History
Alicia, from the Romans to the Arabs healthy and safe Salemi has a long history. As early as 272 BC the city, known with the name “Alicia” voluntarily surrendered to the Romans benefiting economically and socially from the declaration of free city and immune to taxes. After the Romans, Salemi was subjugated by the Arabs and it is in this period that the centre is structured in the current urban planning configuration. The Arabs also influenced the surrounding landscape by introducing in Salemi’s agriculture oranges, lemons, peaches, apricots, asparagus, artichokes, cotton, carob, rice, pistachios, aubergines, in addition to jasmine and spices such as carnation, cinnamon and ginger. The name of Salemi is derived from an Arabic word: “salem” in fact means healthy and safe. The Swabians began the work of Garibaldi The maximum development of the village, however, came in Norman age; the Swabians followed the Normans and their rule began in 1194 with Henry VI, followed by Costanza and her son Frederick II, who rebuilt the citadel castle. In 1266 begins the dark Angevin period, which ended on 11th December 1411 when, in the castle of Salemi, the confederation of the towns of Salemi, Trapani, Mazara and Monte San Giuliano was stipulated, joined by the barons of Castelvetrano and Partanna to defend and support the royal house of Aragon. On June 30th, 1735 the Bourbon domination begins with Charles III, and will continue until 1860, when in May Giuseppe Garibaldi himself will put, on top of one of the towers of the Norman-Swabian castle, the flag proclaiming Salemi first capital of liberal Italy.
