Presented by Alessandro Sorbello http://www.alessandrosorbello Sensational Sicily http://www.sensationalsicily.com SICILY Provinces: Palermo, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zASbi4_L4rM Agrigento, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZr3PHeapSc Caltanissetta, Catania, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkG6Xq-9v00 Enna, Messina, Ragusa, Siracusa, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ_w6m31QY8 Trapani, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut97_ZrRp04 This is the biggest island in the Mediterranean, separated from the Italian peninsula by the strait of Messina. It has important mountain groups: Peloritani, Nebrodi, Madonie, Iblei. The coasts offers a landscape of beauty almost everywhere; groups of smaller islands are scattered round the coast (the Eolie or Lipari, Ustica, the Egadi. the isle of Pantelleria and the Pelagie). The Etna, rising in the center of a volcanic area of Sicily, is the highest active volcano in Europe (3,323 mt). The isles of Stromboli and Vulcano also are active volcanoes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WQk-YQjl9g PALERMO Historical Palermo sits compactly around one central crossroads, the Quattro Canti, which is at the core of four distinct quarters. The Albergheria and the Capo quarter, the latter beyond the cathedral, lie roughly west of Via Maqueda; the Vucciria and old harbour of La Cala and the La Kalsa, lie to the east, closest to the water. In these areas you'll find virtually all the surviving ancient monuments and buildings of the city: the hybrid Norman-Arab-Baroque Cattedrale Sannta Maria Assunta and nearby Palazzo dei Normanni (Royal Palace), with its superb, mosaic-decorated chapel, the Cappella Palatina; the glorious Norman churches of La Martorana and San Giovanni degli Eremeti; the Baroque opulence of San Giuseppe dei Teatini. Located in the center of Palermo, near Via Libertà.and Piazza Croci, Villa Trabia is one of the few aristocratic homes open to the public. This estate, which is now owned by the City of Palermo, houses civic offices and a public library. The palace is set in a beautiful wooded park open to the public most days. Built for the Prince of Trabia (Lanza family) in the eighteenth century, Villa Trabia provides a glimpse of the lifestyle of the Palermitan aristocracy of that era. Just outside Palermo you may visit the La Favorita and La Zisa villas and the Capuchin Convent, with its catacombs. http://www.sensationalsicily.com/palermo.html Castelbuono: visit the church Matrice Vecchia and the Ventimiglia castle. Cefalù with its many beaches is an ideal place for a holiday. In town visit the Cathedral, richly decorated with mosaics, the Museum Mandralisca and the Sanctuary of Gibilmanna. Monreale: this town overlooks the "Conca d'Oro," the beautiful valley beyond Palermo and is is world-renowned for its cathedral - S.Maria la Nuova, a dazzling mixture of Arab, Byzantine and Norman artistic styles framed by traditional Romanesque architecture. The beautiful mosaics in the cathedral are said to be one of the world's largest displays of this art and take 6,340 sqm of the duomo's interior surface, covering practically every inch. The masterpiece and key representation is the domineeringly majestic Christ Pantocrator located on the central apse over the main altar. The entire image is 13 meters across and seven meters high.The splendid cloister of the Benedictine abbey alone would make Monreale famous. Located next to the cathedral, these 228 columns, some with mosaic inlay, each with a meticulously stone carved capital, enclose the gardens of the abbey and are really worth a visit. Mondello is a most renowned seaside resort, few kilometres from Palermo with crystal clear water and rich underwater vegetation and caves. Ustica: This is a solitary island (36 miles from Palermo), which has recovered its nature resources thanks to the Marine Reserve that protects its extraordinary seabeds. The under-water flora and fauna are multiplying their species and they can all be visited with guided tours. AGRIGENTO - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZr3PHeapSc Located on a plateau overlooking