My connection to Sicily is interesting.  While not really Sicilian, many of my ancestors had some hand in ruling there, either directly of indirectly.  For example, the Hauteville, Hohenstaufen, Angevin French, the Argagonese and Spanish Hapsburgs are all part of my family tree going back almost 1000 years.  Also, my wife’s mom is from Sciaccia, and her family is Proietto, Baldasanno, DeMino, Gelardi and some Cusumano. Reading through the history, it’s not surprising that when “Sicilian’s” do a DNA test, there is a number of nationalities that show up. My wife is 10% Norwegian!  Scroll to the bottom to see some of my ancestors that were involved in The History of Sicily Italy. THE HISTORY OF SICILY ITALY  Over 2,500 years at a strategic crossroads of the western world have left Sicily with an unparalleled historical legacy. Nowhere else have Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, French, Germans, Spanish, Italians and even British left such an indelible impression. Whether you are more attracted by Greek temples, Roman villas and aqueducts, Norman cathedrals or Baroque churches, Sicily offers a range of historical sites that is not easily matched. A timetable of the history of Sicily 20,000-750 BC Pre-Greek History 20,000-10,000: Paleolithic settlements. What’s left to see: cave paintings at Levanzoand Addaura 4,000-3,000 Neolithic settlements in the east, pottery and tools found. What’s left to see: remains displayed in museum on Lipari 3,000-2,000 The copper age: more settlers arrive from the Aegean. Evidence of cultivation, animal husbandry and trade. 2,000-1,000 The Bronze age, with significant Mycenaean influence. What’s left to see: Capo Graziano and Punta Milazzese in Aeolian Islands. 1250 approx Ausonians move to the Aeolian Islands and the Sikels occupy the east and begin moving inland. Sicans (from North Africa) and Elymians (Trojan refugees) settle in West. What’s left to see: Sikel necropolis in Pantalica. 900-700 Carthaginians (Phoenicians from eastern Mediterranean) replace the Mycenaean and settled Panormus (Palermo), Solunto and Mothya. What’s left to see: Phoenician colonies at Mothya, Solunto. 750-215 BC – The Greeks 734 Colonisation of Naxos (near Taormina). Greeks begin to arrive in search of land in development of a wealthy “Magna Graecia”. Naxians followed by Megarians at Megara Hyblaea, Corinthians at Ortygia (Syracuse), Rhodians, Cretans and Cnidians at Gela. What’s left to see: Taormina, Ortygia, Megara Hyblaea, Erice. Mother Colonies start to form dependent city states. What’s left to see: Agrigento, Selinunte, Segesta, Eraclea Minoa. Sicily proves extremely fertile and olives and vines are introduced. Trade intensifies and Sicilian Magna Graecia becomes extremely rich. Internal rivalries lead to bloody war: 480 Battle of Himera: a rare alliance of Gela, Agrigento and Syracuse defeat the Carthaginians heralding the beginning of a “Golden Age”.450 Rebellion led by Ducetius (a Hellenised Sikel), quashed by Syracuse, confirming their power. 415-413 Athenian invasion (the Great Expedition) of Syracuse in support of Segestaagainst Syracusan Tyrants fails leaving 7000 Athenian soldiers in slavery. Read more about the Greeks in Sicily:  A mythical land >> Siracusa defeats the mighty Athens >>  264-211 BC –  The Punic Wars 264-241 First Punic War: Romans use the Sikels against Carthage. What’s left to see: Punic Ship at Marsala. 218-201 Second Punic war: Syracuse falls in 211 giving way to Roman rule 218 BC – 468 AD  – The Romans  44 Sextus Pompey seizes Sicily, interrupting grain exports and resulting in harsh retributions at his overthrow. 139-132 First slave revolt 104-100 Second slave revolt against Roman rule. Forests are destroyed for shipbuilding and the resulting fields become “The Granary of Rome” or “the nurse at whose breast the Roman people is fed”. Relative calm reigns though many Greek temples are despoiled. The Roman sack of Sicily rises to its peak under the governorship of Verres, who Cicero prosecutes. Greek culture and language remain strong. What’s left to see: grain fields in the interior, Villa Romana del Casaleat Piazza Armerina, the “Roman” theatre at Taorminaand the Roman theatre and amphitheatre in Catania. Read more about the Romans in Sicily: The Roman sack of Sicily >> 468-476 – The Vandals 468-476 Vandals (of Germanic origins) invade from North Africa 476-535  – The Ostrogoths 476-535 Ostrogoths rule Sicily 535-827 – The Byzantines 535 –  The Byzantines (under Belisario) occupy Sicily and are embraced by a still very strong Greek culture.  663  – Syracuse briefly replaces Constantinople as the capital of the Byzantine empire. 700 approx – Pantelleria occupied by Moors 827-1061 – The Arabs 827 – Beginning of Arab invasion with landing of 10,000 Arabs, Berbers and Spanish Muslims (collective term Saracens) at Mazara del Vallo. 832 – Arabs conquer Palermo making it their capital. Palermo becomes one of the most populous and cosmopolitan centres in the world. Trade flourishes, sophisticated irrigation systems built. Taxes reduce and an era of religious tolerance begins. What’s left to see: Place names (Calta…., Gibil….), Citrus trees, Sugar Cane. Thermal Baths at Cefala’ Diana. 878 – Arabs conquer Syracuse. 1038 – Byzantines attempt to exploit Arab feuding as General George Maniakes tries to bring Sicily back under the influence of Constantinople. Read more about the Arabs in Sicily: The Arabs in Sicily >>A unique architectural fusion >>  1060-1194 – The Normans 1059 – Pope Nicolo’ II authorises the Hauteville family of Normans (present in Calabria and Puglia) to occupy any area of Southern Italy as long as they don’t recognise the power of Constantinople. 