Evolution of parliamentary ideology in Sicily, between myth and symbols (16th-18th centuries)

The role played by myth in the legitimization of political systems has been emphasized for some time. This, however, is not sufficient to truly understand what it is that makes events, people and institutions become myths. Quite often, it is the myth itself that is well known, not the person or fact that inspired it or around which it was created. This is because the myth develops an existence of its own and is set free from the circumstances, people or institutions which created it. Sicily is a land of many myths, which run through its millennial history. In a similar way, the history of ancient Sicilian parliament is not exempt from the fascination of a tradition which is deeply rooted in strongly symbolic origins. This paper analizes the presence of symbols and the construction of reference myths in the development of an ancien régime parliamentary ideology in Sicily, between 16th and 18th century.