Sicily's southern coast, Agrigento was founded as Akragas around 582 BC by a group of colonists from Gela, who themselves were the immediate descendants of Greeks from Rhodes and Crete. Akragas was renamed Agrigentum by the Romans, and Girgenti by the Saracens, only to be christened Agrigento in 1927. At the southern limit of the ancient city, in the so-called "Valley of the Temples", the city architects erected their sacred buildings during the fifth century BC. The oldest of Akragas's temples is the Tempio di Ercole, the other ones are the Tempio della Concordia, dated to around 430 BC and perfectly preserved, Tempio di Giunone, Tempio di Giove and the so-called Tempio dei Dioscuri. The medieval city of Agrigento is not without a certain charm. High in the historical center of the city, the Romanesque Gothic cathedral, built during the fourteenth century, still displays some of its medieval character, as does the thirteenth-century Church of San Nicola. Also visit the S.Spirito Abbey and the Museo Archeologico Regionale. http://www.sensationalsicily.com/agrigento.html Canicattì: From Agrigento you may easily reach this town, famous for its grape variety Italia. Visit the church of S. Diego, the Chiesa del Purgatorio, typical of the 18th century, and the richly decorated Chiesa di S. Francesco. Amongst the many beautiful monuments in Canicattì, there is the Mother Church of S.Pancrazio, home to precious pieces of art, like a marble statue representing the Ecce Homo and a painting of the Holy Family with S. Anna and S. Gioacchino. Also the Castello Bonanno, the Torre dell'Orologio (clock tower), the Palazzo of Baron La Lomia and Palazzo Bartocelli. Palma di Montechiaro: founded in 1637 by Prince of Lampedusa Carlo Tomasi. One of his descendants, namely Giuseppe Tomasi of Lampedusa, was the author (1958) of the celebrated novel The Leopard, successively adapted into a film by director Luchino Visconti, about the decline of an aristocratic family of Palermo between 1860, year of Garibaldi's Exploit, and 1910. You can still visit the Castle of Montechiaro at the top of a rocky cliff. Porto Empedocle: in the Località Caos you may visit the home of Luigi Pirandello. Naro has many baroque churches and the Chiaromonte castle. Sciacca: a thermal town where you can visit the Cathedral, S.Margherita and the Steripinto, a particular building of the xv century. Caltabellotta: in this old town have a look at the churches of S.Agostino, S.Salvatore and the Chiesa Madre. Lampedusa: This small (20 km2 ) calcareous island, scorched by the hot sun all year round and characterised by its African-type landscapes and by the "dammusi" (stone houses), is surrounded by the most transparent Mediterranean waters. The main attraction of Lampedusa is the great solitude of this island and the strong contrast between the aridity of its land, covered with Indian figs, agaves, carobs and low bushy scrub on one hand, and the sharp colours of an extremely crystal-clear sea on the other. Also Linosa, another island, but of vulcanic origin, is worth a visit; its populated area is represented by a little village dominated by the typically "dammusi". Lampione - uninhabited crag with a lighthouse, it lies 20 miles from Lampedusa, can be reached only from there. CATANIA A splendid Baroque City at the slopes of the Etna, from the eighteenth century on, Catania has been considered the second most important city of Sicily. Subjected to the Etna Vulcan, this town has been damaged by lava flows and earthquakes on several occasions. The city has two Roman amphitheatres, one which was built on a pre-existent Greek one and the other which is a completely Roman structure. Visit the Ursino Castle, built on the orders of Emperor Frederick II von Hohenstaufen in the first half of the thirteenth century, and now a museum open to the public. The oldest part of the Duomo (Cathedral) dates back to 1092; it hosts the tombs of Frederick III of Aragona, who ruled from 1296-1337, and the one of Constance, wife of Frederick IV of Aragona. Most of Catania's wide streets and palazzi were built during the eighteenth century, a characteristic is the gray, volcanic stone used in the buildings. This was the