Editing Sicily (section)

===Kingdom of Sicily (1198–1860)===
{{Main|Kingdom of Sicily|List of monarchs of Sicily}}
[[File:Sicilian Vespers by Francesco Hayez, 1846 - Galleria nazionale d'arte moderna - Rome, Italy - DSC05404.jpg|thumb|''The [[Sicilian Vespers]]'', [[Francesco Hayez]], oil on canvas, 1846]]
[[File:Inizio rivolta siciliana.jpg|thumb|Satiric allegoric print showing Sicily rejecting Neapolitan government at begin of the [[Sicilian revolution of 1848|1848 revolution]]]]

After a century, the Norman [[Hauteville family|Hauteville]] dynasty died out; the last direct descendant and heir of Roger II, [[Constance I of Sicily|Constance]], married [[Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor Henry VI]].<ref name="dieli" /> This eventually led to the crown of Sicily being passed to the [[Hohenstaufen]] dynasty, who were Germans from [[Swabia]]. The last of the Hohenstaufens, [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick II]], the only son of [[Constance I of Sicily|Constance]], was one of the greatest and most cultured men of the Middle Ages. His mother's will had asked [[Pope Innocent III]] to undertake the guardianship of her son.  Frederick was four when at [[Palermo]], he was crowned [[King of Sicily]] in 1198. Frederick received no systematic education and was allowed to run free in the streets of [[Palermo]]. There he picked up the many languages he heard spoken, such as Arabic and Greek, and learned some of the lore of the Jewish community. At age twelve, he dismissed Innocent's deputy regent and took over the government; at fifteen he married [[Constance of Aragon, Holy Roman Empress|Constance of Aragon]], and began his reclamation of the imperial crown. Subsequently, due to Muslim rebellions, Frederick II destroyed the remaining Muslim presence in Sicily, estimated at 60,000 people, moving all to the city of Lucera in Apulia between 1221 and 1226.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=weluAAAAQBAJ|title=Muslims in Medieval Italy: The Colony at Lucera|first=Julie|last=Taylor|date=19 August 2003|publisher=Lexington Books|via=Google Books|isbn=9780739157978}}</ref>

Conflict between the Hohenstaufen house and the [[Papacy]] led, in 1266, to [[Pope Innocent IV]] crowning the [[Capetian House of Anjou|French prince]] [[Charles I of Naples|Charles]], [[count of Anjou]] and [[County of Provence|Provence]], as the king of both Sicily and Naples.<ref name="dieli" />

Strong opposition to French officialdom due to mistreatment and taxation saw the local peoples of Sicily rise up, leading in 1282 to an [[insurrection]] known as the [[War of the Sicilian Vespers]], which eventually saw almost the entire French population on the island killed.<ref name="dieli" /> During the war, the Sicilians turned to [[Peter III of Aragon]], son-in-law of the last Hohenstaufen king, for support after being rejected by the Pope. Peter gained control of Sicily from the French, who, however, retained control of the [[Kingdom of Naples]]. A crusade was launched in August 1283 against Peter III and the Crown of Aragon by [[Pope Martin IV]] (a pope from [[Île-de-France]]), but it failed. The wars continued until the [[peace of Caltabellotta]] in 1302, which saw Peter's son [[Frederick III of Sicily|Frederick III]] recognized as the king of the Isle of Sicily, while [[Charles II of Naples|Charles II]] was recognized as the king of Naples by [[Pope Boniface VIII]].<ref name="dieli" /> Sicily was ruled as an independent kingdom by relatives of the kings of Aragon until 1409 and then as part of the [[Crown of Aragon]].<ref name="knowital" />

In October 1347, in Messina, Sicily, the [[Black Death]] first arrived in Europe.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thoughtco.com/spread-of-the-black-death-through-europe-4123214 |first=Melissa |last=Snell |date=July 30, 2019 |title=The Arrival and Spread of the Black Plague in Europe |website=ThoughtCo |access-date=24 January 2024}}</ref>

Between the 15th and 18th centuries, waves of [[Greeks]] from the [[Peloponnese]] (such as the [[Maniots]]) and [[Arvanites]] migrated to Sicily in large numbers to escape persecution after the [[Ottoman conquest of the Balkans|Ottoman conquest of the Peloponnese]]. They brought with them [[Eastern Orthodoxy]] as well as the [[Greek language|Greek]] and [[Arvanitika]] languages, once again adding onto the extensive [[Byzantine]]/[[Greek Culture|Greek]] influence.

