Tag Archives: locust plague

This Day in the Yesteryear: THE SICILIAN VESPERS REBELLION (1282)


The Sicilian Vespers Rebellion (1282)

By 1282, the French Angevin dynasty had controlled of the island of Sicily for decades. However, at the start of the traditional vespers service on Easter Monday, an uprising spontaneously broke out following a seemingly isolated altercation in which local residents sparred with French soldiers. The revolt spread like wildfire, and soon the Sicilians had massacred almost every French person on the island. What reportedly started the confrontation between the Sicilians and the soldiers? More… Discuss