period in which noble families from across eastern Sicily, used to build palazzo in Catania, beginning a subtle social and economical rivalry with Palermo. The two most famous citizens are S.Agata, the martyr patroness of the city and Vincenzo Bellini, the opera composer. Stroll through Via dei Cruciferi and visit the churches of S.Benedetto, S.Giuliano and S.Niccolò. http://www.sensationalsicily.com/catania.html Caltagirone: Once the location of a Saracen fortress, this charming mountain town is famous for its hand made, traditional ceramics. There are many cultural bodies who promote this aspect of the city like the Ceramic School and the Ceramic Museum. Since the earthquake of 1693 the night dedicated to S.Giacomo(24/25 July) has been celebrated with huge images made up of colored lights or 'luminarie' which have to illuminate a staircase. The 'Scala' itself has been used since 1785 and just like ancient times over 4000 sand weighted papers cartons 'coppi' containing terracotta lanterns and the finest of oil are used for the illumination. Acireale - The Duomo, S.Sebastiano, walk to S.Maria della Scala - a picturesque fishing village. Pantelleria: The largest of Sicily's islands and just thirty miles from the African coast. An ideal spot for your holiday, with its beautiful beaches, caves and the volcanic Lago di Venere with thermal spring water. The Montagna Grande mountain is surrounded by 24 "cuddle" (small craters that recall the volcanic origins of this islands), lava flows, residues of pumice-stone, basalts, fumaroles and thermal sources (Gadir, Nicà, Satana). There are many grottos where it is possible to take healthy steam baths; one of the most famous ones is the 'Stufa' (stove) del Bagno di Arturo near Sibà. SIRACUSA Until Roman times, this was the most powerful and magnificent city in all Sicily. Today, it is an impressive and intriguing sight, with a mixture of late Baroque architecture - vivid yet damaged by the passage of time, and the reconstruction of the city following the terrible earthquake of 1693 - and ancient classical architecture. It is situated in an exquisite landscape of sea, rocks and Mediterranean vegetation. Siracusa may be divided in several areas. The most ancient part of town is the island of Ortigia, linked to the mainland by the Ponte Nuovo. Have a stroll and look at the Fonte Aretusa, related to the myth of the goddess Diana's nymph. Don't miss the beautiful Baroque Duomo with its ornate chapels, carved Doric columns, frescoes and statues. The other Baroque buildings, on the same square, include the striking Palazzo Beneventano del Bosco whith a lovely courtyard, the Palazzo del Senato and the Church of Santa Lucia alla Badia (S.Lucy is the patron saint of this town). Visit the Linear Theatre and the churches of S. Maria delle Colonne, S.Giovanni, S.Pietro, Palazzo Mergulese-Montalto. Palazzo Bellomo hosts an Art gallery ( Entombment of St. Lucy by Caravaggio, Annunciation by Antonello da Messina), and the imposing Maniace Castle with its Swabian architecture don't has to be missed. Via della Maestranza is one of the oldest and interesting streets of Ortigia, literally stuffed with Baroque buildings: look out for Palazzo Interland Pizzuti, Palazzo Impellizzeri, Palazzo Bonanno, Palazzo Romeo Bufardeci, S.Francesco all'Immacolata. We also recommend a walk through Mastrarua, another old street, Via Mirabella and Corso Matteotti, full of shops. Also interesting: the Church of S.Spirito and the Belvedere S.Giacomo which offers a spectacular view. In the archaeological area on the mainland part of town, called Parco Archeologico della Neapolis, you may visit the Ear of Dionysius (situated in the Latomia del Paradiso, a garden with orange and palm trees), the ancient Greek theatre, the Roman amphitheatre and the Tomb of Archimedes. In the Regional Archaeological Museum Paolo Orsi you may view many interesting finds dating back to Sicilian prehistory. In the areas of Tyche and Akradina: visit the Papyrus Museum, the S.Giovanni Catacombs, the Crypt of S.Marciano, the Basilica of S.Giovanni Evangelista and S.Lucia extra moenia. Also worth: a walk to the Eurialo Castle, on the north side ot town. A favourite excursion