1064 -Norman Roger Hauteville invades Messina in response to a call for help from the Arabs against the Byzantines. 1071  – Normans take Palermo following a six month naval blockade. What’s left to see: S. Giovanni dei Lebbrosi (Palermo). 1071 onwards – the Normans take possession of Sicily, but they are few so have to accept and integrate Arab administration and justice systems. They make use of Arab and Byzantine craftsmen and architects provoking a fusion of talent and leaving an incredible legacy of art and architecture. Arabic is replaced by French and Italian and the clerical hierarchy is Latinised bringing 1,500 years of Greek influence to an end. What’s left to see: Norman Palace and Palatine Chapel in Palermo. Fortifications all over the Island. The castle at Erice. 1130-1154  – King Roger II extends huge influence over the Mediterranean region. What’s left to see: Cefalu Cathedral; S.Giovanni degli Eremiti, Martorana and Magione churches in Palermo. 1154-1166  – King William I (William the Bad) exploits his position and fails to control barons. Englishman Walter of the Mill became archbishop of Palermo. What’s left to see: Palermo Cathedral; “La Zisa” (palace in Palermo). 1166-1189 King William II (William the Good) establishes second archbishopric at Monreale. What’s left to see: Cathedral at Monreale. Royal Palace in Palermo. 1189-1194 Fast decline of Norman power following divisions after the death of William II (age 36). Roger II’s aunt marries Hohenstaufen Henry. 1190 – Richard I of England (Richard the Lion-Heart) stops in Messina on his way to the Third Crusade, sacking the city. Read more about the Normans in Sicily: A unique architectural fusion >>  1194-1266 – The Hohenstaufen (Swabians) 1194 – The Hohenstaufen arrive to little opposition and Henry VI is crowned King of Sicily. He is succeeded by Frederick II (Stupor Mundi) under whose reign poetry, science, law and medicine advance. After his death, the Pope sells Sicily to the King of England, who gives it to his 8 year old son Edmund of Lancaster. What’s left to see: fortified castles in Milazzo, Catania (Castello Ursino) and Siracusa (Castello Maniace). 1266-1282 – The Angevin French 1266 – The French Pope deposes Edmund and gives Sicily to Charles of Anjou (brother of Louis IX). The Angevins oppress Sicily as no previous power has, (high taxes and division of baronial fiefs among French aristocrats), and are generally detested. 1282  – The Sicilian Vespers, a popular uprising killing thousands of French occupiers, pave the way for a new conqueror. What’s left to see: the castle in Sperlinga (last refuge for defeated Angevins) Read more about the Sicilian Vespers: The Sicilian Vespers >> 1282-1516 – The Aragonese 1282 – Peter of Aragon lands in Trapani and is acclaimed king at Palermo. The arrival of the Aragonese means the beginning of five centuries of Spanish domination and isolation from Italy and consequently from Europe. 1282-1302  – War of the Vespers between Aragonese and Angevins fought mainly on mainland Italy and in Spain. 1302  – Peace of Caltabellotta gives Sicily to the Aragonese and Mainland territories in Southern Italy to the French. 14th Century Ineffectual government with power in the hands of nobility. Black death decimates the population. 15th Century  – Linked to Spain and cut off from Italian mainland (held by Angevins except for a brief period during reign of Alphonse II 1416-1458), Sicily becomes more isolated. With the discovery of America in 1492 Spanish attention shifts for good from the Mediterranean. Sicily falls under the control of corrupt nobility and the inquisition brings religious tolerance to an end. What’s left to see: Chiaramonte and Catalan-Gothic villas in Palermo. 1516-1713 – The Spanish Habsburgs 16th Century – Isolation and misgovernment continues. Nobility reinforce the feudal system forcing peasants off the land and leaving estates in the hands of Massari or Gabellotti, bailiffs charged with collection of rent. Sicily is now essentially a source of funds for Spanish expansion. Discontent leads to rise of brigandry supported by oppressed population who find defence from prosecution in a code of silence, or “omertà”… the beginnings of the Mafia. What’s left to see: Remains of fortified Masserie (farm estates) all over the agricultural interior. 17th Century Repression is compounded by disease and disaster as Sicily’s misery deepens under continuing Spanish misrule. Insurrection in the big cities is effectively and violently quashed.  What’s left to see: the main grid system of the old centre of Palermo. The Quattro Canti, Baroque churches. 1647 – Revolt of Palermo 1669  – Huge eruption of Etna destroys much around Catania. 1674-78 Revolt of Messina 1693 Earthquake and following plague destroys much of the east coast and kills 5% of the population. Followed by massive rebuilding programme, leaving some of the most spectacular Baroque architecture in Europe. What’s left to see: Baroque architecture in Ragusa, Syracuse, Noto.1700 Charles II dies. 1713-1720  – Piedmontese. 1713 – Treaty of Utrecht following the death of Charles II of Spain gives Sicily to the House of Savoy. 1720-1734 – The Austrian Habsburgs 1720 – The House of Savoy trades Sicily with the Austrians for Sardinia. 