)  to 'Hibla Haerea,' is entirely a subjective and not an  official term; it makes no difference whether   according to Pausanias (V, 23, 6) only Megara is called "Meizon", while the 'Geratia' ('Hibla Haerea') is not called by another name " (See “Studi classici e orientali”, Università di Pisa, Istituto di Archeologia, 1951, p. 135). Instead, according to Villari, the name "Platia" (or "Piazza Armerina") would be the result of a phonetic evolution of the Greek "Ibla Elatton", which became  "Iblatasah" or "Iblatana" in Arabic and  then 'Placza', 'Plaza', in Latin  'Placia' , even encouraged in this by Giovanni Alessio, who noticed a similarity between “Platia” and the Greek "Platza" with the Sicilian term  "chiazza" (square).

However, this assumption of G. Alessio was not accepted. "[...] G. Alessio (...) connects 'Plaza', 'Plata' and the Greek name 'Plateia'. The derivation is perfect from the phonetics point of view, but the history and archeology of the place seems to corroborate the thesis of the archaeologist G. Vinicio Gentili, who, with much greater likelihood, put in connection the toponym 'Piazza' (Armerina) with the Latin term ‘Palatia’ [plural= the Palaces], which surely was originally called the whole complex of  the well-known Roman villa of “Contrada Casale”, which at the beginning gave the city its name. The outcome of the bases 'Platia' and 'Palatia' is homophonous. So the toponymy, once again, returns us, perhaps in the vulgar tongue ("P-lata"), a Latin lexeme that has continued in the ‘Romània’  only in the learned language ("P-a-latia) [...]" (See, “Centro di Studi filologici e linguistici siciliani”, 1980, n. 14: 442). In fact, Gino Vinicio Gentili was very unequivocal in this regard, writing that “ the old ruins [of 'Palatium'] became the central nucleus of a new township. In some places even the mosaics on the floors were uncovered. The new town, whose intense activity is documented by many coins and glazed pottery, settled in the vast Imperial palatium, retained its name and was called 'Platia' (palatia). Two centuries later it was destroyed by William the Bad.” ( See G. Vinicio Gentili, “The imperial villa of Piazza Armerina”, Istituto Poligrafico dello Stato, Libreria dello Stato, 1970: 6). The reference to "the vast Imperial palatium" is certainly valid, because the ancient palace looked like a real town with its 60 rooms. With regard to the current situation about  Piazza Armerina, it seems that the origins are more recent than the assumptions made by Litterio Villari. And besides, even the recent archaeological discoveries confirm the assumptions of G.V. Gentili and the precision of the etymology from the Latin word "Palatia.”

In Norman time a big hamlet  was built on the ruins of the Villa,that  then gave its name to the district. In a document dating from 1148 is mentioned a "plateam veterem" (Piazza Vecchia), which presumably is the name of the town destroyed by the Norman King William I the Bad (1131-1166), the remains of which were called "Palatia Vetera," which long ago had been the luxurious mansion of the Roman and Byzantine high officials. In this document, from the Chancellery of  Count  Simone of Butera, it is said that "Simon, son of Count Henry, made a few donations of land “iuxta Buteram cum tenimentis suis, 'plateam' quoque 'veterem' cum toto plano Aymerici et vineale comitissa” [near Butera, with all its appurtenances, and also the "plateam veterem" (“Piazza Vecchia” [Old Square]) with the plain of Aymerico and the vineyard of the Countess] (Vedi C. A Garufi, “Il castrum Butere e il suo territorio dai Bizantini ai Normanni”, in “Archivio Storico per la Sicilia orientale”, Catania, 1914: 160). “Plateam Veterem” was populated by a colony of the 'Lombards'  who came here probably at the end of the eleventh century,  and who were among   the Adelaide of Monferrato’s (1072-1118) suite, who married Roger I (1031-1101).

