History of Tusa

According to a well-established critical tradition, the “Castello di Tusa” coincides with the site of the ancient city of "Alaisa", in Latin "Halaesa.” The ruins of “Halaesa” spread, about two hundred meters of altitude, on the eastern side of a hill to the left of the stream Tusa (the ancient "Halaesus") a mile from the coast north to the mouth of which there was the town harbour (Cicero’s [106-43 BC], "Oratio in Verrem”, II 2, 185).

The archaeological remains found “in situ”, among which those of a temple dedicated to Apollo presumably demonstrate the validity of the assumption proposed by many experts. Diodorus [90-27 BC] (14.16.2) tells us that the town was founded by Archonides from Herbita to the early fifth century BC (that is around 403-402 BC);  with Archonides, who was the 'oikistes” [ecista] of it, participated three different groups, namely the "mistophoroi”, who formed the so-called "symmikton ochlon", a moltitude of exiles whom the war against Syracuse had literally condemned to wander in exile.

From this particular condition of the founders of "Alaisa" some scholars derived a possible etymology of the town (on the question of etymology see below): " The curiosity therefore exhorts us to seek the origin of many Sicilian “Aleisa” existing at the time of Archonides, and the origin of the inhabitants of Alesia that appear in the "Symmachia.” The name derives  from the Greek word “alàomai” which means “I wander', ' I wonder aimlessly ', ‘I am condemned to a paintful exile '(See G. Cavallaro, “L'ultimo rifugio degli Alesini siculi”, in “Archivio storico siciliano” , Palermo, LIV (1934): 312).

In conclusion, the foundation of "Alaisa" was decided by a member of the"Archonides" family, a "Dynastes” (tyrant) of Herbita, with the contribution of numerous poors from Herbita ("polloi dè kai tòn apòron Erbitaion”) , a plethora of mercenaries ("mistophoroi  te pleìous") and a substantial amount of refugees ("symmikton òchlon") merged into Herbita from many Hellenic and Sicilians cities. However,  there is a variant of the tradition, passed us by Diodorus Siculus (14.16.4), that "Alaisa" was founded by Himilcone of Carthage.

In fact, two years before the foundation of Alesa by Archonides, the Carthaginian Himilcone had already formed in the same places a garrison of Mamertines (Campanian mercenaries) in order to control the northern coast of Sicily, after Cefalù, where there was a harbour. The Carthaginians, worried by the continuous incursions into their territories by the Syracusians, sent a strong army, taking up this strategical position until 278 BC, when   the king of Epirus, Pyrrhus [318-272 BC],  came, who regained Agrigento the ruled it until 275 BC, when he returned to Italy.

After the departure of Pyrrhus, the Carthaginians again occupied the whole territory of Agrigento as far as Alesa (now "Tusa"), and they kept it until 264 BC, the date of commencement of the first Punic War (Livy). Samuel Bochart  (1599-1666), who supported the idea of the Punic foundation of  "Halaesa", also gave the etymology of it, saying that the city's name derives from the Punic name "Aliza" or "Ain Aliza", or "fons exultabundus "[ a continually playing spring] (see G. Pirrone," The Island of the sun ...", Electa, 1994: 36).

As already written in the nineteenth century by P.G. Romano "[...] Diodorus was not fully satisfied with this account of events and he quoted another opinion that Alaisa was founded by the Carthaginians. To bridge the scruple of the great historian  the appropriate coins of Alesa reached,  all quoting  the name "Alaisa" and then adding APX (Archonides) [...]" (See P.G. Romano, “Monete Siculo-Romane del Municipio di Alesa” in “Atti della Accademia di Scienze Lettere ed Arti di Palermo” [" The Sicilian-Roman coins of the Municipality of Alesia" in "Proceedings of the Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts of Palermo”, Palermo, 1853, Vol. II: 3-4).

The accurate description of P.G. Romano is also confirmed by contemporary studies, stressing that “in particular, the currency issues of Alaisa never fail to specify the name of the founder of the city;  or the inscription is ‘Alaisa Arconiai’ [Alaisa was founded by Archonides]” (See “Annali della Scuola normale superiore di Pisa, Classe di lettere e filosofia”, “Quaderni”, 1999: 91-102). As there were several cities in Sicily with the name "Alaisa", it was absolutely necessary to accompany the generic name ["Alaisa"] with the name of the eponymous founder to distinguish the various places.

If we look at the toponym, we will observe that it is quite general; in fact, it has been suggested “a source from 'Alein', which in Hesychius is glossed as 'oikein' (live)" (See "Annals", p. 102 note 11). In practice "Alaisa" means "live" or "an urban area", a "village" to which it was necessary to accompany the name of the founder, in this case "Archeomedes” (“Alaisa Ark”). As we have seen, a different etymology was supported in earliest times by A. Cavallaro (“Le monete degli Alesini Siculi e della Symmachia” in “AMIIN”[Atti e Memorie Istituto Italiano di Numismatica], VIII, 1934: 4-19 ), for whom "Alaisa" would have derived from "alàsemi" that would mean "wander," referring to the initial situation of the founders of the town (See "Annali", p. 102 note 11).

