Sicily is the largest region in Italy in terms of area, with a population of over five million and has contributed many famous names to all walks of life. Geographically, it is the largest and most populated island in the Mediterranean Sea.

This list includes notable natives of Sicily and its predecessor states, as well as those who were born elsewhere but spent a large part of their active life in Sicily. People of Sicilian heritage and descent are in a separate section of this article. The Sicilian-Americans have a specific list.

Rulers, monarchs and warriors

Phalaris (died 555 or 554 BC), tyrant of Akragas Theron (c. 535–472 BC), tyrant of Akragas Diocles of Syracuse (5th century BC), legislator and military leader Gelo (died 478 BC), tyrant of Gela and Syracuse Hiero I (died 467 or 466), tyrant of Gela and Syracuse Ducetius (died 440 BC), king of the Sicels Dionysius I (432 – 367 BC), tyrant of Syracuse Dion (408 – 354 BC), tyrant of Syracuse, friend of Plato Hermocrates (died 407 BC), Syracusan general Charondas (4th century), lawgiver Dionysius II (397 – 343 BC), tyrant of Syracuse Timoleon (411 – 337 BC), tyrant of Syracuse Agathocles (361 – 289 BC), tyrant of Syracuse Hicetas of Leontini (died 338 BC), tyrant of Leontini Hiero II (c. 308–c. 215 BC), tyrant of Syracuse Antander (4th century BC–3rd century BC), strategos Epicydes (3rd century BC), tyrant of Syracuse Lanassa (3rd century BC), queen consort of Epirus and Macedon Hieronymus, (231–214 BC), tyrant of Syracuse Euphemius (9th century AD), admiral al-Hasan al-Kalbi (r. 948 – 964 AD), founder of the Emirate of Sicily Jawhar al-Siqilli (966–992), general of the Fatimid Caliphate Roger IBorn in Normandy, Roger I was the founder of the Sicilian branch of the Hauteville dynasty. (1031–1101), founder of the County of Sicily Felicia (1078–1102), queen consort of Hungary Roger IISon of the Great Norman Count Roger I of Sicily, Roger II was born in the Calabrian town of Mileto. (1095–1154), king of Sicily William I (1131–1166), king of Sicily William II (1155–1189), king of Sicily Tancred (1138–1194), king of Sicily William III (1186–1198), king of Sicily Constance I (1154–1198), queen of Sicily, Holy Roman Empress Frederick IISon of the emperor Henry VI of Swabia and of the Sicilian queen Constance I, Frederick II was born in the small town of Jesi, near Ancona, during a voyage towards Palermo, the city where he grew up. According to many historians, f.i. William Harvey Maehl, the personality of Frederick II was "most of all Sicilian". Maehl concludes that "To the end of his life he remained above all a Sicilian grand signore, and his whole imperial policy aimed at expanding the Sicilian kingdom into Italy rather than the German kingdom southward." (See: Maehl, William Harvey. Germany in Western Civilization. University of Alabama Press, 1979. p. 64). (1194–1250), king of Sicily, Holy Roman Emperor Henry VII (1211–1242), king of Sicily and Germany ManfredSon of Frederick II and Bianca Lancia, there are some doubts about his place of birth. According to the most prevalent thesis Manfred was born in Venosa (Basilicata), at that time belonging to the Kingdom of Sicily. However, some Sicilian historians suggest Palermo as his birth place (See: Ortolani, Giuseppe Emanuele. Biografia degli uomini illustri della Sicilia (Vol. 1), 1817). (1232–1266), king of Sicily Constance II (1249–1302), queen consort of Aragon and Sicily Frederick IIISon of Peter III of Aragon and Constance II of Sicily, Frederick III was born in Barcelona, but passed most of his life in Sicily, defending for many years the independence of the Kingdom and founding the Sicilian branch of the House of Barcelona. (1272–1337), king of Sicily Peter II (1305–1342), king of Sicily Constance (1305–1344), queen consort of Jerusalem and Cyprus and Armenia Eleanor (1325–1375), queen consort of Aragon Louis (1338–1355), king of Sicily Frederick IV (1341–1377), king of Sicily Maria (1363–1401), queen of Sicily Costanza Chiaramonte (1377–1423), queen consort of Naples Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies (1806–1878), queen of Spain Ferdinand II (1810–1859), king of the Two Sicilies Louise of Orléans (1812–1850), queen consort of Leopold I of Belgium