1734-1806 – The Bourbons 18th Century The continuation of indirect Spanish rule through a pampered, parasitic and corrupt nobility results in increased oppression and virtual elimination of wealth production. Sicily is excluded from the revolutionary spirit of the French revolution. What’s left to see: late Baroque palaces and churches all over Sicily. 1734 – Bourbon King Charles I (1734-59) reclaims Sicily for the Spanish 1740 John Woodhouse begins production and export of fortified wines at Marsala. “Woodhouse” Marsala wine label, now managed by Florio. What’s left to see: various wineries in Marsala.1759 – Charles I becomes Charles III of Spain leaving Sicily to be governed indirectly by Ferdinand IV of Naples. 1799 – Napoleon invades Naples, forcing Ferdinand to flee to Palermo in Admiral Nelson’s flagship. Nelson is rewarded by the king with a large holding near mount Etna. What’s left to see: Castel Nelson at Maniace. 1806-1815 – British Administration 1812 Lord Bentinck (commander of British forces) forces introduction of a two-chamber parliament based on British model. Abolition of feudal privileges. Increase in Malvasia wine production to supply Nelson’s fleet, based in Messina.1815 Napoleon is defeated and the British abandon Sicily to the Bourbons. Read more about the British in Sicily: Rule Britannia – Nelson in Sicily >> 1815-1860 – The Bourbons 1815 Ferdinand returns to Naples and declares himself Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies. British designed constitution is abandoned. Next 45 years Revolutionary spirit grows as Spanish rule becomes increasingly untenable. 1832  – a new island appears to the south of Sciacca and is simultaneously claimed by French, British and Bourbons. Named Ferdinandea by the Bourbons (after Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies) and Graham Island by the British (after Sir James Robert George Graham of the Admiralty) the island disappered before war could be declared between the contesting powers. It now lies 8 metres below the surface and presents a significant shipping hasard.  1860-1946 – The unification of Italy (Monarchy) 1860 – Garibaldi begins unification of Italy having landed at Marsala on 11 May. Swift defeat of the Bourbons. Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy declared King. After unification Sicily is once again in the hands of a distant government. Old aristocracy maintained most privileges. Misgovernment, few voting rights, increased taxation and conscription lead to more discontent. 1866 – Revolt of Palermo quashed by Turin. 1886 – Ernesto Basile builds “il Teatro al Massimo” opera house in Palermo. What’s left to see: Opera House and countless “Liberty” style buildings and Villas in Palermo, Mondello, Bagheria, and Sferracavallo.1891-94 Fasci Siciliani (workers organisations) achieve some improvements in land laws, but are quashed by 15,000 troop sent to Palermo by prime minister Francesco Crispi. 1908 80,000 killed in Messina earthquake. 1914 – Repression leads to frustration and mass emigration of peasants. Wage increases due to labour shortage. 1922-43 – Mussolini becomes prime minister. Cesare Mori imprisons 1,000s of Mafia suspects pushing criminals underground. 1930s Sicily is of essential strategic importance during Mussolini’s colonisation attempts in North Africa. 1943 – Following 6 weeks of bombing, allies land at Gela and Syracuse to begin liberation of Europe from Hitler’s Germany. Heavy damage to much of old Palermo and Messina. Read more about the unification of Italy and the 2nd World War in Sicily: To Rome or Death! Garibaldi in Sicily >> The Allied Invasion of Sicily >> 1946-Today – The Italian Republic 1946 Sicily becomes an autonomous region of Italy 1951-1971 – 1.5 million people emigrate, mainly to Northern Italy, Germany and the USA. 1958 – Italy joins the European Union (then the Common Market) 1968 – Major earthquake in the Val di Belice. Remains of Gibellina and Poggio Reale.1986-1987 – “Maxiprocessi” against over 500 Mafia members. 1992 – Giulio Andreotti steps down as Prime Minister. 1992 – Mafia assassinations of Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino.  1993  -Arrest of Salvatore Riina (boss of bosses) in Corleone. Since 1993: Mayors of Palermo, Catania and Syracuse started ongoing process of restoration of old town centres.The opening and maintaining of marine reserves and national parks to protect the rich flora and fauna.The formation of the “Etna Valley” industrial parks to promote the development of High tech and pharmaceutical companies. 1994 – Silvio Berlusconi’s first national government. 1997 – Agrigento and the Villa Romana del Casale become UNESCO world heritage sites. 1997 – The Teatro Massimo (the third largest opera house in Europe) reopens in Palermo after 25 years of closure. 2000 – the Aeolian Island listed as UNESCO world heritage site. What’s left to see: Aeolian Islands: Vulcano, Lipari, Salina, Panarea, Stromboli, Filicudi, Alicudi. 2001 – Berlusconi returns as Prime Minister of Italy with 100% of Sicilian seats. 2002 – The late Baroque towns of the Noto Valley have been listed as World Heritage sites by UNESCO. What’s left to see: Noto, Ibla, Scicli, Modica, Ragusa, Caltagirone, Militello Val di Catania, Catania, Palazzolo Acreide. From the Thinking Traveller My Second Cousin’s Husband When He Arrived in the US around 1920. The coolest photo of a Sicilian Gent! Click to Join Italian Genealogy on Facebook

