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Sicily - General Info
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Sicily has beckoned seafaring wanderers since the trials of Odysseus were first sung in Homer's Odyssey. Strategically poised between Europe and Africa, this mystical land of three corners and a fiery volcano was the site of two of the most enlightened capitals of Europe: the ancient Greek city at Siracusa,and, in medieval times, the Arab-Norman one at Palermo.
The island has been a melting pot of great Mediterranean cultures: Greek and Roman; then Arab and Norman; and finally French, Spanish, and Italian. Sicily reflects these influences in a rich tapestry of art and architecture that includes massive Romanesque cathedrals, two of the best-preserved Greek temples in the world, Norman Arab castles, Roman amphitheaters, and baroque palaces and churches.
In the Odyssey, Sicily represented the unknown end of the world, yet the region eventually became a center of it under the Greeks and Normans, who recognized a paradise in its deep blue skies and temperate climate, its lush vegetation and rich marine life. Add to this paradise Sicily's unique cuisine, along with the island's big, warm, fruity wines, and you can understand why those who arrived here were often reluctant to leave.
Sicily is more than an island! Sicily is Italy's (and Europe's) most historically cosmopolitan region, having been ruled by Asians, Africans and Europeans. Sicily is black and white and a million shades of gray. The island is a unique place full of art, archeology, history, folklore and breathtaking scenery. And, of course, great food. Sicily is almost a nation unto itself. The enchanting land where Archimedes taught and Saint Paul preached was a Greek colony, a Roman province, an Arab emirate and a Norman kingdom. The Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Swabians, Angevins and Aragonese made Sicily their own, leaving behind an eclectic history that you can still touch today.
Sicily is the place where the mountains meet the sea. Sicilia, the island in the sun, is home to Heavenly beaches, majestic mountains and Europe's greatest natural wonder, Mount Etna. Sicily's coasts are gold with orange and lemon orchards. In northeastern Sicily you'll find lush forests. In the central regions you'll encounter rugged land and rolling hills. Dignified vineyards, ancient olive groves, hardy almond orchards and endless wheat fields complete the picture. Summer is amber land under a sky of blue. Winter finds palm trees dusted with snow in a surreal symphony. Spring is a rainbow of wild flowers set against greenest fields...