Sicily vs Sardinia: Which Small Group Tour is Right for You?

The Savoy family ruled Piedmont from the mid-1500s and rose from a minor noble family to royalty through centuries of strategic marriages, warfare, and diplomacy.

As Dukes of Savoy, they played a balancing act between France, Spain, and Austria. After successfully defending Turin from a French siege in 1706, during the War of the Spanish Succession, the family was elevated to the status of Royal House. In fact, all other European monarchs wanted to recognize the brave military strategies of Victor Amedeo II, Duke of Savoy, by offering him the title of king a few years later, in 1713.

Such a victory marked a major turning point in the family’s ambitions, helping them secure their rise in European politics, and it later involved the role of the House of Savoy in Sicily and Sardinia.

The Savoy briefly controlled Sicily from 1713 to 1720 after the Treaty of Utrecht, which ended the War of the Spanish Succession.

However, their presence in the largest Italian island didn’t last long, as in 1720, they swapped Sicily for Sardinia with the Austrian Habsburgs, as part of a European power realignment. The House of Savoy acquired the Kingdom of Sardinia from Spain in a diplomatic agreement (Treaty of The Hague).

After this, the House of Bourbon (Spanish branch) took control of Sicily and later created the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, which included Naples, the whole Campania region, Calabria, Puglia, Basilicata, and Sicily.

The Impact of the House of Savoy in Sicily

In a Sicily or Sardinia tour, the House of Savoy comes up as an important player in the island’s history.

Their rule in Sicily was too short to leave a lasting mark. Sicily remained culturally and administratively tied to its Spanish past, with the Bourbon dynasty later restoring Spanish-style governance. Unlike in Sardinia, where Savoy ruled for over a century, Sicilians barely felt Savoy’s influence.

Even after the Unification of Italy in 1861, Sicilians never considered King Victor Emanuel II to be their representative, and the House of Savoy felt more like a foreign conqueror than a leader.

At first, many Sicilian elites, liberals, and revolutionaries welcomed Giuseppe Garibaldi and his “Thousand” (I Mille) as liberators. That helped Garibaldi’s army, backed by local uprisings, quickly defeat the Bourbon forces. Soon after, in October 1860, a rigged referendum was held, officially annexing Sicily to the Kingdom of Italy.

The general hope was to end the Bourbon rule, seen as corrupt and oppressive, and to receive funds from the new Kingdom of Italy for economic modernization and investment, as Sicily was still in feudal conditions after centuries spent under the Spanish and Bourbons.

Sadly, disillusionment spread quickly after unification, among peasants and common people who felt betrayed by higher taxes, including a crushing grain tax, and worsening poverty. Many Sicilians were forced into the Italian army, which they resented, and rather than improving Sicily, the House of Savoy tended to focus on the industrial North, leaving the island underdeveloped.

This historical background is key to understanding two fundamental elements of modern Italian society, the cultural roots of the Mafia and the emigration from Sicily toward America and later, to northern Italy.

The impact of the House of Savoy in Sardinia

So, unlike Sicily, Sardinia became a long-term possession of the House of Savoy and played a key role in the birth of Italy. The Savoyards ruled Sardinia for over a century, forming the Kingdom of Sardinia, which later expanded to include Piedmont, Nice, and Savoy.

Despite renaming their state the “Kingdom of Sardinia”, the Savoy family stayed focused on Piedmont, where the city of Turin was heavily rebuilt to be considered the capital of a Royal House and compete with other European capitals such as Paris or Vienna.

Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia, on the other hand, remained a smaller city, and the Savoy mostly ignored Sardinia’s needs. The Savoy introduced centralized administration, replacing the old Spanish feudal system. However, just like the Spanish had done for centuries in Sicily, they never invested in the local territories, leaving Sardinia’s infrastructure, agriculture, and economy poor and underdeveloped compared to mainland Piedmont.

Sardinia’s Struggle for Autonomy

The Savoy sent Piedmontese officials to govern Sardinia, often ignoring local culture and interests, and in 1847, they officially integrated Sardinia into the Savoyard state, destroying the feeling of pride and autonomy that the island had retained until then. Heavy taxation and military conscription led to resentment among Sardinians.

Between 1794 and 1796, anti-Savoyan revolts occurred in Cagliari and Sassari, with locals temporarily expelling Piedmontese officials. Local resistance came not only from the lower social classes but from Sardinian nobles and intellectuals. However, the Savoy crushed the uprisings and tightened their grip on the island.

Those events left a strong imprint on Sardinian culture for the following generations. As many felt neglected by the Savoy, seeing them as foreign rulers, their traditions and identity remained strong. This sense of autonomy and pride is still very much present with locals who carry on the tradition. Our Sardinia-native local guide shares stories and facts that outline this unique way of being, which marks a distinct difference from the rest of mainland Italy.

In 1861, King Victor Emmanuel II became the first King of Italy, uniting Sardinia with the newly unified country. While Italian is the main language spoken on the island, the Sardinian language, Sardo, is still widely used, with different aspects varying between villages and towns.

Even the Christian religion, which, like in any Italian region, is an important element of the culture, in Sardinia is often celebrated in events that retain a hint of pagan influence.