The onset of the Spanish Inquisition in 1492 led to Ferdinand II decreeing the expulsion of all Jews from Sicily . The eastern part of the island was hit by very destructive earthquakes in 1542 and 1693 . Just a few years before the latter earthquake , the island was struck by a ferocious plague . The earthquake in 1693 took an estimated 60,000 lives . There were revolts during the 17th century , but these were quelled with significant force , especially the revolts of Palermo and Messina . North African slave raids discouraged settlement along the coast until the 19th century . The Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 saw Sicily assigned to the House of Savoy ; however , this period of rule lasted only seven years , as it was exchanged for the island of Sardinia with Emperor Charles VI of the Austrian Habsburg Dynasty
earthquake in 1693
1693 Sicily earthquake
Sicily