Licata and Its History
Licata has very ancient origins, date back to prehistory, the lower paleolithic, but the official archaeology dates the foundation of the city to 282 B.C. by Finzia, tyrant of Agrigento.
The fertility of the soil and the geographical position, in the centre of the southern coast of Sicily and at the mouth of the river Salso-Himera, have favoured the rise of numerous human settlements, even before the Greek colonization.
The territory was affected by the Mycenaean presence that influenced the myth of Minos.
The polis of Finziade, the ancient name of the city, located on the hill of Sant’Angelo, the historic mount Eknomos, lasted until Roman domination, when the city was suddenly abandoned, developing later in the flat part.
In 256 B.C. in the sea of Licata one of the phases of the First Punic War was fought, in which the Romans, in the naval battle of Cape Eknomos, defeated the Carthaginians for the domination of the Mediterranean, establishing their supremacy.
Under Roman domination the city is transformed into a large commercial emporium.
The Christian presence spread between the IV and VIII century with the arrival of the Basilian monks who officiated the cult inside the rock churches, until 580 AD in which Pope Gregory the Great, by order of the mother, Blessed Silvia, entrusted the church of Santa Maria del Monte (ancient cathedral of the city) to the Benedictines.
Around the twelfth century people were more concentrated in the lower part of the city, inside the city walls, there were the Royal Castle St. Giacomo, the ancient Limpiados, placed in defense of the territory.
Under the Swabian domination, Licata had granted by the Emperor Frederick II in 1234 the title of “beloved”, to decorate with the eagle Swabian the city coat of arms and to participate in the Sicilian parliament as state property.
In this period there is the presence of Saint Angelo Carmelite who came to preach and found martyrdom in 1220, becoming patron of the city.
In 1447 King Alphonsus I granted to the city the title of «most faithful» because of his loyalty to the house of Aragon, which thus added to the Swabian title.
The Spanish period is the most excited, Licata suffers economic and social damage, due to famine, plague, earthquakes and Turkish invasions. The most dramatic event is the Franco-Turkish invasion of 11 July 1553, when the city is sacked and devastated by the enemy horde, led by the terrible Dragut. Despite these disastrous events, the city has always found ways to redeem itself, as when in 1648 it was sold to the Bishop of Girgenti for the famine and two years later it returned to the Royal State.
Between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries licata, completely rebuilt after the events of the previous century, is further embellished with religious and civil buildings, with the support of noble families, of religious orders and brotherhoods that spread in the city a refined sense of culture and education.
In this period the realization of several works of art by the most renowned Sicilian and non Sicilian painters, the foundation of the “Accademia dell’Arcadia” and the “Serroviriano College”, which takes its name from the noble Serrovira’s family.
In the nineteenth century the city participates actively in the anti-borbonic insurrections and in 1860 housed Nino Bixio and Menotti Garibaldi to enlist volunteers for the famous expedition of the Thousand.
The beginning of the twentieth century is a flourishing period for Licata that sees in the activity of sulphur and even before wheat, the main source of its economy.
In addition to economic growth, there is a revival in the cultural field, favored by the bourgeois class, which stimulates a renewed architectural and artistic style of the city with the construction of several palaces and villas in Art Nouveau style.
On July 10, 1943, the Anglo-American disembarkation in Sicily, which takes place along Licata’s coasts, affecting the whole city, to continue in Italy and Europe, in the work of liberation from Nazi-Fascism. In this sense, Licata is the first city where Americans landed.
After the end of the war and the sulphur crisis, a period of decay began, coinciding with the massive emigration of many citizens to other European countries or other continents. The city loses a large part of the workforce and the economy suffers a heavy blow, which is attenuated with the local crafts and shipbuilding. This art continues to excel in the restoration or construction of boats, thus reconciling the ancient techniques with modern technologies.
At the end of the 1980 the city experienced a moment of sporting glory with the promotion of the league football team that gave the chance to Licata to be known throughout Italy for its “sport miracle”.
Finally, in recent years the city is developing its tourist aspect, favored by the climate, the sea, the centuries-old history and the interesting historical, cultural and gastronomic heritage. The presence of different B&B, villages and various services allow a wide tourist offer.
