The duty free fair in Mazara and Lleida
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Written by students from Paolo Borsellino School Mazara rd
Class 3 D Paolo Agrusa Wasim Alaya Giorgia Arone Giulia Castiglione Aya Chatti Antonio Davoli Marco Diliberti Laura Fanella Antonio Giacalone Gabriele Gianformaggio Sara Indelicato Giovanni La Paola Valentina Lamia Virna Molinari Alice Mondonuovo Salvatore Orofino Giada Parrinello Miriam Russo Ivan Sinacori Story Illustrated by English teacher Rocco Spanò 2
Contents Pag.4
The Bishop’s district
Pag. 5
After reading exercise
Pag. 6
Frederick III
Pag. 7
After reading exercise
Pag. 8
Fredrick and his wife Eleonor
Pag. 9
The battle of Falconara
Pag. 10
After reading exercise
Pag. 11
The towers of control
Pag. 12
After reading exercise
Pag. 13
Frederick and Eleonor’s son Roger
Pag 14
After reading exercise
Pag 15
The duty free fair in Mazara
Pag. 16
After reding exercise
Pag 17
James II of Aragon
Pag 18
The fair in Lleida and Guimerà
Pag. 19
Bibliography
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The Bishop’s district
Let’s go back to 1072 when the Normans built the Cathedral and established a new Diocese. Mazara became the seat of Government and home of Count Roger de Hauteville. The Normans reorganized the Christian cult not by force, but with the erection of new churches. The apostolic bull of Paschal II in 1100 confirmed the Bishop’s district of Mazara. The District included a vast territory that stretched up to the outskirts of Palermo and Agrigento. Beside the Cathedral, the Normans built several churches: Saint Nicolò Regale, church and monastery of Saint Michele, Santa Veneranda, San Francesco, Saint Vito on the sea, Our Lady of Giummare and San Martin. In this climate of Christian fervor, the Norman built also churches and chapels in the countryside: Saint Elia, Santa Maria di Gesù, Saint Cusumano, San Nicolas and San Peri. For a short time, Mazara was the center of the Norman power. The first conference of parliamentary took place in Mazara in 1097 and it last in 1130 when the final seat was the royal palace in Palermo.
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AFTER READING EXERCISE
COMPLETE THE CROSSWORD
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Frederick III
Frederick was born in Barcelona. His father was Peter III of Aragon and his mother Constance of Sicily, daughter of King Manfred of Sicily. When his father died in 1285, he left the Kingdom of Aragon to his eldest son, Alfonso, and Kingdom of Sicily to his second son, James. When Alfonso died in 1291, James became king of Aragon and left Frederick as regent in Sicily. The war between the Anjou, and the Crown of Aragon for the possession of the island was still in progress, and although the Crown of Aragon was successful in Italy, James’ position in Spain became very insecure due to internal troubles and French attacks. At last, under the auspices of Pope Boniface VIII, James concluded a shameful treaty, in exchange for being left undisturbed in the rest of the territories belonging to the Crown of Aragon and promised possession of Sardinia and Corsica, he gave up Sicily to the Church, for whom it was to be held by the Anjou. Sicilians refused to be made over once more to the hated French they had expelled in 1282 (in the Sicilian Vespers), and found a national leader in the regent Frederick. The pope tried to bribe him with promises and dignities; he was determined and was crowned king by the nobles in Palermo in 1296. Young, brave, and handsome, he won the love and devotion of his people, and guided them through long years of storm and stress with wisdom and ability. Frederick III reformed the administration and extended the powers of the Sicilian parliament, which was composed of the barons, the prelates, and the representatives of the towns. 6
After reading exercise
Choose the correct answer 7
Frederick and his wife Eleonor
In May 1303, Eleonor and Frederick get married in Messina. Frederick III of Aragon gives the so-called “Room Reginale” to his wife Eleonor. The “Room Reginale” is a real dowry run by a governor and at the disposal of Queen formed by the territories of the city of Palermo, Syracuse, Lentini, Avola, Mineo, Vizzini, Castiglione and the island of Pantelleria. This “Room Reginale” lasts until 1537.
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The battle of Falconara
In December 1299, during the Battle of Falconara in the territory of Marsala, the forces of Frederick III, which included a contingent of soldiers from Mazara, defeated the Anjou capturing Philip I, who was temporarily conducted in the castle of Mazara. Another episode in the war that affected the territory of Mazara occurred in August 1316. A thousand of Anjou landed at Marsala and they met near the River Arena in Mazara with Bartolomeo Montaperto and Bartolomeo Siginolfo, which held the daily service of control and defense of the gates of the city.
