Sciacca

From Free net encyclopedia

Sciacca is a town of 40,200 inhabitants in the province of Agrigento on the southern coast of Sicily. It holds wonderful views of the Mediterranean Sea.

Sciacca was founded in the 5th century BC by the Greeks as a thermal spa for Selinunte, whose citizens came there to bathe in the sulphurous springs of Mt. Cronio, which rises up behind the town. Sciacca itself owes its origins to the Saracens, who settled there in the 9th century. Although the origins of the town's name have been much debated, it is thought to have come from the Arabic word "xacca", meaning "water". The Saracens built the original walls and laid out the street grid, which was later expanded by the Normans. Throughout much of the Middle Ages, the town was at the center of a bloody feud between rival baronial families and, it was the citizenry that bore the brunt of the fighting; in less than 100 years over half the population was killed by one side or the other.

Sciacca still retains much of its medieval layout, which divided the town into quarters, each laid out on a strip of rock descending toward the sea. Sciacca has several points of interest, including Chiesa di Santa Margherita, Chiesa del Carmine, and Palazzo Steripinto.

Sciacca's big festival is Carnevale, celebrated during the week before the beginning of Lent (February). The highlight of the festival is the parade of bizarre figures mounted on floats, famous throughout Italy for their gaudy expressions.

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