is a boat trip starting at the Fonte Ciane, at about 8 km out of town; it will get you to the spot, where, according to Ovid, the Rape of Proserpina took place. Noto: Defined as "Stone garden", Noto was entirely built with a soft stone that, owing to the effect of sun rays, has gradually acquired a beautiful honey shade. Noto: Is the capital of the 18th century Sicilian and European baroque, and its religious and civil monuments are the most valuable examples of talented artists of the time: Gagliardi, Sinatra, Labisi along with local skilled workers. Have a tour, starting with the Cathedral, Palazzo Ducezio, the Holy Crucifix, the Monastery of "SS. Salvatore", "S. Francesco", S. Domenico, Santa Chiara. Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata has incredible grotesque sculptures; Via Nicolaci", is called the street of balconies. But Noto is not only Baroque; its whole territory offers the necropolis of "Noto Antica" and of "Castelluccio", the archaeological finds of the Greek town of Eloro, the sanctuaries of "S. Corrado Fuori le Mura" and of "S. Maria della Scala", the rupestrian and Byzantine oratories, the beautiful sea and the naturalistic reserves of "Vendicari" and "Cava Grande". RAGUSA Set on a wide limestone hill between two deep valleys it is divided into two distinct areas: Ragusa Ibla the old town with its lovely baroque architecture, and Ragusa (the upper side). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragusa,_Italy Ragusa Ibla's best-known church is the Basilica di San Giorgio, whose entrance is reached by climbing a spacious set of elegantly decorated curving stairs. The majestic dome of the church towers above the town and dominates the Piazza del Duomo and its neat rows of palm trees beneath it. The basilica was built in 1738 by the famous architect Rosario Gagliardo and is considered Gagliardo's baroque masterpiece. The beautiful piazza before the church is surrounded by striking aristocratic buildings like Palazzo Arezzi and Palazzo Donnafugata. The splendid Villa Comunale (public gardens) is situated at the far end of Ragusa Ibla. Very well-mantained, it offers beautiful sights of the mountain ranges and down over the Irminio valley. The Church of San Giorgio il Vecchio has an amazing Gothic-Norman doorway. Chiesa di Santa Maria dell'Idria, dated 1639 has a decorated bell-tower with lovely floral panels of majolica from Caltagirone. Palazzo Cosentini is the most typical of all the 18th century buildings in town, with elegant balconies supported by ornamented corbels and sculptured animals and masks typical of the Baroque Art. Castello di Donnafugata: this castle, situated in proximity to Santa Croce Camerina, about 20km from Ragusa is a major attraction for tourists. Thanks to its scenery, it was the setting of many films. Comiso - The church of S.Francesco, the Mother Church, Palazzo Iacono-Ciarcià and the Palazzo Occhipinti, one of the most beautiful buildings in town, with its elegant baroque façade attributed to Gagliardi. Modica - The stately Cathedral of San Giorgio is one of the most important and impressing religious monuments in all Sicily. It has an impressive flight of 250 steps, that starts down from Corso Garibaldi. The façade rises through three levels to a single bell-tower; its aisles richly decorated with stuccoes and paintings. Palazzo Polara stands right of the Cathedral -a splendid baroque building also with an elegant flight of steps. Don't miss S.Pietro, the Chiesa del Carmine and Palazzo Tomasi-Rossi with an impressive stone portal and beautiful balconies at the top floor. Scicli - known as the Baroque Jewel. It boasts many lovely churches as the Madonna delle Milizie and Sant'Ignazio, both with precious stuccoes and paintings. The 15th century Chiesa di San Bartolomeo houses a wooden nativity. Palazzo Beneventano, one of the most impressive baroque monuments in the entire province. Other interesting monuments are the 1386's Monastery of the Carmelite Fathers, San Matteo and Santa Croce. The Via Mormino Penna, lined with amazing palazzi, churches and monuments, provides an unforgettable baroque atmosphere. Here stand the Palazzo Comunale (Town Hall), the Palazzo Spadaro