he general term applied to all other slaves) might have been among those unfortunates imported into Sicily from the sub-Saharan region of Africa. Furthermore, a number of Termini’s slaves are designated in Codex A as Gypsies, that is to properly say, Roma. Surely the Roma must have been highly sought after in Termini as they were expert artisans in several areas (especially metalworking) not to mention being renowned for their prowess in handling horses. A total of 55 slaves are mentioned in the baptismal records just for the years 1542-48 alone; one can only imagine how many more there were in service.
The former Jews of Termini Imerese (Neofiti) are represented in Codex A by several families; among them, the Palumbo [Jonah], Saccomanno [Isacco-Ermanno], Salamuni [Solomon], and Levitza [Levi] families. Only 50 years before the first baptisms were recorded in Codex A, many among these families were still practicing Jews living in Termini’s Jewish Quarter, known as the Celtigene. After the events of 1492, their synagogue, which was located not far from the church of San Nicola Bari, in the area where the Roman Amphitheater once stood, was torn down and replaced by the San Dighiera Monastery which still stands.
Among the priests and nuns who were present for the Baptisms of Termini’s residents, several must have had practically star status in their day because of their tireless devotion. Among them are the the priests, Fathers Martino Romano, Antonino Vianisi, Filippo Teresi, Pietro DiFerro, and Caspano Crisciuni; and the nuns Sisters Antonina LaProvenza, Caterina LaGiuffrida and Mother Superior Domenica LaGrigola.
Of course, the greater part of the Codex A consists of the names of the artisans, the fisherman, and other workers who made up the core population of 16th-century Termini. Current readers of Sicilian heritage will certainly be surprised to see the names their families so well represented.
One of the more fascinating questions that has been raised regarding baptisms in Termini Imerese concerns the presentation of personal baptismal certificates to the parents of the person who has been baptized. Several Internet sites mention a kind of Origami baptismal certificate created in Europe during the 1500s, and known in Spain as the Pajarita (little bird) the harbinger of Springtime when the earth is reborn. Were they in use in the Kingdom of Sicily, which was a part of the Spanish Realm at that time? Only further research will begin to shed light on this mystery.
The detailed materials included in the multiplicity of sections comprising this site were extracted directly from the 1542-48 Baptismal records of Termini Imerese, with the sole thought of bringing the 16th-century town, its people, and the era of Late Middle Ages back to life. Now it is possible for the descendants of Termini’s old families to get a glimpse of what life was like for their ancestors 500 years ago. Although the majority among Termini’s descendants cannot claim direct descent from the great Barons and Baronesses, or as they were later known, the Leopards, we do know that the DNA of the converted Sicilian-Jewish population of Termini (the Neofiti) is present among a considerable number of descendants, along with that from the offspring of the great barons’ many female slaves. Indeed, the DNA of Jews, Greeks, Tarters, Africans, Berbers, Gypsies, and Englishmen figures prominently in the makeup of all people of Sicilian descent. And that is to be expected for the descendants of a people living on an island kingdom, which was once the very center of Mediterranean activity.
Nowadays, the Leopards are gone from Termini; there are no slaves there, and the town no longer trades on a large scale with the Mediterranean World, although the cars produced in the Fiat factory do give the town a certain amount of notoriety. Cruise ships (the ferry from Genoa and private vessels) dock at the old port where once millions of tons of grain were loaded onto ships, bringing curious visitors into the ancient town: they come to enjoy the food, visit the monuments of t