In 1061 "Piazza Vecchia" was destroyed. The destruction was made by William the Bad because of the xenophobic attitude led by Roger Sclavo  and others Lombards against the Arabs, who  arrived in the ninth century in "Iblatasah.”  About the Arabs of "Piazza Vecchia", apart from the archaeological remains, we know much more from the time when the Normans arrived. At the time of William the Bad, the great protector of the Arabs, whose his court was filled, “Ruggerius autem Sclavo simul cum Lombardis cepit seditionem in Sicilia excitare, terram de demanio regio invadere et Serracenos ubicumque invenire poterat trucidare” [Roger Sclavo with other Lombards  raised a revolt in Sicily, taking possession of land belonging to the State and slaughtering all the Arabs that they met] See Ludovico Antonio Muratori, "Rerum italicarum scriptores”, Vol. 7, Part 1, 1928: 248). Ugo Falcando (12th century), the chronicler of Roger II (1095-1154), so told it: [...]Rogerius Sclavus cum Tancredo, ducis filio, paucisque aliis (…) Buteriam, Placiam ceteraque Lombardorum oppida, que pater eius tenuerat, occupavit et a Lombardis gratanter avideque susceptus, (...) in Sarracenos prima iussit armorum auspicia praelibari [...]" (See Hugo Falcandus, “Liber de Regno Sicilie e la Epistola ad Petrum panormitane ecclesie thesaurarium” in “Fonti per la storia d'Italia pubblicate dall'Istituto storico italiano per il Medio Evo”, edited by G.B. Siragusa, 1897, Vol. 22: 70) [Roger Sclavo with Tancredi and others occupied Butera, Piazza  and other cities of the Lombards that his father had ruled. At the same time, excited by the applause and the greed of the Lombards, he commanded that the war had begun, first of all looking forward to the massacre of the Saracens]. The chroniclers tell us some facts, but they could not tell us the real reasons of the bitter hate against the Arabs of Sicily.

We can not say that William I, known as "The Bad", on the contrary of the "Lombards" aimed to a"peaceful coexistence" with the Arabs. In reality, the Arabs in his court were  faithful servants, and he trusted them; all  his cohabiters were  Arab women. "[...] In general, it seems that the Arab eunuchs who served in the Royal Palace were the trustworthy persons of the sovereign, holding the post of secretary and sometimes that of military commander. And surely the king trusted in them because  his knights hated them, while the Knights nursed hatred for them because they enjoyed the confidence of the king [...] "(See R. de Felice," Gli Arabi in Europa ", Bologna, Il Mulino, 1981: 238-239. Published in English, "The Arabs and Medieval Europe", London and New York, Longman, 1979). So, it was precisely for these reasons that the "Lombards" ran amok with unprecedented violence against the  servants of William I. At first he was able to defend them, but then the events came to a head and many eunuchs of his court  were even chased and killed. William I acted against the rebels of the Kingdom with power and ruthlessness. The king, rallied the army, arrived in “Piazza Armerina” (Piazza Vecchia),  destroyed it and  routed the Lombards. Roger Sclavo, escaping to the king with many Lombards, took refuge in Butera. Anyway, the revolt of the "Lombards" against the Arabs was checked.  After the death of William I, the Arabs felt insecure, and many of them went away: "When William I died, all the inhabitants of Palermo  dressed in black for three days and women, especially Arab ones, bursted out into sobs , tearing her hair  out "(R. De Felice, p. 242). Even William II, called the Good, continued a policy of tolerance toward Arabs. When he also died, many Arabs took " the mountain track in search of refuge" (R. de Felice, p. 241). With regard to Piazza Armerina, William II  rebuilt it, but some miles distant from the place formerly occupied, on Mount Armerino, probably around 1163.

