Sicilia: History

Question 1

Which royal dynasties have ruled Sicilia in turn and contributed in making the island what it is today?

Answer 1

• Phoenicians
• Greeks
• Romans
• Goths
• Byzantines
• Arabs
• German Hohenstaufen
• French Angevin
• Spanish Bourbons

Question 2

What does Sicilia boast?

Answer 2

Remarkable works of art, architecture, and literature. This island also lays claim to one of Italy’s largest concentrations of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Several notable archeological sites:
* Greek temples of Valle dei Templi (Valley of the Temples)
* Selinunte

Question 3

What is the capital of Sicilia?

Answer 3

Palermo

It has astonishing buildings built in the Arab-Norman style.

Question 4

Name the active volcanos in Sicilia.

Answer 4

• Etna: Europe’s largest and most active
• Stromboli: part of the volcanic archipelago Aeolian Islands
• Vulcano: part of the volcanic archipelago Aeolian Islands

Question 5

What of the dishes and pastries in Sicilia?

Answer 5

The rich cultural heritage of this island is matched by an amazingly diverse and complex gastronomy that reflects all of the contributions made by the different peoples who have settled here. The list of dishes and pastries are quite extensive and unique with each province and town having their own specialities made with local ingredients.

Question 6

How does the large size of Sicilia influence viticulture?

Answer 6

• There is a range of terroirs.
• there is a wealth of native grape varieties.

Question 7

Where does the name Sicilia come from?

Answer 7

The name derives from Siculi (Sicels), one of the ancient Italic tribes to first inhabit the island.

Question 8

How long has grape growing and winemaking existed in Sicilia?

Answer 8

Archaeological discoveries suggest since the 2nd millenium BC.

In the 8th century BC the island gradually acquired strategic importance thanks to its position in the center of the Mediterranean Sea.

Question 9

Who was the first to colonize Sicilia?

Answer 9

The Phoenicians; they established a settlement in the western part of the island and founded Palermo, the modern-day capital.
They also promoted the development of viticulture.

Question 10

When did Greek settlers arrive on Sicilia?

Answer 10

Almost simultaneously as the Phoenicians, on the eastern side of the island. They took viticulture to a whole new level.
They founded several important colonies and the island became one of the most important centers of the Magna Graecia (Great Greece).

Question 11

What was the influence of the Greek presence on Sicilia?

Answer 11

It led to huge leaps in the economic and cultural development of Sicilia. The Greeks then expanded to other parts of southern and central Italy, greatly impacting what would become Roman civilization.

Question 12

How did the Greeks influence viticulture in Sicilia?

Answer 12

They introduced their native vines as well as their traditional viticultural practices such as the low alberello training system and short pruning techniques.

They introduced new ways to produce, consume and preserve wine. (e.g. sweet, high-alcohol wines diluted with water and seasoned with various spices. The same practices were later followed by the Romans.)

Question 13

When did the Romans take control of Sicilia?

Answer 13

Between the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC, the entire island fell under their control.

Rome needed large quantities of wheat to support its military expansion, so viticulture became secondary to cereal production. The island was turned into Rome’s granary.

Question 14

What happened to Sicilia after the fall of the Roman Empire?

Answer 14

The island was war-ravaged. There were multiple invasions.

In the 9th century AD, the Arab Saraceni conquered the island and maintained control for two centuries.

Question 15

How did Sicilia fair under Saraceni rule?

Answer 15

The island prospered under Muslim rule. The Arabs introduced intensive farming methods, new irrigation techniques and new food crops. Grapes were largely cultivated for raisin production as Muslim law forbade wine consumption in public.

Question 16

What are the 3 major administrative districts the the Arabs divided Sicilia into?

Answer 16

• Val di Mazara: western Sicilia
• Val di Noto: southeast Sicilia
• Val Demone: northeast Sicilia

This division was official until the early 19th C. and the districts remain as informal location markers today. The wines of Sicilia are often referenced by them.

Question 17

Who defeated the Arabs in the second half of the 11th C. AD?

Answer 17

The Normans; they also took over a large portion of southern Italy, creating the Kingdom of Sicily. The island flourised under this rule.

Question 18

Who acquired rule over Sicilia after the Normans?

Answer 18

Norman rule transitioned to the noble German house of Hohenstaufen until the mid-13th C. and the island continued to prosper.

In the centuries that followed, the island fell to the mercy of foreign powers and ambitious sovereigns. It became a pawn in the political chessboard of Europe.

Question 19

What happened to Sicilia during the Middle Ages?

Answer 19

After almost 400 years of progress and prosperity under Arab and Norman rule, the island was plunged into a long and deep economic and social decline that lasted centuries.

Question 20

Sicilia was handed over to who in the 14th C.?

Answer 20

The French House of Anjou, before becoming part of the Spanish Kingdom of Aragon.

The island remained under Spanish rule from the 14th to 17th C. before being passed briefly to the House of Savoy, the Austrian Habsburgs, and the Spanish Bourbons in turn.

Question 21

What happened to Sicilia after the end of the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th C.?

Answer 21

The island was united to the southern part of Italy forming the Kingdom of Naples. This kingdom was later renamed “Kingdom of the Two Sicilies” and remained under Bourbon rule until 1860 when the island joined the Kingdom of Sardinia in preparation for Italian unification in 1860.

Question 22

How is it that nobe landowners (barons) emerged from the medieval feudal system in Sicilia?

Answer 22

This was a result of the island’s lack of a stable central authority. Unlike in other Italian regions, these barons remained powerful and even expanded their land holdings and privileges well into the 19th C..

Question 23

Which army was stationed on Sicilia between the late 18th and early 19th C.?