The double tradition would have been due to the fact that apparently the city's inhabitants did not like the fact that Alaisa had as  eponymous founder Archonides of Herbita, as the city was founded by a group whose characteristics were a mixture of races and especially an extreme poverty,  because they were all poors. Some historians, in past centuries,  explained that the inhabitants of "Alaisa" ashamed of these founders, bringing into play a second legend of the foundation.

In reality were the political and religious-superstitious respects that played an important role in the affirmation of this "double" tradition, which often happened among the Ancients, and especially among the Romans, who, being very superstitious, were presumably the real responsible for the introduction   of the second tradition. In fact, as we will see, Alaisa was the first Sicilian city to ally with the Romans in the First Punic War, and the Romans had a great influence on the cultural and “cult” development of the city (for the double tradition See M.H. Hansen, T.H. Nielsen, " An Inventory of Archaic and Classical Poleis ", Oxford University Press, 2004: 190). The contemporary studies show more and more the close connection that existed between Herbita and Alaisa.

A  very interesting indirect proof is provided, for example,  by the cult of "Adranòs" (Latin "Hadranus"), who  had a   particularly significant cult in the "Meilichieion” [shrine] of the city as in the rest of Sicily.  Writes ... "It is possible (and probable) that the worship of God Adranòs has been brought in  Halaesa with the  'aporoi Herbitaioi' (poors of Herbita), although we can only assume that, because nothing, or almost, we know on the oldest form of religious worship in Herbita (except, as we will see, for Apollo). But we can not exclude that the worship of God Adranòs has come together with the refugees coming from Etna  "( See A.M.  Prestianni Gallolombardo, “Divinità e culti in Halaesa Archonidea”, in  “Quarte Giornate di Studi sull’area Elima”, Atti, III, Pisa, 2003: 1074).

The reference area of Etna is important to qualify the character of God "Hadranus" because its shape, more or less, and looked like in practice overlapped with that of Hephaestus, the god of fire. The temple of "Adranos" was guarded by about a thousand dogs which exceded in beauty and sizes the mastiffs, "sacred to God (" kynoi Ieroi "), which graciously welcomed visitors to the temple, accompanied them home if they were drunk or attacking them if they were thieves (See p. 1072).

With regard to the influence of the Romans on Alaisa, we can also refer to the cult of Apollo. "The importance of Apollo’s  cult  is well documented (...) (p. 1077)  it may reflect, therefore, the  undoubtedly privileged role that (...) Halaesa took in the organization of theprovince of Sicily, as 'civitas immunis ac libera' [ a city exempt from the taxation and in particular the tenth], since it first serrendered to the Roman Consuls to the outbreak of the First Punic War (…)

It is no coincidence, then, that in the coeval (212-190 BC) bronze coinage of Alaisa dominates on the obverse of the coin the profile of Apollo with a laurel wreath (...) It is a very eloquent kind to celebrate the 'deditio' [surrender] of Halaesa to the Romans (...) Apollo  is a Hellenic deity par excellence, but the cult of Apollo continued to play an important role in Roman times, especially under the Emperor Augustus (63 BC-19 AD).” In fact, the battle of "Actium" took place in front of a promontory on which stood a temple of Apollo and Augustus attributed the victory that gave him the power to the will of the benevolent god; Apollo became the personal protective deity of the emperor, who honored him as Rome had never been done.

This helped "to strengthen the cult of Apollo at Halaesa, assuring for long the continuity of worship" (p. 1081). Moreover Alaisa under the Romans enjoyed  great economic prosperity for the "happy position of the 'exitus maritimus' [harbour], situated at the mouth of the river “Halaesus”, now called  “Tusa”, favoring the prosperous shipping business of the "Municipium Alesinum.” In the first century AD Strabo described Halaesa as a small village; the city probably declined after the splendours of the Republican age, even though the excavations prove some economic vitality of the city even during the  late-imperial era. The Byzantine era was also almost certainly a critical period, as evidenced by transformation of the 'agora' in a cemetery; in the eighth century the city was a Bishopric and it subdued the Arab invasion in the ninth century.

With the fall of the Roman Empire (476 AD) the site of Alaisa had essentially a military function to protect the wide valley of the right side “Belice” . In Sicily in the fifth century, began the incursions of the barbarians. The island was occupied by the Genserico’s (389-477 AD) Vandals and Goths of Theodoric (493-526) to be conquered by the Byzantine general Belisarius (500-565 AD) in 535. Since that time Sicily came under the Byzantines, until the advent of the Muslims.

