The second half of the 1400’s saw two cataclysmic events: The fall of Constantinople to the Turks and the expulsion of the Moors from Spain. Those events saw a proliferation of rootless vagabonds that turned to piracy. Lots of rootless vagabonds appearing in a short time can be a real problem, ‘cuz a guy’s gotta eat after all, and if your job gets eliminated and your desperate… stealing might start to look like the only viable method for procuring what you need. 

Sicily, due to its proximity, had maintained friendly relations with North Africa. But after the fall of Constantinople, the conflict between Spain and Turks, the two remaining powers in the mediterranean, was inevitable. The ultra-conservative Spanish King Ferdinand refused any kind of dealings with the infidels, so legitimate trade between Spain and Ottoman was out. Kheir-ed-Din Barbarossa was the principal pirate threat during the early 1500’s. Sicily suffered, because of that aforementioned proximity, and no town within 10 miles of the coast was safe. Charles V, the Spanish king, was bored with the Barbary coast and recognized that 1) it could not be reconquered, and 2) was ruinous in lives and finances to try and protect against it. He left Sicily unprotected and shifted his attention towards northern Europe. 

Sicily no longer had a navy, and given their lack of independence, had little incentive to try and build one. But, in this age of flourishing piracy, they had discovered another highly lucrative trade: slaves. 

Sicily under Spanish domination had remained largely lawless. Brigands ran free in the interior where the Spanish officials never bothered going. The interior peasants lived as they always had. If it was corrupt, it was probably no more corrupt than the colonial governments. If it was violent, it was no more violent than the baronage.  

And then there were the genial fun-lovers instigating the Spanish Inquisition. They were actually separate from the Church, and had their own police force, largely operating without interference. From the author John Julius Norwich: 

“Sicily was a desperately unhappy island. Only once in her long history had she been united and independent, and that was during the time of the Norman kings, whose successive reigns lasted less than 70 years. Since then, thanks to her Angevin and Spanish masters, she had become hopelessly demoralized and deeply corrupt. She had no national pride, no loyalties, no solidarity, no discipline. In consequence, she vegetated, suffering much and achieving nothing apart from the occasional unsuccessful revolution….” 

Sicily’s hero in the early 1600’s was one Pedro Téllez-Girón, 3rd Duke of Osuna. He arrived in Palermo in 1611, was appalled by what he saw, and set about to make some changes. He had cleaned up the streets within two weeks. Then he turned his attention to defense and ordered new ships. After that, he set about reforming the economy. He found one-third of the annual revenue was unaccounted for. So he instituted tight controls and within a few years had restored government credit. But he left in 1616.  

In 1624, an outbreak of bubonic plague hit.  

Almost as disastrous was the Thirty Years War, starting in 1618. It started as a protestant/catholic dust-up, then became an excuse to revive some age-old feuds across Europe. None of this would have meant much to the Sicilians, except Spain was busy scraping them for every penny it could get. 

But, “From bad to worse” being the unofficial motto of Sicily, the economic situation worsened and dissatisfaction grew. By Feb 1648, revolt broke out. Order was restored by the maestranze, guilds that had developed into social networks. 

If the first half of the 1600’s were bad, the second half was worse: Chronic food shortages, constant tax demands from Spain, and the refusal of the barons to pay their share. This last lay, perhaps, at the heart of Sicily’s suffering.  

The situation was only aggravated by the old rivalry between Messina and Palermo. Messina claimed ancient precedence. Palermo had the old-school aristocracy, while Messina were more merchant/nobles. But Palermo was grander and more elegant. But since times of old, each city had considered itself the more important and had learned to hate the other’s guts whenever one got some slight bit of advantage. This self-destructive attitude; rejoicing in the degradation of your rival even if it meant the entire island would suffer, including yourself, could serve as another bullet point for the island’s problems.