By F l a n k e r (optimized by Blackcat – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Liguria, the third smallest of the regioniof Italy, bordering the Ligurian Sea, in the northwestern part of the country. It comprises the provincieof Genoa, Imperia, La Spezia, and Savona. PortovenerePortovenere, La Spezia province, Liguria, Italy.© sds-studio/Shutterstock.com Shaped like a crescent reaching from the mouth of the Roia River to that of the Magra and from the French frontier to Tuscany, Liguria is dominated by the Maritime Alps as far as the Cadibona Pass and by the Ligurian Apennines east of that point. The narrow, picturesquely indented coastal fringe, the Italian Riviera, is customarily divided into a western section, the Ponente Riviera, and an eastern section, the Levante Riviera, the point of division being the apex of the Ligurian arc at Voltri, near Genoa. Most of the population is concentrated within this coastal area. The region, which derived its name from the Ligurians, its pre-Roman inhabitants, came under the domination of Rome in the 1st century bc. After brief Lombard and Frankish rule, the city of Genoa began to emerge as a leading power as early as the 11th century ad. By 1400 the city had gained control of the entire region and become one of the principal maritime and commercial powers of Europe. Despite numerous conflicts with its competitors, especially Venice, Genoa kept its independence until 1796, when it was seized by Napoleon Bonaparte for France. The Congress of Vienna (1815) gave Liguria to the kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia. Liguria played a leading part in the Risorgimento (movement for Italian independence) and contributed significantly to the union of Italy in 1860. Genoa became the major port of the new unified Italy, rivaling Marseille in France. Because of the shelter from winter winds afforded by the mountains, Liguria is particularly favoured in growing early vegetables, flowers (especially in the western section), olives, and wine grapes, and its mild climate draws an active tourist trade in the numerous coastal resorts. Industries are concentrated in and around Genoa (the regional and provincial capital), around Savona, and along the shores of the Gulf of La Spezia. At Genoa and La Spezia are Italy’s leading shipyards; La Spezia is Italy’s major naval base, and Savona is a major centre of the Italian iron industry. Chemical, textile, and food industries are also important. Area 2,092 square miles (5,418 square km). Pop. (1991) 1,701,788; (2000 est.) 1,625,870. This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen, Corrections Manager. Citation InformationArticle Title:LiguriaWebsite Name:Encyclopaedia BritannicaPublisher:Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.Date Published:02 February 2017URL:https://www.britannica.com/place/LiguriaAccess Date:June 16, 2019 Click here to Join Italian Genealogy on Facebook History Occupied by the Romans in the 3rd century BC, Liguria belonged with Piemonte to the Decima Regio of the Roman Empire, then in the early 4th century AD was united to Emilia. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire it was conquered by the Byzantines who named it Provincia Maritima Italorum and then in the early 7th century by the Lombards, followed one century later by the Franks, who divided it into 3 feudal territories called Arduinica (in the west), Aleramica (in the center) and Obertenga (in the east), then was subsequently further divided into a number of fiefdoms such as Cavi, Lavagna, Savona, Ventimiglia, Nice, Genoa. With the rise in power of the Communes against the feudal lords, very soon Genoa acquired the supremacy in the region, and became a powerful maritime republic, often at wars with other sea-trading centers like Savona and Venice. In the following century there were periods of independence followed by darker periods of foreign occupation, as under the Visconti of Milan. The Republic of Genoa was an important ally of Napoleon, and suffered a blockade by the English fleet in 1805. For this reason it lost its independence in 1825, when the Congress of Vienna annexed the whole of Liguria to the Kingdom of Sardinia, under the Savoy family. The history of the region, always dependent on the sea, saw since mid-1800 a never-ending exodus of hundreds of thousands of Italian emigrants from the port of Genoa to destinations overseas. Liguria https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3A4eR7k2SpY

Click here to Join Italian Genealogy on Facebook My connection to Veneto goes back to several ancestors Barbarossa, the d’ Este and Carrara families and several Doges.  