Page 42 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Sicily

40  INTRODUCING SICIL Y

Modern Sicily

The 20th century began with the catastrophic 1908
earthquake in Messina. For the most part excluded
from the process of modernization in Italy, Sicily was a
living contradiction: its splendid cultural life juxtaposed
against poverty, backwardness and the spread of the
Mafia which, despite all attempts to curb its activities,
had become a veritable state within a state. However,
thanks to the perseverance and courage of public
servants and growing public awareness of the problem, 1943 After heavy bombardment,
the Mafia seems to be less powerful than before. the Allies land in Sicily on 10 July
and take it in 38 days
1902 Heavy autumn rainfall triggers a tragic flood
in southern Sicily, especially in Modica, in which
300 people lose their lives 1941 Syracusan novelist 1950 The
Elio Vittorini publishes bandit
Conversation in Sicily Giuliano is
betrayed by
1937 Popular his cousin
Catanian actor Gaspare
Angelo Musco dies Pisciotta
and killed
1908 The night of 28 December marks 1936 Luigi
the greatest disaster in 20th-century Pirandello dies
Sicily: a quake totally destroys Messina in Rome
and kills 100,000 people
1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960
1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960

1945 The founder
of the the Sicilian
Separatist
Movement,
Finocchiaro,
is arrested
1934 Pirandello 1957 Rebellion
wins Nobel Prize in Ucciardone
for Literature prison
in Palermo
1947 Salvatore
Giuliano’s bandits shoot
demonstrators: 11 dead,
56 wounded
1919 Don Luigi Sturzo, from 1930 Mussolini
Caltagirone, founds the Partito sends prefect
Popolare and becomes its leader. After Cesare Mori to
World War II the party is renamed try to suppress
Democrazia Cristiana the Mafia 1959 Poet Salvatore
Quasimodo, born in
1921 In Rome, Luigi Modica, wins Nobel
Pirandello directs the Prize for Literature,
première of his famous 1923 Mount Etna the second Sicilian
play Six Characters in eruption in June to do so in less
Search of an Author destroys towns than 20 years
of Catena and
Cerro, barely
missing
Linguaglossa
and Castiglione.
The king and
Mussolini inspect
the damage

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