History and etymology of Scicli
"From Pozzallo, after 20 miles of trail, the railroad leads to Scicli, which, according to the tradition, was founded by Siculus, King of the Sicanians; others inclined to believe that Scicli was built on the site of the ancient Casmene" (See, G. Battaglia, “Guida descrittiva della Sicilia” Pedone, 1904, p. 176). In these three lines Battaglia introduced the two main historical and etymological subjects of the ancient Scicli.
Historically, no ancient source mentions Scicli, which, as we will see, has a medieval origin. But it is also true that the area where Scicli is located is extremely rich in archaeological remains, which led to tell fabulous stories about the antiquity of Scicli, which some historians would coincide with the ancient "Casmene.” The origin of this identification has been well explained by P. Militello, who wrote: "In modern times the historical maps could be used as a valuable tool in the construction of the urban identity (...) and often [the cartography] tried to define the city rooting the origins of it (...) in the Greek-Roman distant past. An example is the city of Scicli, in whose favour the use of antiquity ( that is the assumption about its supposed origin from Casmene, a former sub-colony of Syracuse) assumed, in the mid-seventeenth century, an important role on the effort to ennoble the city (...) Cluverius [Philipp Clüver, 1580-1622] set Casmene in the plain of Scicli, then quoting the toponym in his map on the 'Sicilia Antiqua' [Ancient Sicily]. Some years later, the historian M. Perrello (17th century), native of Scicli, accepted the suggestion of Cluverius and in 1640 he published at Messina the pamphlet titled '”'antichità di Scicli, anticamente chiamata Casmena, seconda colonia Siracusana” [“The antiquity of Scicli, formerly called Casmene”] (See P. Militello, “L'sola delle carte”, Angeli, 2004, pp. 87-88).
As also Comiso made itself out to be came from Casmene, a fierce scientific debat arose among the local scholars, and at Comiso was published, in the eighteenth century, by an unknown author, a book with the title “Memoria Istorica della vera e nobile Casmena antichissima città della Sicilia”, in order to demonstrate "Urbi et Orbi" that the "true" Casmene was Comiso and not Scicli. The fact remains that the identification of Scicli with Casmene was accepted by some scholars of international renown, such as Adolf Holm, but in the end was right Paolo Orsi, who said that Casmene coincided with “Monte Casale.” “The foundation of Casmene (whose identification with M. Casale (...) is now out of question, only 20 km from Acre) answered without doubt to the needs of military control of the borders established by the ‘Irminio’ and ‘Armerillo’ Rivers or just to the south, between the territory in the hands of Syracuse and then of the Sicules "( See, “Monte Casasia” in “Notizie degli scavi di antichità”, in “Atti della Accademia nazionale dei Lincei”, 1996, p. 570 note 360). The previous mention on the Sicules, allows us to tackle the etymological problem about Scicli. Let's say that over the centuries, various etymologies were suggested. Among the "curiosa", we remind one quoted by A. Massa, for which "Scicli" would derive “a Siliquis”, that is from the “carobs” (See A. Massa, "La Sicilia in prospettiva", Palermo, 1709, Part II, p. 297). A. Massa also, such as noted above G. Battaglia, reminded that the etymology of Scicli would derive from “Siculus”, king of the Sicules: " Mariano Perdio in the 'Antichità di Scicli' offers us a likely conjecture in his opinion, that is Scicli had been built by that most ancient King Siculus, before the Trojan War, who passed in Sicily; of the same opinion was Giovanni della Piana, who said: 'A Siculo Siclis' [ Scicli derives from King Siculus]” (See G. Massa p. 297).
However, the etymology on which the scholars show some agreement is that "Scicli" derives from the “Siculi” [Sicules], since the archaeological data attest their consistent presence in the area. Militello points out that the etymology was supported first by J. Schubring [Hist. - Geogr. Studien uber Alt-Sizilien, Lübeck 1866, p. 111], but we note that the local historian Pietro Carrera (1573-1647) had already more or less supported this assumption. Such as Graevius wrote, “ Carrera ... in Discursu suo contra Perelli Libellum inscriptum 'Antichità di Scicli', quem edebat anno MDCXLI ... quod vocem ‘Scicli’ ... 'Siculo' vel 'Siculi' significare scripsisset” [Carrera, in his disquisition against the Perello’s pamphlet entitled "Antiquities of Scicli," published in 1641, wrote that the term Scicli means "Siculo" or "Sicul-i"] (See Joannes Georgius Graevius, Peter Burmann, “ Thesaurus antiquitatum et historiarum Siciliae, Sardinae, Corsicae et adjacentium situm”, excudit Petrus Vander, 1725, p. 40). The etymology supported by F. S. Giardina seems unlikely to Prof. Militello, for which Scicli derived from “Siculius”: "We add the implausible etymology proposed by F.S. Giardina [“Scicli, contributo alla toponomastica siciliana”, Catania 1899], for whom Scicli derives from 'Sicul-i-', genitive singular of 'Siculi-u-s', the cognomen of the place owner, but the accentuation of the word does not conform with the phenomenon of syncope of /u/ that we must assume in this case.” (See P. Militello, “L’ ‘Oppidum Triquetrum’ di Scicli (Ragusa)”, in “Archivio storico messinese”, 1989, n. 53, p. 44 footnote 63.). We therefore conclude, paraphrasing G. Della Piana, that the etymology "A Siculis Siclis" [ Scicli derives from Sicules] is the most believable.
