Bronte Insieme/History - The greek period

A short History of Bronte

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Bronte's History

The Greek domination period

The presence in Bronte of Greeks, which in Sicily founded groups of colonies more or les from the V° to the VIII° century B. C, probably goes back to after the Naxos foundation (735-730 B.C).

Is attested by findings of walls remains, jars and handmade articles of daily use, bricks and tiles, coins and sarcophagi in our zones, Piana, Spedalieri, Saragordio, Spanò, Cardà and Castellaci.

Good part of such territories falls in the ancient "consular road", placed in the immediate vicinity of the Simeto river and bordering on the territory of the ancient Adranos.

To such a purpose, the historian brontese Benedetto Radice, (Historical memories of Bronte) tells us of the finding in Castellaci of a lead laminated sarcophagus and of other precious metals, sold then to a goldsmith.

The eventful recovery still remembered today between the our elders in Bronte with the name of "u tesoru ra riggina" (the queen's treasure).

Today, in the zone survive the remains of apse walls (a little church shaped as a Greek cross dedicated to San Nicolò), a very beautiful portal in lava stone containing a votive little kiosk and the remains of tombs violated by thieves.

Again the Radice gives directed testimony of another finding of coins (that the professor Orsi judged as belonging to epochs of Timoleonte and Agatocle), of small amphorae, vases of fine clay and oil lamps, of sure Greek origin.

It happened in the Arciprete district in recent epoch, in 1927, while was going on the laying of the water duct of Maniace.

Vases and coins sold like hot cakes and unfortunately, no one prevented the dispersion.

Yet recently, the forest rangers of Bronte’s detachment, in the context of an operation organised to single out the tomb raiders that illegally rob archaeological finds, they found an “Askos a colomba”, a ceramic little container of ointments, finely decorated, that the archaeologist Francesco Privitera, come to Bronte to realize the value of the find, put to the end of the fifth century B. C.

«It was half covered by earth - said the foresters chief – in a spot where could be seen other earthenware and some tiles, surely of the same period. Realizing its value we took it to get it examined by the Superintendence to Cultural and Environmental Goods of Catania».

Some ancient finds in Bronte’s country, escaped to destruction and looting are preserved in the Real Capizzi College. Benedetto Radice writes in his “Hystorical memories of Bronte” (Page 23) that in 1900 went to London to see again a «very beautiful bronze bust of emperor or philosopher, platinum eyes, beard and curly hair» found in his field at Maggiogrande in 1870.
The Radice annotates that «the bust is now in the London Museum, in the bronzes hall and, as a valuable item, is preserved under a crystal bell, where I saw it in 1900.
The director could not tell me who was the man portrayed» but nothing is said about how the bust finished up in London.

In the photo on the right “Askos a colomba”, decorated, little ceramic container of ointments of the V century B.C. found in Bronte’s territory in April 2005.


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