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Throughout much of its history, Sicily has been considered a crucial strategic location due in large part to its importance for Mediterranean trade routes. The area was highly regarded as part of Magna Graecia, with Cicero describing Siracusa as the greatest and most beautiful city of all Ancient Greece.
Location
Sicily is directly adjacent to the Italian region of Calabria, via the Strait of Messina to the east. The early Roman name for Sicily was Trinacria, alluding to its triangular shape. Sicily has been noted for two millennia as a grain-producing territory. Citrons, oranges, lemons, olives, olive oil, almonds, and wine are among its other agricultural products. The mines of the Enna and Caltanissetta district became a leading sulfur-producing area in the 19th century but have declined since the 1950s.
Geography
% Lowland – % Mountain – % Hill
Sicily and its small surrounding islands are highly significant in the area of volcanology. Mount Etna, located in the east, is the only volcano on mainland Sicily; with a height of 3,320 m (10,900 ft) it is the tallest active volcano in Europe and one of the most active in the world. As well as Etna, there are several non-volcanic mountain ranges in Sicily: Sicani to the west, Eeri in the central area and Hyblaean in the south-east. Across the north of Sicily there are three others: Madonie, Nebrodi and Peloritani.
The Aeolian Islands to the north-east are volcanically significant with Stromboli currently active, also in the Tyrrhenian Sea are the three dormant volcanos of Vulcano, Vulcanello and Lipari. Off the Southern coast of Sicily, the underwater volcano of Ferdinandea, which is part of the larger Empedocles last erupted in 1831. It is located between the coast of Agrigento and the island of Pantelleria (which itself is a dormant volcano), on the Phlegraean Fields of the Strait of Sicily.
Climate
Sicily’s position means that it enjoys a Mediterranean climate with mild to warm, wet winters and warm to hot, dry summers.
Sicily Average Temperatures - Click to enlarge
Major Cities
- Agrigento – to the south and particularly noted for the Valle dei Templi (Valley of Temples)(UNESCO World Heritage)the city
- Catania – busy university city & #1 economic center, great for nightlife, the gate to Mount Etna (World Heritage)Etna
- Cefalù – Sicily’s main beach resort, with an attractive old town Virtual tour
- Enna – medieval town on the top of a mountain, in the middle of Sicily
- Marsala – Interesting museum, home of the famous wine
- Mazara del Vallo – Arab influences including a Couscous festival
- Messina – busy city & link to the mainland
- Palermo – throbbing capital, plenty of sights
- Ragusa – impressive baroque architecture (UNESCO World Heritage)
- Syracuse (Siracusa) – attractive old town and greek ruins (UNESCO World Heritage)
- Taormina – the main resort & tourist spot. Great Teatro Greco and views of Etna and the coast.
- Trapani – attractive city and gateway to Pantelleria and the Egadi islands
-Augusta – a town north of Syracuse
-Acitrezza – fisherman village on the coast of Catania
-Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto
-Caltabellotta – a hilltop village outside Sciacca.
-Castelbuono – a very pleasing town near Cefalù which is the self proclaimed capital of the madonie national park. Siciliangems 16:43, 12 July 2008 (EDT)
Corleone
-Erice – Stunning medieval town, castle and great views over the west-coast. The cannoli at Cafe Maria are incredible and should not be missed.
-Gela – important Greek vases
-Milazzo – gateway to the Aeolian Islands
-Modica – Baroque town (World Heritage)
-Monreale – impressive norman cathedral above Palermo, offering great mosaics
-Novara di Sicilia – A beautiful medieval town near Mt. Etna
-Noto- center of Val di Noto, famous for baroque architecture (World Heritage)
-Piazza Armerina – Roman Villa del Casale with fantastic mosaics (World Heritage)
-Pergusa Lake and circuit.
-Pozzallo – quiet south coast port
-Santa Caterina Villarmosa
-Sciacca – quiet south coast port [/slider]
Tourism
Due to its sunny, dry climate, magnificent scenery, cuisine, history, and splendid architectural legacy, Sicily attracts many tourists from mainland Italy and abroad. The tourist season peaks in the summer months, although people visit the island all year round. Mount Etna, the beaches, the archeological sites, and the two major cities of Catania and Palermo are the favoured destinations for tourists. The beautiful old town of Taormina and the neighbouring seaside resort of Giardini Naxos draw visitors from all over the world, as do the Aeolian Islands, Erice, Cefalu, Syracuse, and Agrigento. The latter features some of the best-preserved temples of the ancient Greek period. Many Mediterranean cruise ships also stop in Sicily.
Cuisine
The Sicilian cuisine shows traces of all the cultures which established themselves on the island over the last two millennia. Although considered an Italian cuisine, Sicilian food also has Greek and Arab influences
- Biondo commune – the “common blonde” orange
- Ovale – ripens between April and May, with a compact flesh
- Sanguigno comune – common blood orange harvested between January and April
- Washington navel – introduced from Brazil during the 1940s-1950s, grown chiefly near Ribera and Sciacca and harvested from November to January
- Sanguinella – bitter orange of the blood orange variety, found in Paternò Santa Maria di Licodia, Palagonia, Scordia and Francofonte during January until April
- Tarocco – high quality blood orange found in Catania, Siracusa and Francofonte from November to January
- Tarocco dal muso – bell shaped orange found in Francofonte
- Valencia – similar to the Ovale and used often in confectionary items
- Moro – crimson colored flesh found in Lentini, Scordia, and Francofonte from mid-January until the end of April
- Comune – common variety of the mandarin orange
- Tardivo ciaculli – a second variety of the mandarin orange found in Sicily
- Femminello – the lemon that makes up 80% of Sicily’s lemon crop, sound in Catania, Siracusa, Messina and Palermo
- Monachello – “little monk lemon harvested from October from March and able to withstand drought better that the Ferrminello
- Verdello – a lime that grows particularly well and is harvested from May to September
Drinks
Sicilians are not big alcohol drinkers (Sicily has the lowest rate of alcoholism in all of Italy) despite the fact that the island is home to more vineyards than any other Italian region and boasts one of Italy’s most progressive wine industries. Noted mainly in the past for strong bulk wines and often sweet Moscato and Marsala, the island has switched its emphasis toward lighter, fruitier white and red wines.
Sicily is divided into three main producing wine districts:
- Trapani province in the west;
- Etna in the east;
- Noto and Ragusa on the South east tip.
Travel Links
Politics
The Politics of Sicily
The politics of Sicily, Italy takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democracy, whereby the President of Regional Government is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the Regional Government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Sicilian Regional Assembly.
The Regional Government (Giunta Regionale) is presided by the President of the Region (Presidente della Regione), who is elected for a five-year term, and is composed by the President and the Ministers (Assessori), who are currently 12.
The Sicilian Regional Assembly (Assemblea Regionale Siciliana, ARS) is composed of 90 members. The Assembly is elected for a five-year term, but, if the President suffers a vote of no confidence, resigns or dies, under the simul stabunt vel simul cadent prevision, also the Assembly will be dissolved and there will be a fresh election. This occurred when Cuffaro resigned in 2008.
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