As we said, Scicli is not attested by ancient writers, although an attempt at “archaizing” the city, more than the question about Casmene, was made by Antonino Carioti (1685-1780), a native of Scicli priest, who, analyzing some coins engraved with SCL, jumped to conclusions that the acronym meant "SC-ic-L-is" [Scicli] and that the city, "under the last Byzantine Emperors had a mint." He wrote: " There are countless medals dating back to the Late-Empire, in which we read sometimes 'SCL', or 'SCLs' and (...) all mean one thing, that is, in my opinion, the city of Scicli "(See A. Carioti, “Sull'antica zecca di Scicli”, in “Opuscoli di autori siciliani”, 1761, p. 52). The response of the scholars, however, was a brutal sentence: "It does not seem very possible that, among so many illustrious cities existing in Sicily, had been open a mint in a place so obscure and unimportant." Then F.L. Landolina concluded that SCL did not mean at all "Scicli," but "SiCiLia" [SiCiLy] (See F.L. Landolina, “Sulla leggenda 'Sicilia' impressa sulle monete degli imperatori d'oriente”, in “Il Poligrafo. Rivista Scientifica, letteraria e artistica”, Palermo, 1856, Vol. I., pp. 85-86). However, even if it Scicli was not Casmene and even a city equipped with a mint in the Byzantine era, its territory has been inhabited since prehistoric times. According to studies by Militello, the area was home to one of the oldest places in the Upper Sicilian Paleolithic period, with scattered settlements, even if a site consistently preferred was the hill of “San Matteo” of Scicli. According to Militello, "was in the Bronze Age (2200-1450 BC according to the most recent dating) that the population of the district of Scicli became consistent. The settlement model preferred the so-called "Cave" [pits] and the hillsides along the watercourses, and also the settlements near the sea-coast, with the villages of Pisciotto, Bruca and Maestro. The territory of Scicli, however, did not seem concerned at this time to the phenomena of colonization by the Greeks. And moreover it is a verified fact that "beyond Ragusa, among Modica, Scicli and Ispica, it seems that the Greeks penetrated only very slowly," for the fierce resistance of the Sicules against the penetration of Syracuse in their territories. ( See A. di Vita, “Da Siracusa a Mozia: scritti di archeologia siciliana”, 1998, p. 19 footnote 105).
The Greek influence became more marked from the late fifth century BC, as evidenced by the findings of Syracusan coins, and especially during the fourth and third centuries BC. However, from ceramics found in the area it seems that trade relations with the Greeks were very ancient. The archaeological finds in recent years have increased and some have undoubtedly a considerable value, such as the Greek inscription found in “Maestro”, dating from the fifth century BC: "St?a t / ??? · e / µ? seí / µa. ?? [...]; the inscription has been explained like thid: "I am the memorial stone of Strato. TU '[...]" ( See Michael Metcalfe, “Una iscrizione arcaica del Maestro” in “Scicli. Archeologia e territorio”, edited by Pietro Militello, Officina di studi medievali, 2008 p. 228). With regard to the Roman times, the evidences are constituted by Roman coins, but these are few both for the Republican and the Imperial age; among these we mention a coin relating to Emperor Tiberius (42 BC-37 AD) with the following inscription: "DIVUS AVGVSTVS" and two Capricorn on the other side (See S. Santangelo, “La circolazione monetaria nel territorio di Scicli in età greca e romana”, in“Scicli. Archeologia e territorio”, p. 309).