The onset of the [[Spanish Inquisition]] in 1492 led to [[Ferdinand II of Aragon|Ferdinand II]] decreeing the expulsion of all Jews from Sicily.<ref name="dieli" /> The eastern part of the island was hit by destructive earthquakes in 1542 and 1693. Just a few years before the latter earthquake, the island was struck by a [[plague (disease)|plague]].<ref name="dieli">{{cite web|url=http://www.dieli.net/SicilyPage/History/SicilianHist.html |publisher=Dieli.net|title=Sicilian History: An Abbreviated Chronology |date=8 July 2015|first = Art|last = Dieli}}</ref> The [[1693 Sicily earthquake|earthquake in 1693]] took an estimated 60,000 lives.<ref>"[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/europe/2381585.stm Italy's earthquake history]". BBC News. 31 October 2002.</ref> There were revolts during the 17th century, but these were quelled with force, especially the revolts of Palermo and Messina.<ref name="knowital">{{cite news|url=http://knowital.com/history/sicily/sicily-history.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030801195242/http://knowital.com/history/sicily/sicily-history.html|archive-date=1 August 2003|publisher=knowital.com|title=History of Sicily|url-status=usurped|date=7 October 2007}}</ref> [[Barbary pirates|North African]] [[Barbary slave trade|slave raids]] discouraged settlement along the coast until the 19th century.<ref>Rees Davies, [https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/white_slaves_02.shtml British Slaves on the Barbary Coast], [[BBC]], 1 July 2003</ref><ref>"''[https://books.google.com/books?id=5q9zcB3JS40C&pg=PR14 Christian Slaves, Muslim Masters: White Slavery in the Mediterranean, the Barbary Coast and Italy, 1500–1800]''". Robert Davis (2004) {{ISBN|1-4039-4551-9}}</ref> The [[Treaty of Utrecht]] in 1713 saw Sicily assigned to the [[House of Savoy]]; however, this period of rule lasted only seven years, as it was exchanged for the island of [[Sardinia]] with [[Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor Charles VI]] of the Austrian [[House of Habsburg|Habsburg Dynasty]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldica.org/topics/france/utrecht.htm|publisher=Heraldica.org|title=The Treaties of Utrecht (1713)|date=7 October 2007}}</ref>

While the Austrians were concerned with the [[War of the Polish Succession]], a [[House of Bourbon|Bourbon]] prince, [[Charles III of Spain|Charles]] from Spain was able to conquer Sicily and Naples.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.realcasadiborbone.it/uk/archiviostorico/cs_04.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030804170901/http://www.realcasadiborbone.it/uk/archiviostorico/cs_04.htm|archive-date=4 August 2003|publisher=RealCasaDiBorbone.it|title=Charles of Bourbon – the restorer of the Kingdom of Naples|date=7 October 2007}}</ref> At first Sicily was able to remain as an independent kingdom under [[personal union]], while the Bourbons ruled over both from Naples. However, the advent of [[Napoleon I|Napoleon]]'s [[First French Empire]] saw Naples taken at the [[Battle of Campo Tenese]] and Bonapartist [[King of Naples]] was installed. [[Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies|Ferdinand III]], the Bourbon, was forced to retreat to Sicily which he was still in control of with the help of [[Royal Navy|British naval]] protection.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.clash-of-steel.co.uk/pages/battle_details.php?battle=CAMPOTENES01|publisher=Clash-of-Steel.co.uk|title=Campo Tenese|date=7 October 2007}}</ref>

Following this, Sicily joined the [[Napoleonic Wars]], and subsequently the British under [[Lord William Bentinck]] established a military and diplomatic presence on the island to protect against a French invasion. Sicilian volunteers joined the British military to form the [[Royal Sicilian Regiment]], which saw action at the [[Battle of Maida]] and then transferred to [[Peninsular War|Iberia]]. After the wars were won, Sicily and Naples formally merged as the [[Two Sicilies]] under the Bourbons. Major [[revolutionary]] movements occurred in 1820 and 1848 against the Bourbon government with Sicily seeking independence; the second of which, the [[Sicilian revolution of independence of 1848|1848 revolution]] resulted in a short period of independence for Sicily. However, in 1849 the Bourbons retook control of the island and dominated it until 1860.<ref>[http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/regno-delle-due-sicilie/ Regno Delle Due Sicilie nell'Enciclopedia Treccani]. Treccani.it. Retrieved on 18 December 2012.</ref>