University of Virginia Library

SCIACCA.

The path beyond the remarkable vestiges of Selinuntium,
intersects a cork wood of some extent. The
trees which compose it are not, however, of that
immense size, which renders these forests so grand
and gloomy in more northern districts of Europe.
They are triennially barked, and, at different times,
have proved highly profitable to the proprietors. A

broad heath interspersed with masses of tangled
brushwood, opens from the extremity of this grove,
and its barrenness is relieved by the yellow blossoms
of a species of broom which abounds here, of a bell-like
form, and pleasant perfume. A rough and precipitous
descent conducts the traveller down to the
sea shore, upon which stands the town of Sciacca.
There are few among the many picturesque localities
of Sicily, which strike the beholder as better
adapted for the scenes of romance than this. The
country, for many miles round, is wild and hilly, a
long ridge of lonely beach offers the most accessible
road during a considerable space. Several abrupt
mountains are grouped commandingly at a short
distance from the sea, from one of which a constant
stream of sulphur vapor exudes, and at their base
are several warm springs mentioned in ancient
history. Beneath these hills, upon a promontory
jutting into the ocean, appears Sciacca. The peculiar
hue of age which distinguish its compact buildings
and wave-washed ramparts, is in admirable
keeping with the wild adjacent scenery, and bleak
position of the ancient town. The ascent to its walls
is very steep and broken; and as our travellers were
slowly winding up the rude mule-path, Isabel declared
there must be some fearful legend or historic interest
attached to the spot, and turned to the Count for a
confirmation of her surmises. He could not but
credit her sagacity, and when the party were refreshed,
as far as the miserable accommodations of
the place permitted, they beguiled the evening with a
glimpse of the history of that now decayed and impoverished
country.

“The ruins of the two castles back of the town,
and an old palace within its walls, are the only existent
memorials of the most distinguished among its
ancient families. Nobility and wealth combined to
give the ascendancy in Sciacca, to the houses of
Luna and Perollo. Between these rival barons and
their descendants, there existed a feud as inveterate
and deadly, though boasting no such affecting catastrophe,
as that which has immortalized the names of
Capulet and Montague. Its origin, like that of many
similar quarrels, is attributed to disappointed love.
Arrale Luna and John Perollo were suitors for the
hand of Margaret Peralta, an accomplished and
beautiful heiress. At that moment the balance of
worldly advantages preponderated in favor of Luna.
who was a great favorite at court, and he was accepted,
although it is believed the lady greatly
preferred his rival. If she did thus sacrifice her
affections to ambition, the usual fatal consequences
of such perversity soon followed, for in a very short
time after his marriage, Count Arrale, having taken
a bath at the foot of yonder mountain, under the
church of St. Barnabas, suddenly died, in June, 1412.
It was currently reported that the bath was poisoned
by the unsuccessful lover. However ill-established
the story was, a mere suspicion of this nature, in that
sanguinary age, was sufficient to excite in the minds

of Luna's immediate descendants a desire and purpose
of revenge. This was increased by a litigation
between the two houses respecting the barony of St.
Bartolomy then in possession of Perollo. The case
was decided in favor of Luna, and thus a new occasion
for mutual animosity presented itself. Deprived
of his estate by his enemy, and mindful of his ancestor's
wrong, Perollo determined to inflict summary
vengeance upon his rival, whose very presence, environed
as it was with all the insignia of successful
ambition and superior wealth, was a source of constant
annoyance to the haughty baron. The manner
in which he undertook to obtain satisfaction for his
baffled hopes, and satisfy his long cherished hatred,
is a remarkable evidence of the daring and ferocious
spirit of those times. Towards evening, on the sixth
of April, 1455, as Luna was walking in procession
with the priests of the Holy Thorn, near the palace of
Perollo, his enemy taking advantage of his defenceless
position, rushed forth and stabbed him till he fell.
Then leaving him weltering in his gore, he hastened
with a party of adherents to the palace of his fallen
foe, and setting it on fire abandoned it to destruction.
Luna's wound was not, however, mortal, and
he gradually recovered from its effects. This flagrant
crime was the means of extending the knowledge
of the inveterate feud, which had so long disturbed
the peace, not only of the rival families but of
their whole native city, and, in order, if possible, to
arrest its progress, King Alphonso banished both of
the fierce barons. In the course of the year 1459,
John of Aragon recalled them, and, whether cooled
by absence or rendered reasonable by advancing
years, on returning to Sciacca they mutually avoided
all occasions of discord, and passed their remaining
days in friendship.