As we have said, the first mention about a town called Scicli date back to the Middle Ages. The original city was established in the fourth century, presumably in the Byzantine period and then strengthened in the following Arab and Norman periods. In the Byzantine period the terror of the Arab invasion drove the inhabitants of the hills and those most exposed of the coastal area to seek new safe settlements (Militello). Scicli was conquered by the Arabs around the 864-865 AD and it became an Arab fortress (the city was mentioned by some Arab historians such as 'Al' Atir and Haldun, according to whom it was besieged and conquered by Hafagàh. In 1091 Scicli was conquered by the Normans. " We do not know the name of the first Norman Lord of Scicli. But we know that in 1085 Roger I (Malaterra 2, 42) in the distribution of lands and possessions to his fellow soldiers, granted Ragusa with the title of County to his son Geoffrey. Scicli, like a minor feud, was probably assigned to some other faithful knight "(See Melchiorre Trigilia, “La Madonna dei Milici di Scicli: cristiani e musulmani nella Sicilia del Mille...”, Setim, 1990, p. 71).
In Norman times Al Idrisi (1099-1166) described the city like this: "The fortress of 'Shiklah' at the top on a hill, is one the most noble cities of Sicily, and its plain one of the most fertile. It is about three miles from the sea. The country prospers greatly, populous and industrious "(See Al Idrisi, “Il Libro di Ruggero”, a c. di M. Amari, Roma, Salviucci, 1883, p. 34). Scicli is also mentioned in a Bull of 1255, addressed to Brother Ruffino, penitentiary of Pope Alexander IV (1199-1261), with which the Pope gave to Roger Fimetta the castles of Vizzini, Modica, Scicli and Palazzolo [Alexander IV papa Rogerio Finecte de Lentino, fideli suo, nominata castra Syracusanae diocesis Bizini, Modice, Sicli et Palatiolo...] (See Monumenta Germaniae Historica. Epistolae saeculi XIII e regestis pontificum Romanorum selectae, Vol. III, Apud Weidmannos, 1894, p.370 and Raffaele Solarino, “La contea di Modica. Ricerche storiche”, Ragusa, 1982, vol. II, p. 33 footnote 1).
A mention about the city would be contained in a note dating from around 1048 by Pope Benedict IX (1012-1056), in which the “ecclesiam Sancti Laurentii de 'Siclo [the Church of St. Laurent of Scicli]” was donated to the monastery of “Santa Maria Latina” in Jerusalem; the quote is from an Antonino Carioti’s work and it was considered questionable. “A reliable proof is instead the explicit mention contained in the diploma dated Syracuse, December 1093, with which gave Roger of Altavilla gave 'Sycla' to the Diocese of Syracuse" ( See E. Militello, “L’età tardo-antica” in “Scicli. Archeologia e territorio”, p. 235, footnote 10). According to other scholars the date would be 1094: "1194 (five days after his crowning) [Roger I (1931-1101)] confirmed to the 'fideles noster Facundus, abbas ecclesiae Sanctae Marie de Latina' [to our loyal Facundus, Abbot of the Church of “Santa Maria Latina”], all the properties of the ' ecclesiam Sancti Laurentii apud Ragusam et apud Sciclim' [ the Church of St. Laurent near Ragusa and Scicli] "(See Giovanni Modica Scala, “Sicilia medievale: dagli Arabi ai Normanni e agli Svevi”, 1995, p. 443). Karl Schellhass also assigned to "30 Dezember 1094:" Facundus abbas S. Marie de Latina "(See Karl Schellhass, “Quellen und Forschungen aus italienischen Archiven und Bibliotheken”, Deutsches Historisches Institut in Rom, Niemeyer, 1956, Vol 35, p. 84).
To the Normans followed then the Swabians and Frederick II of Swabia (1194-1250) confirmed to Scicli the privilege of city-State; these privileges, were confirmed by Emperor with the Decree of February 14, 1245 (See Sebastiano Salomone “Le provincie siciliane studiate sotto tutti gli aspetti ...”, Ragonisi, Vol. I, 1884, p. 102). It was later ruled by the powerful family of the Mosca, from Federico Mosca, who distinguished himself during the War of the Vespers and further Scicli was granted in fief by Frederick II of Aragon (1272-1337) to Manfredi Chiaramonte, forming with Modica and Ragusa the County of Modica. Afterwards the County passed to the Cabrera-Enriquez. The fifteenth and sixteenth centuries were a period of economic prosperity and building activity, as demonstrate in particular the many religious buildings. The seventeenth century was a period instead of a serious economic crisis, exacerbated by the 1693 earthquake, in which Scicli was literally destroyed, which led the inhabitants to move downstream, leaving the “Colle di San Matteo.” The eighteenth century was the century instead of reconstruction, with a Mannerist and Baroque style. In 1713 Sicily was assigned to Vittorio Amedeo di Savoia (1666-1732), but the County of Modica and Scicli remained under the dominion of the King of Spain. After the Congress of Vienna (1815), the city passed to the Bourbons, who ruled it until the unification (1861).