This project has been established to study the genetic heritage of Sicily, which has been a crossroads of civilization for at least 3000 years of recorded history. DNA testing, both yDNA for paternal lines and mtDNA for maternal lines, can provide a picture of the deep and recent ethnic background of Sicilians and their descendants. This includes Greek, Italian, Arab, Sephardic Jewish, Norman and Spanish backgrounds, among others. An added bonus, as more join and the database grows, is the possibility of finding common ancestors in the more recent period. This would allow family researchers to connect with distant cousins more quickly and collaborate more effectively in their research in the records.

IMPORTANT NOTE: As a geographical project, we try to ensure that the test results reflect actual Sicilian ancestry in the line being tested. We hope to contribute accurate knowledge about the genetic heritage of Sicily and its people.

Please do not attempt to join this group if you do not have Sicilian ancestry somewhere in your family tree. Merely having a close match, especially at 12 markers, to a Sicily Project member does not meet the requirements for joining this project. There must also be some research you've done which indicates Sicilian ancestry. If you do wish to inquire about a close match in the project, contact the project administrator. Joining the project is not the way to get information you desire.

Also, in order to join the Sicily Project, you must have at least ordered a test from Family Tree DNA. This will give you a kit number, which allows FTDNA to identify you in their database. If you attempt to join the project and don't have a kit number, the attempt will not be successful. When you do send a join request, make sure that you're logged into your FTDNA account. If you're not logged into your account when you send the join request, your kit number will not show in the request and the request will not succeed.