The Trinacria, an ancient symbol of Sicily, is a triangle that evokes the physical form of the island. It represents a mythological figure with three legs, known in Greek as Triske'eles (three legged ) or in Latin as Triquetra ( with three points/vertexes ). Therefore the name Trinacria originated from this aspect with three points which gave, probably during the Hellenic era, the strange and characteristic symbology of this gorgon figure with three legs, even adopted on some coins during the Greek domination and later becoming the official symbol of the island. Scholars agree that it is an ancient icon from the Middle East, probably representing the god Baal or the Sun, in its triple form of God of Spring, Summer and Winter. It was also supposed that it represented the Moon, presenting sometimes the crescent instead of the legs. 

The oldest traces of this symbol date back to the VI – IV century B.C. in the Middle East. In Sicily, however, the Trinacria lost is original connection to the Sun and became a sort of talisman. Its significance was essentially linked to the geographic shape of the island. It was so intimately connected to Sicily in its different names of Triancria, Triscele, Triquetra, Triquetria that it was even exported! In fact, the symbol of Trinacria is also found on the Island of Man in the Irish Sea: according to a local legend, it was brought there by the Normans coming back from Sicily during the X and XI century A.D., that used it instead of the original symbol of Ireland .

The official seal of the Sicilian Region is a flag diagonally divided into two colors, yellow and red, with in the middle the Trinacria. The yellow part represents the colors of the City of Palermo and the red the one of Corleone, the first town to follow Palermo during the glorious revolt of the Vespri Siciliani, which erupted in Palermo against the French invaders on March 30, 1282