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
Vittoria, Sicily Vittoria, Sicily Vittoria is a town and "comune" in the province of Ragusa, Sicily, southern, Italy. With its 62,748 inhabitants Vittoria is the second most populated municipality of the province of Ragusa after Ragusa. Vittoria is the youngest town in the province and it presents a modern checkerboard structure, with wide and straight streets. The town's womenfolk are known to still do intricate embroideries, first adopted during the period of Arab rule in Sicily. The town was founded on a very fertile valley known as "Boscopiano". On the south of the city there is the "natural reserve of Aleppo's pine"