Sicily: the most fascinating Mediterranean island, featuring a unique culture and transparent sea…
Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It has a rich and unique culture, influenced by Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Byzantines and Normans. Transparent sea, ancient temples, active volcanos and art cities – the beauty of this island is simply astonishing.
Soprano Suggested Areas
Other areas to visit
Coming Here
Palermo | International Airport Falcone e Borsellino (Punta Raisi). Phone: +39 (0)91 7020111
Geography
Sicily has roughly triangular shape, which earned it the name Trinacria. It is distant only 3 km from the mainland, separated from it by the Messina Strait. Along the northern coast there are mountains, but most part of its territory is hilly. Mount Etna stands in the east, and it is the tallest active European volcano. In front of the northern coast, rises the Aeolian Archipelago, a magnificent ensemble of islands.
Climate
Sicily has the typical Mediterranean climate: hot and dry summers and mild winters. Average temperature in July is between 20°C and 30°C; in January between 5°C and 15°C.
Events
Procession of Santa Rosalia in Palermo | In this this holy ceremony hundreds of thousands of Sicilians gather in the streets; exhibitions and concerts take place in Palermo at the beginning of July.
Procession of Sant’Agata in Catania | At the beginning of February, and August the 17th the city of Catania celebrates Sant’Agata. The relics of the martyr are carried in procession by crowds of faithful.
History and Culture
Sicily has been inhabited since 8000 BC, in the Pleistocene epoch. Among the first well-known populations to have settled here, there are the Phoenicians, and after them the Greeks, who colonized Sicily in about 750 BC. They settled important colonies in Syracuse, Selinunte and Gela, beginning to cultivate the land with olives and grape vines, and therefore absorbing the ancient populations and creating the famous Greek civilization in south Italy, called Magna Grecia. Today Sicily is dotted by fascinating ruins of Greek temples, theatres and statues; the most famous example is possibly the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento.
The longer war in ancient history erupted here, when Magna Grecia populations clushed with the Carthaginians, coming from North Africa. The Punic Wars were won by the Greeks, but only through the intervention of the Romans. Finally Romans annexed the region, that became a Roman province. Sicily became the “empire’s granary”, but its culture remained essentially Greek.
Christianity first appeared here in around 200 AD, and spread quickly in the next centuries. In the meanwhile the barbarian invasions were about to erupt, and from 440 AD Sicily was conquered by Vandals, Goths and Ostrogothics.
In 535 AD Sicily was annexed to the Eastern Roman Empire, better known as the Byzantine Empire, and Sicily became a Byzantine province. Until, in 965 AD, the Arabs conquered the country after defeating a strong resistance.
The Emirate of Sicily, thanks to the Arab reforms, developed rapidly. Arabs encouraged the growth of smallholdings, improved the irrigation system and brought to Sicily oranges, lemons, pistachio and a refined artistic culture – that today is part of Sicilian identity.
The surprises never end, and in 1068 AD Sicily was invaded by a Nordic population descendant of the Vikings: the Normans. They briefly realized the splendor of Sicilian culture and soon adopted it, in language, art, and even in the presence of palace Eunuchs. Norman Sicily became an attraction for artists, scientists and artisans, and a landmark in Europe for its tolerance, justice and culture. It was a powerful and multi-ethnic society, were Greeks, Arabs, Christians, Jews and Normans lived together, thriving.
After a century, the crown of Sicily passed to the German Hohenstaufen Dynasty, then to the crown of Aragon, to the House of Savoy, the Austrian Habsburg Dynasty, and finally to the Spanish prince Charles Bourbon.
In 1860 the Italian patriot Giuseppe Garibaldi landed in Sicily with 1000 men. The Expedition of the Thousand was the beginning of Italian Risorgimento, that will lead to the unification of the country.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- Agrigento Archaeological Area
- Villa Romana del Casale (Piazza Armerina)
- Aeolian Islands
- Val di Noto Baroque Towns
- Syracuse and the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica
Food | ”God’s Kitchen”
Sicilian cuisine is said to be “God’s Kitchen”, and it is a delicious mix of influences. Main ingredients are olive oil and wine (from Greeks); lemons, oranges, pistachio and sugar cane (from Arabs); meets (from the Normans); fish and vegetables (from the sea and the land). Among the traditional dishes, the caponata – eggplants, pine nuts, a little honey and capers; pasta alla Norma – with eggplants as well; chowder – really delicious; arancino – a traditional appetizer with rice and meet. Among the cakes, don’t miss the cassata, the cannoli or a jasmine sorbet.
MAIN AREAS
Palermo
Palermo, the Sicilian provincial capital, overlooks a splendid bay. Surrounded by mountains, it stands in Conca D’oro (Golden Valley), so named because of the color of citrus fruits. Its history is ancient, dating back to the Phoenicians, and its cultural heritage is huge. Punic walls, liberty villas, Arab-Norman buildings, baroque churches and Neoclassical theatres blend together to form this outstanding city. Not to miss its Cathedral and the Church of Saint John the Hermit with its red domes, symbol of the city; the botanical garden, Pretoria Square and the beautiful Spasimo Church, in the old traditional area of Kalsa. The most fascinating street market is the Vucciria, where time seems to stand still. Food is delicoius (you can not leave Palermo without trying panelle, a traditional appetizer) and prices are affordable. Close to Palermo, Mondello faces a beautiful sea, and offers good fish restaurants.
The region around Palermo is simply breathtaking. In a very restricted area the blue sea of Cefalù meets with the Doric columns of Segesta Greek temple and the astonishing landscapes of Madonie Natural Reserve.
Aeolian Islands
The Aeolian Archipelago lies in the sea north of Sicily. The main islands are Lipari, Salina, Vulcano, Panarea, Stromboli, Filicudi and Alicudi. All islands are of volcanic origin, but each one has its own characteristics. Lipari is the biggest, with a large city centre and white gypsum quarries. Salina is smaller and green, with a beautiful port and two high hills creating a unique shape. In Vulcano the jets of steam (fumaroles) create sulphurous mud with healing properties. Panarea, a small mountain island, is possibly the best known, for its white village beautified by flowers and its nighlife. Stromboli is unbelievable, dominated by the huge cone of the active volcano, puffing smoke every know and then. Filicudi is magnetic, with its prehistoric village overlooking the other islands and the power of its nature. Alicudi is wild, even rough, an amazing cone in the sea with some houses built on it. The entire Archipelago is part of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, because “the islands’ volcanic landforms represent classic features in the continuing study of volcanology world-wide”.
Syracuse and the south
According to Cicero, Syracuse was the biggest and most beautiful city of Magna Grecia. The city rises on the eastern coast of Sicily, and its historic center, on the cape/island of Ortygia, is simply magnificent. The Temple of Apollo, of Athena, the Greek theatre, the Roman amphitheatre are not to miss, as a visit at the outdoor market in Ortygia. One of the most popular craft products in Syracuse is papyrus paper, which grows in the area. From May to July the Theatrical Season at the Greek Theater takes place, with the staging of the works of Aeschylus and Euripides. Close to Ortygia, the Necropolis of Pantalica contains over 5.000 tombs cut into the rock, dating from the 13th to 7th centuries BC. Vestiges of the Byzantine era also remain in the area. Ortygia and Pantelica are part of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, because ”the Syracuse/Pantalica ensemble offers, through its remarkable cultural diversity, an exceptional testimony to the development of civilisation over some three millennia”.
South of Syracuse, rise the fascinating Baroque towns of Ragusa and Noto.