Syracuse (gro) The word paper is of Greek origin and comes from papyrus, a perennial plant that can still be found in Syracuse and its surroundings. From the marrow of the stalks, on it the old Egyptians came already before about 7000 years, could be produced writable and paintable sheets, similar to a thin cardboard. Also to books one could the papyrus sheets process. From Sicily this handicraft art spread to Central Europe.
As early as 5000 B.C. in Egypt.
The original discoverers of the papyrus were, as said, the Egyptians, who became aware of the special property of the pith of the papyrus perennial already about 5000 BC. The other components of the perennial were also processed: into mats, sails, boats and nets. The perennials also served as cheap food.
Greeks brought the papyrus technique to Sicily.
It was the Greeks who brought the perennial plant (and the technique of processing it into a paper-like product) to Sicily, around 600 BC, when the largest island in the Mediterranean was still part of Greater Greece (Magna Graecia). As a carrier of Greek literature, the papyrus eventually became world-famous from Sicily. As an ornamental plant, the papyrus can be found everywhere. Wild growing papyrus can be found in Europe only in Sicily.