There was much discussion about the precise moment when started the  abandonment of Alaisa and the transfer of population in the new settlement of Tusa; in this regard and according to F. Maurici, it started already in the seventh century AD [See F. Maurici, “Medieval Castles”, 1992: 50]. In conclusion, we can say that the abandonment of Alaisa was a slow trickle that probably began in the seventh century, and finally ended around the ninth century with the conclusive settlement in  Tusa, which, finally, became a  stronghold of the Arabs.

The Arabs came in the ninth century and ruled this part of Sicily until 1061, when the Norman Robert Guiscard occupied the coast of Nebrodes. The town and castle in Norman period were certainly given in fief, and in this sense we know the name of one of these feudal lords, or the royal executioner “Rinaldo de Tusa”, mentioned several times in the documents of the time (Maurici). The Normans enhance the Basilian and Latin monasticism, and all monasteries fell into ruin during the Arab rule were rebuilt; in fact, after 1090,  on the ruins of  Alaisa the Benedictine monastery of “St. Maria de’ Palati” was built.

Tusa under the Normans became part of the estate of the Ventimiglia family and it took the name of "Tusa Inferiore" or "Marina di Tusa”, which was the third site of the inhabitants of “Alesa Arconidea.” In Christian times the population rose to “Tusa Superiore”, then climbing down again to “Marina di Tusa”, on the coast; on a rocky spur that overcomes the seaport, the Ventimiglia family built in the thirteenth century the castle of "Marina di Tusa” (then called “the Castle  of San Giorgio”), from which the village takes its current name.

Tusa therefore belonged to Francesco Ventimiglia, as evidenced by documents published by E. Mazzarese Fardella. According to a statement made by the "magister procurator" Novello de Montanino to the Count of “Geraci” and “Ischia Maggiore” Francesco Ventimiglia senior, in 1307 or, more likely, in 1322, the County of Geraci comprised Cangi, San Mauro, Castelluccio, Tusa Superiore and  Tusa Inferiore (See E. Mazzarella Fardella, “I feudi comitali di Sicilia dai Normanni agli Aragonesi”, 1974: 74 ).

Al Idrisi (1099-1165) in the twelfth century, described it in this way the new site of Tusa: "From Cefalù to the fortress  'Tuz'ah' (that is the 'new town' today Tusa) one day  walk. This fortress is of primitive construction and the site is easy to defend (...) The fort and village are situated on a top of an isolated mountain, to which  one reachs only through an impassable road "(See Al Idrisi," The Book of Roger ", edited by M. Amari, Salviucci, 1883: 29). The name "Tuz'ah" therefore means, according to the etymology of Arab origin, "the new city."

However, considering  the slowness of  depopulation of "Halaesa", the etymology of  Tusa could also be of pre-Arab origin. In this sense, "Tusa" is the name not only of the city but also of the river (called “Tusa”), which is basically a “torrent” that wanders among the rocks and the maquis, often reduced to a trickle  on account of the drought. Therefore, the most striking feature of the  Tusa stream is the persistent lack of water ; starting from this fact , one can assume the etymology from the Latin terms "torreo", "tostum", "torrere" ( burn),  with results toward terms such as "Tursa", "Tursi" and “Tusa.”

An assumption that, after all, is included in some repertoires, such as that of Theodor Aufrecht ("Die umbrischen Sprachdenkmäler", Dümmler, 1849, Vol I: 421), who notes “ ‘Tursa' auch 'Tusa' , 'Tursi', 'Tuse' = 'torrere'. " The same example in Arminius Friedrich Zeyss ("De vocabulorum Umbricorum fictione”, 1861, I:  9):" tursi sive (or) Tursi (=torrere) ". From the second half of the seventeenth century the estate passed to Orazio della Torre, then to the Branciforte family; in fact, this barony in 1744 was governed by Ercole Branciforte Naselli (1690-1780), Prince of Scordia. Even in the modern age in the “Caricatore” [Shipper] of Tusa continued to place profitable trades in connection between the coast and inland, towards Enna. And for this  the seaport was the bone of contention between the Ventimiglia family and the Bishop of Cefalù for the transit duties that derived from it.

Following the raids of the pirates in the seventeenth century were enhanced some defensive structures along the coast, by erecting new towers and equipping the castle with  pieces of ordnance. At close range there was the fishing net of the “Corvo” [Raven], still active in the late eighteenth century.

Tusa is today bond by a strong tie to its traditions, as evidenced by the persistence of ancient craft activities (production of lace and artefacts wrought iron), but in recent years the town has very well developed tourism sector, because the coastline extends from “Milianni” to the village of “Castel di Tusa”. The section most used today for bathing season goes from the fishing net (west of “Castel di Tusa”) at the mouth of the stream Tusa.