To
people of Italian – and especially Sicilian Italian – descent who
have had DNA tests and are bothered that results didn’t show them to
be 100% genetically Italian – don’t sweat it. In fact, if
anything, these results could just be proof of how Italian you really
are!
Before
I explain, first of all let’s establish that when most of us say
we’re Italian, we mean that either we, our parents of our ancestors
came from Italy and that we embrace the Italian culture. DNA tests
are an entirely different measurement. They try to trace where all of
our thousands of ancestors came from in the past 2,000 years. By the
standards used, it would be virtually impossible for anyone to test
100% Italian—or for someone with one Italian parent to test 50%
Italian.
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| Sicily actually has more Greek temples than Greece. That's Alfio di Mauro on the right, with our tour group in Agrigento, Sicily. |
While
on a tour of Sicily in 2015, I interviewed Alfio Di Mauro, whose
family roots go back centuries on this beautiful island. Di Mauro has
a science PhD and was a researcher at the University of Catania, but
now he’s a guide with Rick Steves. He pointed out that a true
Sicilian or Southern Italian would have to be a blend of diverse
genetic origins.
‟Sicily
was in the center of what the Romans called the Mare Nostrum –
Our Sea – the Mediterranean,” he said. ‟It was important first
of all because it was a fertile land, a garden-like island of the
Mediterranean. And second, it was a natural stepping stone between
Europe and Africa. Between the western tip of Sicily and Tunisia is
only 80 miles.
‟Also,
Italy’s long shape divides the Mediterranean from East to West.
Sicily is at the end of it, and it’s like the cork in the bottle.
So if you were controlling the 80 miles of sea, plus the two miles
between Sicily and the Italian peninsula, you were controlling any
trade routes between East and West, and North and South. For
thousands of years, Sicily was THE island to control. It was
considered the center of the civilized world.”
And
so the invaders came, saw and conquered, leaving behind traces of
their languages, traditions, favorite foods, superstitions and
genetic footprints.
‟We’ve
had more than 17 invasions in 2,000 years,” Di Mauro said. ‟No
other part of the world so small has had so many invasions! You will
never find such a power-packed, genetically diverse and historically
interesting place like Sicily. If you do a genetic survey of Europe,
which is the country with the highest diversity? It’s Italy! What
is the region that has the highest diversity? It’s Sicily! It has
the highest genetic diversity in Europe.”
What
Di Mauro didn’t mention but easily could have: Sicily’s status as
a multi-cultural hub of travel and trading also drew many outsiders
interested in establishing businesses. When the Jews were expelled
from the Iberian Peninsula in 1492, for example, many found Italy a
safe haven with prospects for making a healthy income.
So
if your ancestors came from Italy, don’t expect your DNA results to
show anything other than a blend of civilizations. It’s actually
additional evidence that you truly ARE Italian.
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since I could only be 50% Italian at most, my Mom side of the family, I was surprised when the DNA said I was only 25% Greek/Roman, 10% mid-eastern, 5% Jewish and 10% mutt! confused, because both (Italian) grandparents are from the same town in Calabria (San Giovanni). evidently, my ancestors did some traveling...
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DeleteMany people of Italian origin are surprised at their DNA results, and this article is geared for those people. Read carefully and note how many invaders have come to Southern Italy. Many of your ancient ancestors came from other countries, probably not in recent centuries. But these DNA tests look at your ancient ancestry. If they didn't, what would be the point? Your results are very normal!
ReplyDeleteYet there are those who still don't understand the mechanics of DNA and insist they're 100% Italian, 100% French, etc., etc.
ReplyDeleteI'm half Italian through my father and half French through my mother, yet my DNA came out 34% Italian.
Fascinating stuff, DNA!
mine came back that im 79% Italian. which from what 's stated here that's really high? I am 12% caucasus which also is a melting pot..
ReplyDeleteMy family (my dad’s grandparents) both came from San giovanni In Fiore and he had an Ancestry DNA test done last year. His showed 71% Italian/Greek, 20% middle Eastern, 1% Jewish, and I can’t remember the other. The results are definitely surprising!!
ReplyDeleteYou tend to ignore the accomplishments of the African Moors who civilized Europe.
ReplyDeleteHi Paul and Lucy, I found this PCA and I think it's very accurate, it displays the diversity among Italians, with Northern and Central Italians who forms an unique cluster, and Southern Italians who are closer to Greeks from Peloponesse and Greek islands.
ReplyDeletehttps://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zjQ9G4xwFBI/WyBhZjiVjfI/AAAAAAAAAAY/dutkCTH9FE8KI-0hEklyQgLDMvwaqkt7gCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/EURO%2BPCA_1.jpg
Hi Paul and Lucy, I found this PCA and I think it's very accurate, it displays the diversity among Italians, with Northern and Central Italians who forms an unique cluster, and Southern Italians who are closer to Greeks from Peloponesse and Greek islands.
ReplyDeletehttps://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zjQ9G4xwFBI/WyBhZjiVjfI/AAAAAAAAAAY/dutkCTH9FE8KI-0hEklyQgLDMvwaqkt7gCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/EURO%2BPCA_1.jpg
Sicilian and 88% Italian. Thing is about Sicily.. it’s an island so there isn’t waves of tribal migrations that you have in other regions. There was no mass migration.. just a lot of spice added in from around the Mediterranean. When you get into Central Europe, you have waves of different ethnic groups contributions significant proportions of dna to the population. Sicily is an exception to this. In the north of Italy, you had waves of celts, germans, and Mediterranean lineages blended in. Sicily was just Mediterranean dna.
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