The
Sicilian Vespers (; ) is the name given to the successful rebellion on the island of
Sicily that broke out on the
Easter of 1282 against the rule of the French-born king
Charles I, who had ruled the
Kingdom of Sicily since 1266. Within six weeks, three thousand French men and women were slain by the rebels, and the government of King Charles lost control of the island. It was the beginning of the
War of the Sicilian Vespers.