and the churches of San Giovanni, San Michele and Santa Teresa. The Santuario della Madonna delle Milizie near the coast is also worth a visit. TRAPANI Walking in Corso Vittorio Emanuele, the old Loggia, Via Torrearsa, Via Garibaldi, you'll notice lots of historical palazzi and churches of notable artistic worth: Palazzo Cavarretta, the Cathedral, Palazzo Riccio di Morana, Palazzo San Rocco, Palazzo Riccio di San Gioacchino, Palazzo Lucatelli, the Chiesa del Collegio. In the Chiesa del Purgatorio, the sacred statues of the Misteri of Trapani are kept. The Chiesa di San Pietro treasures the precious organ built by Francesco La Grassa from Palermo. The Corso then leads into the so-called Ghetto, Via Della Giudecca and Via degli Ebrei, which was inhabited by the Jewish community up to the XV century. The Northern part of the town is characterised by the Litoranea (seafront) with the picturesque Piazza del Mercato del Pesce (Fish Market Square). Villa Margherita, the "lung" or outdoor space of the town has giant ficus trees and is ideal for a relaxing walk. EGADI ISLANDS Favignana: this island is the largest of the archipelago of the Egadi and a popular tourist destination because of its wonderful sea characterised by numerous coves. It is an island rich in history, the famous naval battle between the Romans and the Carthaginians was fought here. Favignana is also famous all over the world for its "mattanza" (slaughter of tuna fish) tradition. Levanzo - The smallest of the Egadi Islands, is an ideal place for trekking. Marettimo is the furthest from Trapani and therefore this island still is a real natural paradise, with rugged and enchanting landscape and crystal clear water. Mozia - One of the largest Phoenician centres in Sicily. The archaeological excavations have revealed precious finds such as the necropolis, a house of mosaics, and a paved road. One should not miss a visit to the Whitaker Museum that conserves archaeological finds of great importance such as the Giovane (a young man) dressed in a tunic, a statue of Greek origin from the second half of the V century BC. San Vito Lo Capo - An ideal holiday destination thanks to its deep blue sea and its fine white sandy beach. Close to the Natural Reserve Lo Zingaro. Salemi - Interesting Norman Castle and ruins of the Byzantine Basilica of San Miceli. Erice - A charming hill town which overlooks the sea. Marsala, famous for its wine and with many sandy beaches. Alcamo - Basilica of S.Maria Assunta, Castel of the Counts of Modica, Annunziata Church and the typical Baroque Sanctuary of the Madonna dei Miracoli. Selinunte and Segesta, two famous ancient greek towns where you can still walk through the temples and old theatre. MESSINA Two great earthquakes hit this city, in 1783 and 1908, and during WWII it was heavily bombed. Visit the Museo Regionale with Byzantine and Norman works as well as works by Messina's famous artists, Antonello da Messina and Girolamo Aliprandi. Also interesting the Mannerist building - Monte di Pietà and the church Santissima Annunziata dei Catalani. A short way from the Duomo, this church was built in the 12th century during the Norman rule and remodelled later on by the Catalans. The apse is a fine specimen of the Norman composite style, that combines Roman, Moorish and Byzantine features. The Duomo has been rebuilt in Norman style, after the earthquake of 1908. From the inside you may access the Treasury, which displays a fine collection of religious objects and vestments, reliquaries, candlesticks, chalices and a fine 1600's monstrance, containing a host. The astronomical clock on the bell-tower to the left of the cathedral has a mechanism dating from 1933.Don't miss a look at it on midday! It consists of several layers, each with a different display endowed with a separate movement. At the bottom, a two-horse chariot sets the day of the week; above, the central figure of Death looks at the four ages of man that pass before him. At the third stage, the Sanctuary of Montalto sets the scene for a group of figures which, according to the time of year, represent the Nativity, Epiphany, Resurrection and Pentecost. At the top, the tableau enacts a scene relating to a local