Nearly seventy years had elapsed, and Charles
occupied the throne of Spain and Sicily. It was one
of the most agitated and eventful epochs in the history
of the island. The two leading houses of Sciacca
had continued to advance in riches and power, and at
this time they occupied relatively the same antagonist
positions. They still were rivals in wealth and
ambition, superior in rank and influence to all around
them, and sufficiently balanced in the number of
their respective friends, the pride of birth, and the
means of acquiring power, to keep alive a constant
and active spirit of rivalry. In accordance, too,
with the notions of the age, it was deemed chivalrous
to remember that their ancestors were enemies,
and keep the slumbering embers of past feuds from
being utterly extinguished. The demon of quarrel,
however, for a considerable time, only manifested
itself among the dependants and friends of the two
nobles, occasionally breaking out in petty disputes or
bloody encounters. Thus even without the immediate
agency of the principal personages, the order,
security, and quiet of Sciacca were perpetually invaded
by this long-nurtured feud. The narrow confines

of a single city were insufficient to sustain the
conflicting pride of two such haughty chiefs; and the
spirit of faction, that enemy of social tranquillity,
raged with unrestrained ferocity and seemingly
deathless energy amid the inhabitants of Sciacca.
An incident soon occurred which roused the leaders
to renewed hostilities. Sericano Bassa, a famous
Moorish corsair, who had carried off many of
the inhabitants from the coast of Sicily, and consigned
them to slavery, succeeded in the summer of
1529, in surprising the Baron of Solanto, while that
noble and his friends were hunting. Proud of such
a prize, the bold pirate appeared off the shore of
Sciacca and displayed signals for a ransom. Luna
presented himself and made large offers to retrieve
the captive, but his exertions were quite unsuccessful.
Perollo equally anxious to effect the same object, not
only tendered rich presents, but endeavoured to gain
the good-will of the corsair by his attentions and
talents. In a short time, these efforts were so effectual,
that the dreaded pirate not only gave up his
noble prisoner, but solemnly pledged himself to
Perollo never henceforth to cruise near the shore of
Sciacca. Thus the Baron not only conferred a
lasting obligation upon one whose friendship was
eminently desirable, but rendered an important service,
and one which could not but be deeply felt,
upon his native city. This triumph of his rival's,
excited the most rancorous envy in the breast of
Luna, and so open was he in his threats of injury,
having retired to Castabellata and consulted with his
friends as to the best means of exterminating his
enemy, that Perollo and his partizans began to consider
how they could best anticipate his machinations.
Luna and his counsellors deliberately determined
upon the death of his rival, and accordingly sallied
forth, at night, at the head of a hundred soldiers
which, to avoid suspicion, were dispersed through
the city. Their intended victim having received
timely warning, was shut up in his palace under the
plea of illness. The bravi of Luna succeeded in
taking two well-known friends of Perollo, whom they
instantly despatched, and bore their heads affixed to
poles through the streets of the town. An excellent
and illustrious citizen, heart-sick at this horrible proceeding,
attempted to establish a reconciliation, and
appeared before both Barons bearing an olive branch,
and counselling peace, but the good old man was seized
by some members of one of the factions who affected
to consider him as a spy, and basely murdered.
When Perollo heard of this new crime, he appealed
to the viceroy for assistance. Baron Statella from
Catania was commissioned, in conjunction with the
fiscal counsellors and three officers of Sciacca, with
full power. He ordered Luna to disband his troops
and return to Castabellata; executed the leading
ruffians, and took every measure to quell the tumult.
But the riotous citizens rose upon him, and Luna,
after dissembling a short time, returned with an increased
force, and declared himself resolved to prosecute
his purposes. In this emergency Perollo sent
his eldest son to solicit succor at Messina, with a
strong attendant guard. Luna took immediate advantage
of the diminution of the forces sent to guard
his rival, and having barricaded the streets surrounded
the palace where Statella resided, who was killed, and
his body thrown from the battlements. Perollo's
castle was also besieged, and after a prolonged and
desperate assault was on the point of being taken,
when the friends of its unhappy proprietor once more
endeavored to win Luna to peace. The haughty
Baron refused all overtures, unless his enemy should
kneel to him, ask forgiveness, and kiss his feet. The
bearer of this humiliating proposal having been
severely beaten, Luna was so exasperated, that on
the following morning he renewed his attacks vehemently,
and having made a breach, penetrated to the
interior of the castle, and spread ruin and death around
him. Perollo fled by the southern postern, the victor
respected the persons of the fugitive's family, but
turned a deaf ear to their tearful prayers for peace.
Perollo took refuge in a house near the sea; but was
betrayed to Luna by one of his own faction. He
was slain by the daggers of his rival's partizans, and
his body dragged through the streets attached to
the tail of Luna's horse. Frederic Perollo returned
at the head of a powerful force, and revenged his
father's death by the massacre of Luna and his
adherents. This last sanguinary scene closed
the long and tragic feud of the rival houses, — a
feud unparelleled for its inveteracy, and affording a
sad illustration of the spirit of those times,—a feud
which for many generations divided and harassed
the people, and signally marred the prosperity of
Sciacca.