See the links below. History The population of the Veneto began around7000 years ago, and intensified during the Bronze Age, firstly in the hills around Verona, along the eastern coast of Lake Garda and near the river courses of the zone. Around 1000 B.C. the Paleovenetian civilisation developed a true culture in the territory of Este, and established links with other distant peoples such as the Greeks, Etruscans, Celts and other Transalpine races. The Venetians quickly established a strong ethnic, cultural and political identity, and to preserve this they formed an alliance with the Romans in the 3rd century B.C. to confront the barbarian threat. This alliance led to important construction within the infrastructure and organisation and edification of urban centres. The Veneto then became completely absorbed in the Roman Empireduring the 1st century B.C. though still maintaining its distinct traits, for which Rome demonstrated great respect. In the first centuries A.D.Germanic invasionsdealt a hard blow to the Venetians and the Romans and following the devastation of the Longobards the inhabitants began their exodus towards the lagoon area. The first nucleus of the city of Venice is datable to around the 9th -10th centuries. The mainland settlements came under assault from the Hungarians, leading to the erection of new fortifications, which shortly after gave birth to a multitude of autonomous jurisdictions and the phenomenon of feudalism, gradually giving way to the renewal of commerce in the 12th century and the birth of the comune system. These comunes, united through the Lombard League fought against the various attempts at restoring the empire by both Frederick I (‘Barbarossa’) and Frederick II. These conflicts favoured the noble ruling families such as the da Romano, da Camino, da Carrara and d’Este, who, proclaiming themselves guardians of their respective cities, thus became elected with the title of podestà, or captain of the people. Meanwhile Veniceescaped from the aegis of Byzantium, which had made it one of its provinces, installing an oligarchic government ruled by the Doge, and expanded its power throughout the Mediterranean by controlling the ports and trade routes of the eastern basin. The important commercial conquests of the Venetians led to hostility from Genoa, who in the 13th century began the struggle for domination of the seas, which was finally obtained by Venice. Venice’s authority spread also to the mainland, however, and at the beginning of the 15th century it was the greatest power of the Italian peninsula and consequently was able to unify the lands of the Veneto. This hegemony produced a common style of culture, language and architecture. In 1797 theVenetian Republicgave its last breath, conquered by Napoleon and then ceded to Austria with the treaty of Campoformio until 1866, when Venice was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy. The Veneto played a highly important role during the Great War of 1914-18when the Italo-Austrian front, which had earlier stretched from the uplands of the Asiago and Dolomites as far as the hills of Gorizia, withdrew after the defeat at Caporetto (24th November 1917) to Monte Grappa and Piave, that is until the borders of the plain: a front line which was decisive for the whole conflict, and in commemoration of which is the shrine at Cima Grappa and various other war memorials throughout the territory. The armistice was signed on 3rd November 1918 at Villa Giusti in Padua. The Second World Wardid not produce a huge amount of damage here, though Treviso and Verona suffered heavy bombardment, and the Germans occupied the area after8th September 1943, date of the armistice with the Allies signalling the end of Italy’s military alliance with the Nazis. From the Venetian Side. History of Veneto From a Roman province to a Doge Republic Originally inhabited by Indo-European Veneti and Euganei, Veneto was conquered by the Romans in the 3rdcentury BC. After the fall of Rome, Goths and Lombards invaded the region. Many Venetians fled into the swampsof the lagoon and established settlements there – Venice was born.With the rise of the city-states in Italy, Venice conquered the eastern Mediterranean and rose to become the most important trading power in Europe. Following its the defeat at the hands of the Ottomans, Venice conquered the surrounding area of the mainland and integrated Verona and Padua into the Venetian empire. After a slow decay of power, Veneto was incorporated into the Hapsburg Empire in the 19thcentury, and finally, in 1866, into the Kingdom of Italy. More… Veneti and Romans In the first millennium BC, the Indo-European Veneti wandered into the present-day Veneto and pushed the resident Euganei into the mountain hills. Brisk trade with the Etruscans and the Greeks helped the Veneti settlers to flourish. Around 300 BC the Roman period began. With their victory against the Etruscans, the Romansfinally conqueredthe Veneto region. Many of the larger settlements such as Verona, Padua, Vicenzaand Trevisowere governed by Roman municipal law, and they became major trading centres in the new Roman province of Venetia et Histria. The capitalof the new province was Aquileia, which is located in today’s Friuli Venezia Giulia region. After the fall of Rome, the area was ruled by the Ostrogoths. During the Great Migration, Veneto was invaded by Visigoths, Huns and Lombards. Many of the frightened people fled intothe marshy lagoons in the delta where they founded the first settlements – the hour of the birth of Venicehad struck. The rise and fall of the Doge Republic With the rise of the Italian city-states, Venice, Verona, Vicenza, Treviso and Padua gained their independence and became powerful economic and trade centres in Veneto. While most of the Venetian cities cooperated with Lombard cities, Venice went its own way,focusing more on the east.After defeating the Dalmatian coast in the 11thcentury, the young Doge Republic rose to a strong sea power. In numerous bloody wars, it expanded its territory throughout the eastern Mediterranean. After the sack of Byzantium, large parts of Greece, including Crete and some regions of Turkey, were part of the Venetian Republic. For two centuries Venicewas the most important trade city in Europe. The