legend whereby the Madonna delivers a letter to the ambassodors of Messina in which she thanks and agrees to protect the inhabitants of the town who were converted to Christianity by St. Paul the Apostle. The female bell-strikers are the local heroines Dina and Clarenza, during the period of resistance against the Angevins (1282).. The southern side of the bell-tower shows a perpetual calendar, the astronomical cycle marked by the signs of the zodiac, and the different phases of the moon. When the clock strikes midday, all the mechanical figures come to life. On the Piazza del Duomo you may admire the Fontana di Orione with allegoric statues of four rivers. For excursions in the area: Ganzirri and Torre Faro, two characteristic, pictoresque fishing villages full of life. Or the medieval hill village of Savoca which boasts interesting churches like the Convento dei Capuccini, the 15th century Chiesa di San Michele with fine Gothic-Renaissance portals, and the Chiesa Madre. From Casalvecchio you'll have a panoramic view over the Ionian coastline and may visit the Chiesa Madre, decorated with Taormina marble. Tindari: Piazzale Belvedere, Greek theatre and Basilica at the archaeological site. AEOLIAN ISLANDS A volcanic archipelago on Sicily's North-Eastern Tyrrhenian coast with the islands of Lipari ( the largest one), Salina (a green island with many wineyards), Filicudi, Alicudi, Stromboli (with an active volcano), Panarea (a jet-set island) and Vulcano (famous for its fango baths). The Greeks who colonized the islands around 580BC named them after the god of the winds Aeolus. These beautiful spots offer an enchanting landscape, great beaches with white sand, castles, thermal resorts and medieval structures and are a main tourist resort in Summer. On Lipari the volcanic phenomenon can be observed in the island's thermal springs (up to 600), in its solfataras and in its 12 volcanic systems converging towards the 602 metres of Monte Chirica. This elevated and craggy island has spectacular beaches and breathtaking ragged coasts. Panarea - The main village, Contrada San Pietro, consists of a group of white houses clustered along the eastern side of the island. The built-up area is crowned with olive trees and protected by huge walls. The other two villages north and south of San Pietro are Dittella and Drauto.We recommend a boat tour to the nearby small islands of Basiluzzo, Dattilo and Lisca Bianca, to the Scoglio Bottaro (with its underwater "fumaroles"). Salina - More than 400 different types of plants grow here. It is also the island with the highest peaks such as the three volcanoes that originated e.g Monte Fossa delle Felci (962 m), which is partially covered by one of the most beautiful strawberry tree woods of the entire Mediterranean. Vulcano - famous for the baths in the warm waters of its submarine springs. This 21 km2, 500 metre high (Monte Aria) isle is the Aeolian island closest to the Sicilian coast. Its name is a clear description of its geography: a land of lava and fumarole, yellow sulphur rocks and black sands all worth a visit. Stromboli - This 924 metre high lava mountain (Serra Vancori) which drops abruptly down to 2000 metres below sea-level is Europe's biggest active volcano after Etna. During the night, the glittering "sciara" of fire (the red-hot flow descending towards the sea) can be seen from the boats and from Panarea. During the day, the smoke of the peak joins the steam raising up from the water that cools down the red-hot lava detritus which have plunged into the water after sliding down the slope of the coast. The white houses of the little village create a unique contrast with the black lava background dotted with dark-green bushes. http://www.sensationalsicily.com/aeolianislands.html TAORMINA A 19th century haunt of the English aristocracy, it has long been Sicily's most famous resort town and it was here that D.H. Lawrence was inspired to write Lady Chatterly's Lover. Taormina has endlessly winding medieval streets and tiny passages. The most famous view you can get on your strolls is the one overlooking the Greco-Roman amphitheatre, one of Sicily's largest, with Mount Etna and the sea in the background. The