The World Knows only the Lies Told About Sicily
Discover the truth. 3,000 years of it.
For too long, the story of Sicily and its people have been told by her oppressors. For centuries the aristocratic classes, and later the Mafia bosses, were eager to portray Sicilians as a superstitious, uncivilized, violent people, living by their own perverted moral code. By belittling and dehumanizing the Sicilian people, the rich and powerful minority could legitimize the economic exploitation and dehumanizing abuses that they inflicted upon them. In more modern times these slanderous past lies about Sicilians have been perpetuated and amplified by the worldwide media and entertainment industries, which have profited from their glorified portrayals of the criminal activities and lifestyle of the Mafia.
This Sicilian Odyssey website exists to change that. We are a space dedicated to all Sicilians, all lovers of Sicily, and all people interested to learn the truth about one of the most misunderstood and maligned peoples in human history. The purpose of this site is to present, protect, and preserve, the authentic heritage and culture of the Sicilian people, by sharing more than 3,000 years of the little-known history of the island of Sicily. This is where we Sicilians take back our history and our good name. This is where our real story begins.
Sicilian Heritage
countries.
Civilization
Real History
told.
Heritage
greatness.
Sicilian Odyssey: An Illustrated History of Sicily
This book presents the most complete illustrated history of Sicily available in the English language. It contains 27 chapters, spanning nearly 3,000 years of recorded history, from the island’s earliest inhabitants to present day. Over 77 historical maps and hundreds of images supplement the remarkable narrative history of the island, bringing to life the story of its people. While there have been scores of books published about the sensationalized criminal activities of the Mafia, the real stories of the trials, the suffering, and the victory of the Sicilian people over their oppressors have been overlooked and neglected…until now.
This book belongs on the shelf of all persons of Sicilian descent, who yearn to understand the true history of their ancestors, and also desire to pass the truth of their cultural heritage to future generations.
3,000 Years. Numerous Dynasties. One Island.
Before the Greeks ever set foot on Sicily, three distinct peoples already called this island home. Their story is the first story of Sicily — and it is the foundation of everything that came after.
Greek and Carthaginian colonists battled for control of the island.The power of Syracuse rose to rival Athens. The ruins of Agrigento’s magnificent temples still stand. Sicily became the jewel of the Greek world — a western Hellas.
Rome’s first overseas province. Its granary. Its training ground for empire. And the first era of great injustice suffered by the Sicilian people at the hands of a foreign conqueror.
Following a century of control by Germanic tribes, Constantinople’s distant hand ruled the island for nearly three centuries. Sicilians were oppressed by fellow Greeks from the east and the island was overly taxed and steadily impoverished.
Palermo is transformed into one of the most magnificent and cosmopolitan metropolises of the Western World. A period of great agricultural and scientific advances, the island is a center of learning and religious tolerance under Muslim rule.
Europe’s richest and most culturally brilliant kingdom, built by the descendants of Vikings on the land of the Greeks and the Arabs. Sicily’s golden age of peaceful cultural coexistence, which will see the creation of its grandest multi-cultural religious monuments.
Frederick II, Stupor Mundi, dazzled the world from Palermo. Then came the short rule by vile French oppressors – all slain by Sicilian vengeance during the rebellion of the Sicilian Vespers.
Four centuries under Spain. Centuries of neglect, exploitation, kidnappings and slavery from Muslim pirate raids, and the terror of the inquisition — broken only by the Baroque rebirth after the 1693 earthquake
The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. An era of Sicilian discontent and popular revolutions occurring in 1820, 1837, and 1848. A people pushed past breaking — and finally, past fear.
Garibaldi lands a small volunteer army at Marsala and miraculously creates a unified Kingdom of Italy. But living conditions worse, forcing millions to emigrate in late 19th and early 20th centuries. Two World Wars followed by the rise of the Mafia. Palermo becomes is a Mafia controlled war zone, leading to the assassinations of anti-Mafia judges Sicilians rise and defeat the Mafia.
Meet Joseph Sturiale
Born in Sicily. Raised in the U.S.. 25+ years of research devoted to learning the truth and challenging the lies about Sicilian history and heritage.
Joseph Sturiale is a retired banking professional, Marine Corps veteran, and lifelong history enthusiast who spent decades researching the authentic story of his ancestral homeland. Born in Sicily and raised the U.S., he is a product of both worlds. What began as a desire to write a private family history expanded into a mission: to present, protect, and preserve the true heritage of the Sicilian people for the generations to follow.
What’s Your Sicilian Story?
Every Sicilian family carries many stories- of village and relatives left behind. A hazardous boat crossing. A name misspelled at Ellis Island. A grandfather’s courage and sacrifices. A grandmother’s recipes and love. A language now mostly forgotten. These stories are our collective inheritance — and they deserve to be remembered.
Join our community of Sicilian heritage enthusiasts from around the world. Share your story. Find others from your hometown in Sicily. Preserve your family’s history and legacy for your children and for theirs.
Stories, History & Heritage
Fresh perspectives on Sicilian history, culture, and identity — from the author and the community.
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Stay connected to Sicily. Receive stories, newly discovered history, travel insights, and community updates directly from the author and from fellow followers of the Sicilian Odyssey website. Be part of the generation that remembers the past and preserves our cherished Sicilian family stories and culture for future generations.