rise of the Ottomans in the 14thcentury lead to the slow decline of the Doge Republic. When the Venetians lost many areas in the eastern Mediterranean to the Ottomans, the Doge’s focus turned more towards the mainland around Venice. First Treviso and the Istrian coast were incorporated, in 1404 Verona surrendered, and in 1405 Padua was finally conquered. In the following years the Venetians conquered the rest of today’s Veneto region and occupied cities as far away as Lombardy and Apulia. Only the Austrians, with the help of the French, could put the Venetian expansion efforts to an end in the 16thcentury. With this defeat, the slow phase of decline began, which resulted in the loss of independence in 1815. Veneto from the 19thcentury After a short period as part of the Lombardo-Venetian Cisalpine Republic, Veneto became a dependency of the Austrian Habsburg monarchy, together with Lombardy and Trentino Alto Adige. A long and bloody struggle for independence (Risorgimento)  began, which ended after major battles around Solferino in 1861 in the liberation from foreign rule. In 1861 the Kingdom of Italywas established; it incorporated Veneto in 1866. From Zainoo.com

History of Trentino Originally a Celtic city, Trento was later conquered by the Romans in the first Century BC. In 1027, the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Conrad II, created the Prince-Bishop of Trento, who held both temporal and religious powers. Prince bishops ruled Trento until Napoleon conquered the city in 1801. In 1814 Trento was assigned to the Habsburg Empire. Trento became famous for the Council of Trent (1545-1563) which gave rise to the Counter-Reformation. History – The Modern Age During the late 19th Century Trento and Trieste, Italian cities still belonging to the Austrians, became icons of the national unification movement. The nationalist cause led Italy into World War I. The region was greatly affected during the war, and some of its fiercest battles were fought on the surrounding mountains. After the war, Trento and the surrounding region, whose inhabitants are in vast majority Italian-speaking, was given to Italy, where it belongs to date. Eight centuries of Prince-Bishop rulers, relative independence from the rest of Europe and a strong sense of communal fate left a distinctive mark on the city’s culture, which is dominated by a progressive Social-Catholic political orientation. From Enchanting Italy Click here to Join Italian Genealogy on Facebook Purchase Farmers and Nobles by clicking the photo or son Amazon More Ancient history During the Stone age the valleys of what is now Trentino were already inhabited by humans, the main settlements being in the valley of the Adige River, thanks to its milder climate. Research suggests that the first settlers (probably hunters) came from the Padana Plain and the Venetian Prealps, after the first glaciers began melting at the end of the Pleistoceneglaciations. Findings (in particular, burials) from the Mesolithic period have been found in several parts of the province. These include the comuniof Zambana and Mezzocorona. A large area of a hunting-based settlement from the Neolithicperiod has been found near the lakes of Colbricòn, not far from the Rolle Pass. Around 500 BC, the Raetians appeared in the Trentine area, coming from the Central and Eastern Alpsarea. They settled in several valleys and brought new skills on top of the traditional hunting: agriculture (grapes, vegetables, cereals), breeding (ovines, goats, bovines and horses). During the Roman Age, part of the current Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region made up the province of Raetia. This region was totally conquered by the Romans in the 1st century BC. The definitive defeat of the Rhaetians, near Bolzano, occurred during the military campaigns in the Alps of Drusus and Tiberius(16-17 BC). Trento became a Roman municipium n the 40s BC. During the reign of Emperor Claudius(41-54 AD) Trentino was integrated in the Imperial roadnet with the construction of the Via Claudia Augusta Padana (from Ostiglia to the Resia Pass) and the Via Augusta Altinate (from Treviso to Trento, passing through the Valsugana). Claudius also issued an Edict, contained in the Tabula clesiana, which extended Roman citizenship to the residents of this region. By the fourth century the area was fully latinisated. Bishopric of Trent The Prince-Bishops of Trent ruled the region from Buonconsiglio Castle since the 13th centuryMain article: Bishopric of Trent During the Late Antiquity, in the 5th century AD, Trentino was invaded several times, from North and East: first by the Ostrogoths, then by the Bavarians and Byzantines and finally by the Lombards. With the latter’s domination an idea of territorial identity of the province began to shape (Tridentinum territorium). In the same century the region became largely Christianized. In 774 Trentino was conquered by the Franks and became part of the Kingdom of Italy, a sometimes vague entity included in what was to become the Holy Roman Empire. The first territorial unity of Trentino dates back to 1027, when emperor Conrad II officially gave the rule of the area to the Bishopric of Trent. This entity survived for some eight centuries and granted Trentino a certain autonomy, first from the Holy Roman Empire and then from the Austrian Empire. Part of Austria In the early 19th century some of the Trentine people participated actively in the resistance, led by the