History of the Jews in Sicily of the Temple of Jerusalem. Rabbi Akiva visited the city of Syracuse during one of his trips abroad. The Jews lived in many Sicilian cities such as Palermo, Messina and Catania. From the late 7th century, Sicily joined with Calabria to form the Byzantine Theme of Sicily. In the 6th century, communications were sent to Pope Gregory I about the plight of the Jews in the Kingdom of Sicily. In 831, Sicily came under the Arab dominion, which treated the Jews justly. In 1072 Sicily fell to the Normans and the Jews were again brought under the supremacy and jurisdiction
The Other Sicily The Other Sicily The Other Sicily ("L'Altra Sicilia") is an association primarily involved in assisting Sicilian emigrants. It is based in Brussels (Belgium), from where it publishes a bimonthly named "L'Isola", and its founder and president is Francesco Paolo Catania. In the run-up of the 2006 general election the association teamed up with the For the South party and finally participated to the election under "The Other Sicily – For the South" banner in the "Europe" constituency for Italians abroad. The list received 2.1% of the vote in the constituency. The association strongly defends Sicilian identity and autonomy, while frequently