Religious figures

Pantaenus (died 200 AD), theologian, saint Agatha of Catania (231–251 AD), martyr and saint Lucy of Syracuse (283–304 AD), martyr and saint Saint Vitus (c. 290–c. 303 AD), martyr and saint Euplius (died 304 AD), martyr and saint Bassianus of Lodi (c. 320– c. 409), bishop and saint Mamilian of Palermo (died 460), bishop and saint Olivia of Palermo (448–463), martyr and saint Pope Agatho (575–681), Pope from 678 to his death, saint Pope Leo II (611–683), Pope from 682 to his death, saint Pope Sergius I (650–701), Pope from 687 to his death, saint Pope Stephen III (723–772), Pope from 768 to his death Methodios I (788/800–847), Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and saint Leo Luke of Corleone (815–915), monk and saint Joseph the Hymnographer (816–886), monk and saint Elias of Enna (822 or 823–903), monk and saint Vitalis of Castronovo (900–994), monk and abbot Symeon of Trier (980/990–1035), monk and saint Filarete of Calabria (c. 1020–1070), monk and saint John Theristus (1049–1129), monk and saint Rosalia of Palermo (1130–1166), hermit and saint Albert of Trapani (1240–1307), friar and saint Agostino Novello (1240–1309), Augustinian friar, scholar and blessed Nicolò de' Tudeschi "Panormitanus", (1386–1445), canonist, pseudocardinal Pietro Geremia (1399–1452), Dominican preacher and blessed Eustochia Smeralda Calafato (1434–1485), Franciscan hermitess and saint Luigi Rabatà (1443–1490), Carmelite priest and blessed Benedict the Moor (1526–1589), friar and saint Giordano Ansaloni (1598–1634), Dominican missionary and saint Bernard of Corleone (1605–1667), friar and saint Prospero Intorcetta (1626–1696), Jesuit missionary Giuseppe Maria Tomasi (1649–1713), Theatine priest, cardinal and saint Giovanni Battista Sidotti (1668–1714), priest, missionary Felix of Nicosia (1715–1787), Capuchin friar and saint Giacomo Cusmano (1834–1888), priest and blessed Mariano Rampolla (1843–1913), cardinal secretary of state Annibale Maria di Francia (1851–1927), priest and saint Carolina Santocanale (1852–1923), nun and blessed Maria Crocifissa Curcio (1877–1957), Carmelite nun and blessed Gabriele Allegra (1907–1976), Franciscan missionary, translator and blessed Giuseppina Suriano (1915–1950), Catholic activist and blessed Salvatore Pappalardo (1918–2006), archbishop and cardinal Francesco Spoto (1924–1964), priest, missionary and blessed Pino Puglisi (1937–1993), priest and blessed

Philosophers and scientists

Empedocles (c. 490–430 BC), scientist and philosopher Acron (5th century BC), physician Gorgias (c. 483–375 BC), philosopher Hicetas (c. 400–c. 335 BC), philosopher Monimus (c. 399–300 BC), philosopher Menecrates of Syracuse (4th century BC), physician Euhemerus (c. 330–250 a.C.), philosopher Dicaearchus (c. 350–c. 285 BC), philosopher, cartographer, geographer, mathematician Archimedes (c. 287 – 212 BC), engineer and mathematician Ibn Zafar (1104–1170), philosopher and polymath Giovanni Aurispa (1376–1459), anthropologist Francesco Maurolico (1494–1575), mathematician Giovanni Filippo Ingrassia (1510–1580), physician, anatomist Giovanni Battista Hodierna (1597–1660), astronomer Paolo Boccone (1633–1704), botanist Tommaso Campailla (1668–1740), philosopher, doctor, poet Francesco Paolo Cantelli (1875–1966), mathematician Orso Mario Corbino (1876–1937), physicist Leonardo Ximenes (1716–1786), mathematician, engineer, astronomer, geographer Bernardino da Ucria (1739–1796), botanist Giuseppe Piazzi (1746–1826), astronomer, discovered the minor planet Ceres Niccolò Cacciatore (1780–1841), astronomer Vincenzo Tineo (1791–1856), botanist Gioacchino Ventura di Raulica (1792–1861), philosopher Filippo Parlatore (1816–1877), botanist Stanislao Cannizzaro (1826–1910), chemist Giuseppe Seguenza (1833–1889), naturalist, geologist Giuseppe Sergi (1841–1936), anthropologist Gaetano Mosca (1858–1941), political scientist Silvio Micali (born 1954), computer scientists and Turing award recipient Gaspare Mignosi (1875–1951), mathematician Gaetano Fichera (1922–1996), mathematician Giuseppe Lauricella (1867–1913), mathematician Giovanni Gentile (1875–1944), philosopher José Ingenieros (1877–1925), physician, pharmacist, philosopher Michele Cipolla (1880–1947), mathematician Mauro Picone (1885–1977), mathematician Giuseppe Oddo (1865–1954), chemist Emanuele Paternò (1847–1935), chemist Giuseppe Mario Bellanca (1886–1960), aviation inventor Giovanni Sansone (1888–1979), mathematician David J. Impastato (1903–1986), neuropsychiatrist Giuseppe Gabrielli (1903–1987), aeronautics engineer Michele Parrinello (born 1945), physicist Antonino Lo Surdo (1880–1949), physicist Ettore Majorana (1906–1997), physicist Quirino Majorana (1871–1957), physicist Manlio Sgalambro (1924–2014), philosopher, poet Antonino Zichichi (born 1929), physicist Luca Parmitano (born 1976), engineer and astronaut Vito Latora (born 1971), physicist Flavia Sparacino (born 1966) Napoleone Ferrara (born 1956)