Tyrolean Andreas Hofer, against the French invasion. Trentino (green area) was part of the “Alto Adige Department” under Napoleon Napoleon created in 1810 the Department of Alto Adigethat included most of actual Trentino and the area around Bolzano. It was part of Napoleon’s Kingdom of Italyfor some years. After the end of the Napoleonic era (1815), the Bishopric of Trent was dissolved and Trentino became part of the County of Tyrol, in which the majority of the population was German speaking. Though relatively well administered, and despite the presence of Trentine representatives in the Dietsof Innsbruckand Vienna, in the second half of the 19th century a movement (part of the general movement called Italian irredentism) arose with the aim of annexing all the region (south of the Alps watershed) to the Kingdom of Italy: this, however, was largely put forward by intellectuals like Cesare Battist iand Fabio Filzi, and met some support by the predominantly rural population. Given the area’s strategic importance in the event of a war between Austria-Hungary and Italy, the Austro-Hungarians strengthened their troop levels there and fortified the area in the early twentieth century. Under the authority of the Austro-Hungarian chief of staff Franz Conrad von Hötzendorf, modern, armored fortifications were built in the areas around Lavarone and Folgaria; their dual purpose was to protect against an Italian attack and to secure the area as a staging ground for an Austrian assault on Northern Italy.[2] After Italy entered the First World War in 1915, the Trentine territory was a main fronts between Italy and Austria-Hungary, and suffered heavy destruction. After the call to arms summoned by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria on July 31, 1914, more than 55,000 Trentini fought for Austria, first against Russia and Serbia  and, starting from 1915, also against Italians. More than 10,000 of them died, and many others were wounded or made prisoners.[3]Further, hundreds of thousands of civilians were forced to abandon their native area when they were too near to the front lines. Many of them, captured by the Italian Army, were later transferred to Southern Italy as colonists. Union to Italy With the Treaty of Saint-Germain(1919), Trentino was united to Italy, together with the new Province of Bolzano/Bozen (South Tyrol), as part of Venezia Tridentina. The centralization process brought on by the Fascistsreduced the autonomy that cities like Trento or Roveretohad enjoyed under the preceding Liberal governments, while many of the smaller comuniwere united, reducing their number from the 366 under the Habsburg to 127. From Wikipedia

 History of Umbria Italy The first two major tribes to share Umbria were the Umbri and the Etruscans. Although the Etruscans have received more press, the Umbri settled the region first, as far back as 1000 BC. The river Tiber (Tevere in Italian) mostly divided the two: Umbri on the east, Etruscan on the west. The Umbri tribe flourished early on in eastern towns such as Spoleto, Gubbio, Città di Castello and Assisi. Etruscans established towns we know today as Perugia, Orvieto and Città della Pieve, eventually creating 12 powerful city-states. Traces of this past can still be seen in the excellent Museo Archeologico Nazionale dell’Umbria in Perugia. Things seriously changed in Umbria around 300 BC. Soldiers from a little upstart village to the south called Romecame knocking. In 295 BC, Rome conquered the Etruscans, and their lands – including Umbria – fell under Roman rule. Despite the legendary Roman plundering and pillaging, things weren’t totally bad. The Romans initiated public works that are still visible to this day. Emperor Gaius Flaminius built the Via Flaminia in 220 BC, a road which connected Rome to Ancona and the Adriatic Sea, and passed through towns such as Narni, Terni, Spoleto and Foligno, all of which are still littered with Roman ruins. A spur ran to Perugia, whose prominence as the capital of Umbria was growing. In 90 BC, Umbrians were granted full Roman citizenship and, for a handful of centuries, the region thrived. After Rome fell, invasions by Saracens, Goths, Lombards, Byzantines and a whole host of barbarians led to an economic and cultural decline. Starvation and disease were rampant. Umbrians retreated to fortified medieval hill towns such as Gubbio and Todi. Conditions were perfect for the new Roman cult of Christianity to flourish. The church of Sant’Angelo in Perugia, built over a former pagan temple around the 5th and 6th centuries AD, is one of Italy’s oldest extant churches outside of Rome. The political-power gap during the Middle Ages was quickly filled by the Lombard Duchy of Spoleto from the 6th to the 13th centuries, until Umbria became a papal territory. Prominent Umbrian families tended to favour rule by either the pope or the Holy Roman Empire, creating a split between Guelphs (papal supporters) and Ghibellines (champions of the emperors). Spoleto and Todi became Ghibelline cities while Perugia and Orvieto, which both benefited initially from Papal rule, became Guelph cities. The remnants of the conflict still dot Umbria today in the form of the rocca, or Papal fortress, examples of which can be seen in Perugia, Assisiand Narni. Note:  I have Guelph and Ghibelline ancestors from the Correggio and Borromeo families shown below. Many important saints (Benedict of Norcia for one, who became the patron of Europe) had put Umbria