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After reading exercise
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The Towers of control
In 1317, taking advantage of the end of hostilities, enshrined in the peace of Caltabellotta in 1302 first, and the truce with the state of the Church in 1317, Frederick III strengthened coastal defenses in Sicily to prevent the Anjou attack. The coastal towers of Sicily formed the defensive system of sighting and communication along the coast of the Kingdom of Sicily. They were built to curb the frequent incursions of Barbary pirates. From each tower it was possible to scan the sea and see the next, people could send light signals, and smoke to send a message or call for help.
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After reading exercise
Complete the text
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Frederick and Eleanor’s son ROGER
During their staying, Roger was born in Mazara and the Bishop Pellegrino De Pactis baptized Roger on 8 th May 1318 in The Cathedral. It was a big event and a big celebration and there were many important people. The castle was not far from the Cathedral so they went first to the Bishop’s Palace and after to the Cathedral on foot. After the ceremony, they went to the castle. The Bishop and all the population gave a big Sicilian cake as present to Eleanor. This painting is a copy because the original painting, placed in the Chapel of the Baptistery in the Cathedral, was lost in 1477, with the collapse of the prospectus in the sea of the Cathedral. This copy is in the Bishop’s museum. A few privileges granted to the cities of Palermo and Sciacca lead as a place of their own emission Mazara. On 24thMarch 1318 the Sicilian parliament was held in the Cathedral because they had to examine the proposal of the Pope, who was trying to find a solution to the ancient question of the kingdom of Sicily 13
After reading exercise
Complete the crossword
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The duty free Fair in Mazara
Frederick and his wife went back to Palermo after a year and on 14th July, 1318; he issued many privileges to Mazara. He abolished all the royal tributes, in exchange for the repair of the city walls; He abolished all customs duties and warehouse for all types of goods and he gave citizens the opportunity to use the wood of the forests of Birribayda and Castelvetrano. Finally, he established a free duty fair, free from any court of law or taxation, for a period of thirty days, from 21st July to 21st August each year.
People sold agricultural and fishing products because they were the main activities in Mazara.
Also in Erice, people opened a market and Frederick III visited it with his wife.
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After reading exercise
Complete the crossword
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James IInd of Aragon
James II was the King of Sicily (as James I) from 1285 to 1296 and King of Aragon, Valencia, and Count of Barcelona from 1291 to 1327.He succeeded his father, Peter III of Aragon as King of Sicily in 1285. Upon the death of his brother Alfonso III in 1291, he succeeded also to the throne of the Crown of Aragon. By a peace treaty with Charles II of Anjou in 1296, he agreed to give up Sicily, but the Sicilians instead installed his brother Frederick on the throne. Frederick III sent a message to his brother about the free duty fair and the chance people had to buy many things without spending a lot of money. So James II did the same in many towns like Lleida.
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The fair in Lleida and GuimerĂ
People could sell the Leather they made in the important Muslim tanneries and the Leather working became the driving force behind economic progress in Lleida,
and GuimerĂ , town located in the region of Urgell - Lands of Lleida. GuimerĂ is a medieval village with a unique appearance: a labyrinth of streets climb to the church and the castle, creating an original set of architectural forms.
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Bibliography Steven Runciman (1958), the Sicilian Vespers. ISBN 0-521-43774-1 (trad. it. : I vespri siciliani, 1997, Edizioni Dedalo. ISBN 88-220-0508-2) Leonardo Bruni (1416), History of the Florentine People, Harvard, 2001. ISBN 0674-00506-6 "Sicilian Vespers" in Enciclopedia Britannica Online. Santi Correnti, «Il Vespro» Giovanni Battista Niccolini (1882), Vespro Siciliano: storia inedita, per cura di Corrado Gargiolli. Pubblicato da D. G. Brigola. Francesco Benigno e Giuseppe Giarrizzo, Storia della Sicilia, vol. 3, ed. Laterza, Roma-Bari, 1999. ISBN 88-421-0535-X Salvatore Romano, Sulla Battaglia della Falconaria e sull'Assedio di Trapani nel 1314, vol. unico, ed. Tipografia "Lo Statuto", Palermo, 1901 –Abate Vito Pugliese, Selinunte Rediviva, 1810. Archivio Storico di Mazara, Libro Rosso. Filippo Napoli, Storia della città di Mazara, Mazara del Vallo, 1932, ISBN non esistente. Enzo Gancitano, Mazara dopo i Musulmani fino alle Signorie - Dal Vescovado all'Inquisizione, 1ª ed, Castelvetrano, Angelo Mazzotta Editore, 2001, ISBN non esistente.
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