A still unresolved problem remains the precise identification of the site of  "Piazza Vecchia." As we have already seen, some very interesting documents were those of the Chancellery of Count Simon of Butera of 1148. However, contemporary studies have shed light on the ancient "Plateam Veterem”, confirming, inter alia, the validity of the above proposed etymology, why “Piazza” derives from “Palatia.” In particular, P. Pensabene reached important conclusions: "[...]  The preliminary stages and archaeological tests  in the site of the Villa suggested a continuity of life;  from the early centuries of the empire, relating to a country villa,  to the luxurious villa in Late Antiquity, until the   medieval settlement, also quoted by the  Arab sources, which continued to live up to the twelfth century. Probably during the reign of William II  the village of “Piazza Armerina” was transferred to its present site, with the arrival of people from Northern Italy [...]" (See Patrizio Pensabene, “Dalla villa Romana all'insediamento medievale”,  in "Kalòs. Art in Sicily", Year 16, No. 4, 2004, pp. 9-11). With  regard to these findings, G. Dato comments: "[...] The discovery of Pensabene has particular importance because of the last point, which seems to put an end to speculations about the  place of the town before the Norman foundation and about the origins of the name, giving justice to those who are thinking that the town insisted on the pre-Norman villa.  They deduced that its name was a corruption of the vulgar Latin word "Palatia", with which were given the walls (...) existing in the Middle Ages [...]" (See G. Dato, “Da Beirut a Noto. Patrimonio archeologico e pianificazione urbanistica. Studi e ricerche nei paesi del Mediterraneo”, Biblioteca Del Cenide , 2005: 68-69).

Despite the vicissitudes suffered under the Norman kings, Piazza Armerina remained for centuries a town belonging to the State property, so it enjoyed many privileges, at least some administrative autonomy under the Sovereign protection. Under the Swabians, the town, according to studies, had a remarkable development and it was the site of important military orders like the Templars. The town became one of the main of the Sicily; there were the  Houses of the Military Order of the Holy Sepulchre, the Knights Templar and the Knights Hospitaller, often located in places which are inlets or along major transit routes. Many houses, assigned to the Templars of Messina by Henry VI (1165-1197),  in the late twelfth century were reconfirmed by Frederick II of Swabia (1194-1250). It is also interesting to recall that in 1234 Frederick II, after his return from the crusade, contributed to "building a house of the Teutonic Knights and the same year he chose Piazza Armerina as the site of the National Court of Sicily" (See, M.K. Guida, “L’Icona della Madonna delle Vittorie a Piazza Armerina”, in  “Francescanesimo e cultura nelle province di Caltanissetta ed Enna”: atti del Convegno di studio, Caltanissetta-Enna, 27-29 ottobre 2005, Officina di studi medievali 2008: 183). The presence of these military orders strengthened the sense of autonomy of the town, why   after the death of the son of Frederick II, Conrad  (1228-1254), Piazza Armerina was one of the main cities of Sicily, which attempted to save its independence as a free Commune, such as the  towns of Tuscany.

No less important and numerous were the monastic orders, especially the Franciscans; moreover, it’s important to bear in mind that Piazza Armerina was practically the only town in the central southern Sicily for the presence of the Dominicans. The town successfully defended fiercely its autonomy and it well resist  to the Anjou; in fact, from 1299 to 1300 it was besieged by the Anjou who did not really get it.  The Aragonese Castle (XIV century) was built by King Martin I of Aragon (1356-1410), who chose it as a summer residence and  he put Piazza Armerina between eleven State towns of Sicily. During the war of the Vespers,   the Sicilian Parliament rejoined in it called by Frederick II of Aragon (1272-1337).

The city was then dominated by a few powerful families such as the Trigona, who were great patrons of art, as evidenced by the Mother Church, where among the textile and embroidery work, stands a brocade  cope  of gold and silver, offered as a gift around the end of the sixteenth century by Marco Trigona. Then the Velardita  played a major role,  a Sicilian family probably original from Lombardy, and then the Crescimanno. Even the Spanish kings granted it numerous privileges. In Renaissance and Baroque age, thanks to the cultural commitment of the Franciscans, Piazza Armerina built a medieval Old Town of great value that is gathered around the cathedral of  Baroque style; the  importance of the town grew in the nineteenth century, when it was established the diocese of Piazza Armerina (1817). In fact, in less than thirty years seven Dioceses will be established . The French Revolution and the Napoleonic period did not touch the Sicily, which was a safe haven of Ferdinand III of Bourbon (1759-1825) under the protection of the English, who also held a garrison in the town of Piazza. Finally,  after the “Risorgimento”, the city went  with  Sicily in the Kingdom of Italy in 1861.