Poets, writers and journalists

Epicharmus of Kos (c. 524–c. 435 BC), comic poet, dramatist, philosopher Antiochus of Syracuse (5th century BC), historian Corax of Syracuse (5th century BC), rhetorician Sophron (5th century BC), writer of mimes Lysias (c. 445–c. 380 BC), logographer, jurist Philistus (c. 432–356 BC), historian Carcinus (c. 420–360 BC), dramatist Archestratus (4th century BC), poet Timaeus (c. 345–250 BC), historian Rhinthon (c. 323–285 BC), dramatist Theocritus (c. 310–250 BC), poet Diodorus Siculus (c. 90–30 BC), historian Julius Firmicus Maternus (4th century AD), writer, astrologer Ibn al-Qatta (1041–1121), philologist and lexicographer Ibn Hamdis (1056–1133), poet Al-Mazari (1061–1141), eminent jurist from Mazara del Vallo Eugenius of Palermo (c. 1130–1202), translator Cielo d'Alcamo (13th century), poet Nina Siciliana (13th century), poet Stefano Protonotaro da Messina (13th century), poet Giacomo da Lentini (1210–1260), poet Guido Delle Colonne (1215–1290), poet Antonio Beccadelli (1394–1471), poet, historian Pietro Ranzano (1428–1492), historian Lucio Marineo (1444–1533), humanist, historian Giovanni Luca Barberi (1452–1520), historian Cataldo Parisio (1455–1517), humanist Tommaso Fazello (1498–1570), historian Nicoletta Pasquale (16th century), poet Antonio Veneziano (1543–1593), poet Sebastiano Bagolino (1562–1604), poet, scholar Pietro Fullone (1600–1670), poet Filadelfo Mugnos (1607–1675), historian, genealogist, poet Giuseppe Artale (1632–1679), poet Giovanni Meli (1740–1815), poet Domenico Tempio (1750–1821), poet Michele Amari (1806–1889), historian, orientalist, politician Gabriele Dara (1826–1885), Arbëreshë poet, politician Luigi Capuana (1839–1915), writer Giovanni Verga (1840–1922), novelist Giuseppe Pitrè (1841–1916), historian Mario Rapisardi (1844–1912), poet Napoleone Colajanni (1847–1921), writer, journalist, politician Pietro Gori (1865–1911), journalist, poet Luigi Pirandello (1867–1936), dramatist, Nobel laureate Nino Martoglio (1870–1921), writer, dramatist Maria Messina (1887–1944), writer of short fiction, novelist Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa (1896–1957), writer, poet Ignazio Buttitta (1899–1997), poet Salvatore Quasimodo (1901–1968), poet, Nobel laureate Ercole Patti (1903–1976), writer Vitaliano Brancati (1907–1954), writer Elio Vittorini (1908–1966), writer Helle Busacca (1915–1996), poet Gesualdo Bufalino (1920–1996), writer Leonardo Sciascia (1921–1989), writer, politician Angelo Maria Ripellino (1923–1978), translator, poet Vince Colletta (1923–1991), comic book artist, art director Andrea Camilleri (1925–2019), novelist Giuseppe Fava (1925–1984), writer and dramatist Mario Francese (1925–1979), journalist Maria Costa (1926–2016), poet Candido Cannavò (1930–2009) sports journalist