According to an ancient myth, the name of the island comes from a young Lebanese girl, called Sicilia. At the time of her birth, in Lebanon, an oracle predicted that she would have been eaten by a monster if she had still been living in that land on her 16th birthday. The only way she could escape from this terrible fate was abandoning Lebanon on a ship on her own. So, when the time came, she was forced to flee Lebanon on a ship in order to save herself from her destiny. Her journey lasted three months, and she thought she would never be safe on a coast again.

But the winds brought her to an island, whose vegetation was heavenly and whose weather was warm. No one lived on this island apart from a boy, who was the only survivor of a plague that killed everybody. The girl fell in love with him and the Sicilian people came from the couple, who repopulated the island again. From that moment, the name Trinacria was replaced by Sicilia, in honor of the girl who saved the island.

This myth already suggests how important women have been for Sicily, daughters of the biggest island in the Mediterranean Sea.

In this article you will find the most influential women in the herstory of Sicily, strong and brave women who have become the symbol of the fight for female emancipation.

Nina Siciliana

Nina Siciliana lived in the XIII century and she was the first poetess to write in the vernacular language and not in Latin. In fact, she was in contact with the Sicilian school of poetry, thanks to Constance of Hauteville, who was the Queen of Sicily at the time. However, we don’t know much about her: many believe she lived in Messina, others in Palermo. Moreover, she was also known as Monna Nina and Nina del Dante.

Constance of Hauteville

Constance of Hauteville has been one of the most important women of the Middle Ages, Queen of Sicily. She was a strong woman who, thanks to her diplomatic skills, managed to unite Sicily in a moment when different cultures were cohabiting on the island: latin, byzantine, arabic, and provencal. In addition, she had always been very close to religion, so that she didn’t marry until 30, after spending a lot of time in the monastery.

Therefore, she married Henry IV of Swabia, son of Frederik Barbarossa, heir of the Holy Roman Empire. Then, she got pregnant at 40, which was considered very late and there was speculation. Consequently, she had to give birth in a square to stop people from speculating. But her husband died a while after her delivery, so she was alone ruling the Reign. In the end, she died 4 years later, leaving Frederik II, her son, under the protection of Pope Innocent III.

Francisca Massara

This Sicilian girl has a European record: she was the first woman to wear trousers in 1698, causing a scandal at the time. But this record is wrongly attributed to George Sand, due to the lack of many documents about Francisca. In fact, her scandal was so big that no one dared to talk about it, transmitting only the basic information.

Maria Paternò

She is very important for female emancipation in Italy. Maria Paternò was the first Italian woman to get a divorce, in 1808. Firstly, she was a Catanese baroness, who appealed to the Napoleonic Code who allowed divorce. Nevertheless, when Borbon came back to Sicily after the Congress of Vienna, the Code was abolished. However, she managed to keep her divorce, and she even ended up marrying her divorce lawyer after that.

Franca Florio

Franca Florio was an icon of Belle Époque, as she made herstory standing out thanks to her style and her good relational qualities. She was considered Italy’s Star, inspiring famous people such as D’Annunzio and Kaiser Wilhelm II. Also, Franca married Ignazio Jr of the Florio family, as she started taking care of the family’s public relations and starting her economic and entrepreneurial activity.

Franca Viola

Franca Viola is a symbol of women's emancipation during the 60s, as she was a girl rebelling against patriarchy. She represents the fight against “legge d’onore” (literal law of honor), which wasn’t a written law but was rooted in society. First, Franca was born in a humble family, who officialized her engagement with Filippo Melodia when she was 15. Then, he was arrested as he was involved with the mafia, and the Viola family broke down the engagement. Filippo never accepted the breakup and kidnapped Franca in 1965, when she was 17. He raped her and kept her prisoner, asking her family for a shotgun wedding. In fact, the girl had been dishonored and, according to legge d’onore, no one would have wanted her. But, surprising everyone, Franca’s family rebelled against legge d’onore: Franca won and Filippo lost, making it guilty as he abused an underage girl.

Accursia Pumilia

Originally from Agrigento, Accursia Pumilia was the first woman asking to be added to an electoral list in 1906, as she acted against the law. In fact, women’s suffrage in Italy was extended only in 1946.

Carmelina Naselli

Carmelina Naselli, born in Catania, was the first female university professor in Italy. She graduated from the University of Catania in Literature in the 20s, and she started teaching in the 40s. She taught the history of Italian literature and the history and literature of popular culture.

Elvira Giorgianni

Lastly, there is Elvira Giorgianni, who is probably known better with her husband’s surname, Sellerio, as she founded the famous publishing house “Sellerio Editore” in 1969. Her courage and her strength were a determining factor, as she quit her job in public administration and she invested her liquidation in the foundation of her publishing company, who published important authors such as Camilleri and Sciascia. She divorced from her husband and she continued her career, mainly focusing on narrative and essays.

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February 18th, 2021