Answer 23

The British Royal Navy; with the aim of blocking Napoleonic expansion. These sailors became major consumers of the local wine. British influence was also instrumental in the development of Marsala, the most famous Italian fortified wine.

Question 24

What happened in Sicilia at the close of the 19th century when phylloxera ravaged the vineyards of France?

Answer 24

French wine merchants arrived on the island, seeking good, inexpensive wine to ship home in order to augment the dwindling supply of French wine. A remarkable wine trade begain, kicking off a new era for the local wine industry.

Question 25

How did the increased demand for wine in France influence wine production in Sicilia?

Answer 25

The bulk-wine market brought prosperity and considerable vineyard expansion. By the 1880s, the island’s area under vine reached its highest peak, with more than 750,000ac/300,000ha of vines (3x its current acreage).
This proved to be a turning point for the local wine industry. Producers focused on the quantitative production of vino da taglio for the next 100 years.

Question 26

When did phylloxera reach Sicilia and what was the result?

Answer 26

At the close of the 19th C.; the louse was as equally destructive on the island as it had been on the French.

An economic crisis ensued and the island experienced massive emigration to North/South America in the early 20th C.. Many vineyards were abandoned.

The ensuing two WWs contributed even more to the general decline in vineyard area and wine production.

Question 27

How was wine production in Sicilia in the second half of the 20th C.?

Answer 27

The island found itself solely focused on Marsala and bulk wine. But Marsala was beginning to decline. There was a general market shift away from fortified wines. Bulk wine regained ground in the 1960s & 1970s.

Question 28

Sicilia had few notable dry wines throughout much of the 20th C.. Name the standout producers who were the rare, early exceptions.

Answer 28

• Duca di Salaparuta
• Tasca d’Almerita

Question 29

When did a gradual movement towards quality wine production begin to take shape in Sicilia?

Answer 29

During the 1970s.

It became more evident in the 1980s.

Question 30

What contribution did IRVV make to the island of Sicilia?

Answer 30

The work of the Istituto Regionale della Vite e del Vino (Regional Institue of Vine and Wine) contributed to the transition from bulk wine to quality wine production on the island. Their research allowed for the re-planting of the right grape varieties in the right places by researching grape varieties, clones, rootstocks, and vine training systems. Great strides were made during the 1980s. Thanks to experimental vineyards planted with both international and native varieties, they were able to suggest which grapes, clones and rootstocks were ideal for individual winegrowing areas.

Question 31

What is the IRVV?

Answer 31

The Istituto Regionale della Vite e del Vino (Regional Institue of Vine and Wine) is a government institute established in the 1950s with the aim of supporting and improving both viticulture and winemaking, in addition to promoting the Sicilian wine industry.

In 2011, the institute was transformed into the IRVOS (Regional Institue of Wine and Oil of Sicily) in order to also promote and support the production of Sicilian olive oil.

Question 32

Who is John Woodhouse?

Answer 32

A merchant from Liverpool, England who was forced to dock at the port of Marsala when at sea, where he tasted a local specialty that reminded him of Madeira

Question 33

What is the name of the intense and complex wine that John Woodhouse tasted in Sicilia?

Answer 33

Vino perpetuo (perpetuum)

It was made with a local version of a solera system.

Question 34

How did John Woodhouse alter the vino perpetuo wine?

Answer 34

He believed this wine could be refined, fortified and produced at a lower cost than Madeira or other fortified wines that the British imported.
He sent 50 pipes to England, and added grape spirit to the wine to preserve the stability during the ocean voyage.

The wines were well-received, he invested in the production of this wine that was re-named “Marsala”.

Question 35

What was the state of Marsala’s reputation throughout the 19th century?

Answer 35

It continued to grow and became the favourite of the British Royal Navy.
This wine attracted the interest of other British merchants such as Benjamin Ingham.
Sicilian entrepreneurs, notably Florio, began also to appear by the 1830s.

Question 36

What was the state of Marsala’s reputation throughout the 19th century?

Answer 36

It continued to grow and became the favourite of the British Royal Navy.
This wine attracted the interest of other British merchants such as Benjamin Ingham.
Sicilian entrepreneurs, notably Florio, began also to appear by the 1830s.

Question 37

How did phylloxera influence the production of Marsala wines?

Answer 37

It caused a gradual decline in the quality of the wine. Producers bought unsuitable bulk wine to compensate for the lack of local grapes.
Some began to heavily adulterate and manipulate their wines resulting in mediocre quality and a loss of typicity.

Question 38

When did the Italian government delimit the Marsala winegrowing area?

Answer 38

1931

In order to guarantee authenticity of product.

Question 39

When were further measures taken to set production rules of Marsala and to define the organoleptic characteristics of the wine?

Answer 39

In the 1950s.

Question 40

When was Marsala DOC introduced?

Answer 40

1969

Question 41

How did producers attempt to combat declining Marsala sales in the early 1900s?

Answer 41

Marsala Speciali was created.
They soon became popular among food companies and consumers and Marsala turned into a cooking ingredient.

Question 42

What is Marsala Speciali?

Answer 42

Flavoured Marsala.
The fortified wine was mixed with a host of different food stuffs - fruit, nuts, spices, chocolate and egg.

Question 43

How did the introduction of Marsala Specialia influence the reputation of Marasala?

Answer 43

The deviation from the traditional product seriously damaged the reputation of Marsala with lingering consequences still evident today.

Question 44

What changes occurred to the Marsala DOC in 1984?

Answer 44

A new law was introduced with the aim of restoring Marsala’s credibility.
* winegrowing area was restricted
* more stringent production rules established
* Marsala Speciali was eliminated from the DOC