Ravanusa

Ravanusa (Sicilian: Rivinusa) is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Agrigento in the Italian region Sicily, located about 110 kilometres (68 mi) southeast of Palermo and about 35 kilometres (22 mi) east of Agrigento. Ravanusa is near the Monte Saraceno archaeological site, an ancient Greek settlement thought to be that of the city of Kakyron. The Muslim Arab domination begins at the beginning of the 9th century, more precisely from 829, when the Muslims occupy Agrigento for the first time and lasts until July 25, 1086. With the arrivals of the Normans, Ruggero Altavilla, conquered Kerkent (Agrigento) on July 25, 1086 - said Malaterra, and he immediately began the conquest of eleven castles, including Licata, Bifar, Muclof, Naro and Remise, all familiar to the Ravanusani, as a locality. Once Ravanusa was conquered by the Normans, they introduced a new political and economic-social order in the conquered territories; feudalism, born in the 9th century, under the Carolingian Empire. The fiefs, large landholdings, were granted as a benefaction by the sovereign to particular "lords", who remained bound to him by bonds of fidelity and dependence. Ruggero, immediately after the conquest of Sicily, granted feudal advantages to the Norman or native lords who had helped him in his undertakings. Among these was Salvatore Palmeri related by kinship to the sovereign and who distinguished himself in the fight against the Saracens: to him Ruggero granted the new farm and the fiefdom of Ravanusa. During the reign of Frederick II of Aragon, around 1300, the Casale and Feudo di Ravanusa passed to the Tagliavia family: Nicolò first and Giovanni De crescenzo later. The latter, rushing against the authority of the sovereign Frederick III, was deprived of the fief of Ravanusa which passed in 1361 to Pietro Mauro and then to Fulco Palmeri da Naro....