Madrelingua Italiana

Sicily, the largest island of Italy, is located in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula, from which it is separated by the narrow Strait of Messina. Sicily’s climate is typically Mediterranean whereas the most prominent landmark of the island is Mount Etna, which besides being the tallest active volcano in Europe, it is also one of the most active in the world (3,329 m / 10,922 ft high). Palermo is the regional capital of Sicily. The island is distributed in to nine provinces: Agrigento (Pelagie isles), Caltanissetta, Catania, Enna, Messina (Eolie or Lipari isles), Palermo (isle of Ustica), Ragusa, Siracusa, Trapani (Egadi and Pantelleria’s isles). Because of its triangular shape, the Greeks called Sicily, Trinacria, which means "land with three heads". Sicily vaunts a rich and unique culture, especially as it pertains to the arts, music, literature, cuisine, and architecture. It is also home to important archaeological and ancient sites, such as the Necropolis of Pantalica, the Valley of the Temples, and Selinunte. There are seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Sicily. By the order of inscription: Valle dei Templi, Villa Romana del Casale, Aeolian Islands, Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto, Necropolis of Pantalica, Mount Etna and Arab-Norman Palermo and the cathedral churches of Cefalù and Monreale. The first inhabitants of Sicily, the Sicans, the Elymians and the Sicels, are populations of uncertain origin, certainly not indigenous: in the protohistoric age the Aeolian Islands were affected by the flourishing of numerous settlements, linked to the obsidian trade and to the Aegean cultures. The island preserves various areas of great naturalistic interest, only partially protected. We remember the Ficuzza forest in Rocca Busambra, the reserve around Pizzo Carbonara, in the Madonie, the oasis of the so-called Pantani di Vendicari, in the southeastern tip, the maritime reserve of the island of Ustica and, above all, the Regional Park of Etna, with its magnificent variety of plant environments, depending on the succession of altitudinal planes (on the lower level the Mediterranean forest with oaks, mixed with crops of olive and vine, then oaks and chestnut trees between 1000 and 1500 m, then pines, beeches, birches, and finally the shrubbery among the dark lava rocks) and, of course, the no less extraordinary volcanic aspects of the smoking craters. The foundation of colonies such as Naxos, Syracusa, Selinunte, Gela and Lipari dates back to the Greek colonizers’s domination, which took place between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE. From the Greek presence, Sicily gained many advantages useful for its subsequent development, even if it was soon contrasted by the arrival of the Carthaginians, who settled in the western area. With the end of the Second Punic War and the subsequent conquest of Sicily by Marcello (212 BCE), the island passed under the domination of the Romans, whom, more than in the cities, left their legacy in the countryside. Piazza Armerina, a town famous for the remarkable mosaics of the (patrician) Villa Romana del Casale, is an excellent example of Roman legacy. The Arabs arrived in Sicily in the first half of the ninth century and a great period of prosperity began. The fragmentation of large estates in minor units, the construction of a comprehensive water system, the protection of forests and the revision of the economic and juridical structures, are all owed to the Arabs. From the 11th century, the Normans took over the Arab Sicily. This period was characterized by the return under the judicial control of the Church of Rome and by the establishment of the feudal system in the countryside. The region became a land of clear aristocratic dominance, both in the countryside and in the cities. In these days, tourism in Sicily has become increasingly attractive and has earned significant growth. This is attributable to both, the exceptional landscapes of the island and the artistic heritage left on it by the Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Normans. As an example, can simply be mentioned Agrigento, Segesta and Selinunte, with their remains of Magna Graecia, or even the Arab and Norman Palermo. With regard to food and wine, the region-island of Sicily is recognized as one of the best popular Italian destinations. Among the wines, Marsala, a liqueur wine obtained from the homonymous area located in the province of Trapani, has acquired international fame. In 1860 Sicily was united to the Kingdom of Italy thanks to Garibaldi's military enterprise.