on the mystical map, but it was in the 13th century when Umbria’s most famous son, born in one of its most famous towns – St Francis of Assisi– cemented Umbria’s reputation as a centre for spirituality, which continues to this day. Historians of Umbrian culture like to say that time stopped in 1540. The pope installed a salt tax, resulting in a Salt War that led to a standstill in Umbrian culture, which means the Renaissance didn’t flourish here like it did in neighbouring Tuscany, but it also preserved the medieval hearts of most Umbrian towns. To this day, Umbria still retains much of its ancient history, and time seems to move a little slower, even for visitors. From the Lonely Planet Join Italian Genealogy Group on Facebook A Brief History of Umbria Posted on 15 November 2018in Italy, Umbria A region which has become increasingly popular amongst tourists year-on-year, Umbria, known as the ‘green heart of Italy’, is a location that captures the true essence of Italian life. Made up of rolling countryside and historic towns and villages, in addition to authentic food and lively culture, it is no surprise that tourists are searching for Umbria villasto explore and learn more about this intriguing region. The Umbrian Tribe Located in central Italy, Umbria gained its name from the Umbri, an ancient tribe of people who settled in the area around the 6thcentury BC. However, this is not the earliest civilisation to settle here, with archaeological proof dating back to the Bronze and Iron Ages. The Umbri tribe flourished early in Italian history, building civilised towns to the east of the region, including Spoleto, Gubbio, Città di Castello and the world-renowned Assisi. Warring Civilisations Whilst the Umbri resided to the east of the river Tevere building up their empire, their rivals the Etruscans to the west established towns such as Perugia and Orvieto and created powerful city-states. The two conflicting tribes came to loggerheads when the Umbri land was invaded by the Etruscan people, forcing the Umbrians from their homes. However, the two opposing tribes joined forces in 295BC in an unsuccessful bid to drive away the powerful Roman Empire who sought to take their lands. The battle was to no prevail, with the citizens of Umbria becoming citizens of Rome in 90BC, although it began a long period of peace in the land that was only disturbed when thriving Roman civilisation was invaded by the Barbarians. The Barbarians brought with them suffering, famine and disease, as well as the economic and cultural decline that spread across the region. This dark time in Umbrian history only came to an end through the introduction of Christianity that had begun to infiltrate every aspect of the culture and improving the quality of life. The Lombard and Papal Era The political power-gap of the Middle Ages was satisfied by the Lombards who created the Duchy of Spoleto from the 6thcentury up until the 13thcentury when Umbria became part of the Papal State. The region was later divided into independent city-states, each thriving and prospering through their business and art, and supportive of their separate rules by either the Pope or the Holy Roman Empire. Saint Francis of Assisi Many important figures and developments have allowed Umbria to be recognised as one of the most important areas of Italy, but perhaps the most famous figure is St Francis of Assisi, who cemented Umbria’s reputation as the core of Italy’s connection to spirituality, something that is still apparent to this day. San Francesco d’Assisi is one of the most venerated religious characters in history, and thousands of pilgrims venture to the majestic town of Assisi to visit the Basilica of San Francesco d’Assisi and Saint Clare churches. A Hub of Knowledge Umbria is also known for being a hub of knowledge, being the home of one of the oldest universities in the world. Founded in 1308, the University of Perugia is a small university with impressive alumni, including multiple popes and, more recently, the actress Monica Bellucci. The Salt Wars The medieval feel that has been persevered in Umbria is somewhat thanks to the salt tax. While the ceasing salt trade is well documented in neighbouring Tuscany’s culture – often cited as the region local bread does not have salt in it – the issue came to a head in Perugia during 1540. Up to then, the city had enjoyed a certain autonomy, much to the distaste of successive popes following its inclusion into the Papal States. One of the luxuries afforded to the city was tax-free salt, an important product in food preservation. However, a disastrous harvest for the city was followed by the sudden introduction of a salt tax by Pope Paul III, one that defied treaties signed by his predecessors. When the people rebelled the Pope sent troops into the city, forcing a surrender. This effectively ended the autonomy of the city permanently, signalled by the building of the Pauline Fortress, an imposing wall built around the community of which a few ruins can still be seen today. Thankfully, peace and beauty now reside in the sleepy region of Umbria, a stark contrast to its turbulent history. Complete serenity is evident in the quintessential villages, rich history and breathtaking scenery that makes it an incredibly desirable holiday destination to visit. Want to learn more about the region? Discover 10 interesting facts about Umbria! From Essential Italy Purchase my new book direct of on Amazon Facebook Twitter LinkedIn