Teatro Greco was founded by Greeks in the third century BC but the visible remains are almost entirely Roman. Between July and August the theatre hosts an international arts festival including film, theatre and music. CALTANISSETTA Located in the very heart of Sicily: It boasts a baroque Cathedral with frescoes by the Flemish artist Guglielmo Borremans, 17th century Palazzo Moncada, the remnants of the Saracen Pietrarossa Castle, the church of S.Sebastiano as well as many other Baroque churches. A little out of town you'll reach the Romanesque Abbey of S. Spirito -- founded by Roger I in the 11th century. It hosts a beautiful wooden crucifix of the 15th century. Gela: Regional Archaeological Museum, the Greek Acropolis and excursion to the Castle of Falconara. Licata: worth a visit, offering many 18th century buildings, the Church of S.Domenico with a beautiful cloister and the Carmine Church. ENNA Also called "Belvedere della Sicilia", as it occupies a magnificent position on a plateau 948m above sea level. It's rather unknown as a touristic destination, yet it hosts many interesting churches and museums. Duomo: although largely rebuilt in the Baroque style in the 16th and 17th centuries, the cathedral with its coffered ceilinghas maintained its Gothic apses. Alessi Museum: houses the collections of Canon Alessi.17th and 18th century sacred vestments embroidered with gold thread and coral; selection of paintings, Greek, Roman and Byzantine coins; an assortment of archaeological finds ranging from prehistoric times to the Late Middle Ages. Lombardia Castle which looks out over the valley; S.Michele Arcangelo, S.Marco, erected on the site of an old synagogue. Don't miss a stroll in the Quartiere Fundrisi with its typical single-storey houses.

Tags: palermo sicilia taormina catania aeolian islands siracusa noto monreale trapani

Sicily is directly adjacent to the region of Calabria via the Strait of Messina to the east. The early Roman name for Sicily was Trinacria, alluding to its triangular shape. The Sensational Sicily Project http://www.SensationalSicily.com is a collaboration with the Region of Sicily, The Italian Chamber of Commerce, Alessandro Sorbello Productions http://www.alessandrosorbello.com and New Realm Media http://www.newrealm.com.au The volcano Etna, situated close to Catania, is 3,320 m (10,900 ft) high, making it the tallest active volcano in Europe. It is also one of the world's most active volcanoes. The Aeolian islands to the north are administratively a part of Sicily, as are the Aegadian Islands and Pantelleria Island to the west, Ustica Island to the north-west, and the Pelagian Islands to the south-west. Sicily has been noted for two millennia as a grain-producing territory. 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. http://youtube.com/watch?v=NJAalPqBuFo&mode=related&search= Sicily is divided into nine provinces: Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Catania, Enna, Messina, Palermo, Ragusa, Syracuse (Siracusa), Trapani History The original inhabitants of Sicily, long absorbed into the population, were tribes known to Greek writers as the Elymians, the Sicani and the Siculi or Sicels. Of these, the last were clearly the latest to arrive on this land and were related to other Italic peoples of southern Italy, such as the Italoi of Calabria, the Oenotrians, Chones, and Leuterni (or Leutarni), the Opicans, and the Ausones. It's possible, however, that the Sicani were originally an Iberian tribe. The Elymi, too, may have distant origins outside of Italy, in the Aegean Sea area. Phoenicians/Carthaginians, Greeks & Romans Sicily was colonized by Phoenicians, Punic settlers from Carthage, and by Greeks, starting in the 8th Century BC. The most important colony was established at Syracuse in 734 BC. Other important Greek colonies were Gela, Acragas, Selinunte, Himera, and Zancle or Messene (modern-day Messina, not to be confused with the ancient city of Messene in Messenia, Greece). These city states were an important part of classical Greek civilization, which included Sicily as part of Magna Graecia - both Empedocles and Archimedes were from Sicily. Sicilian politics was intertwined with politics in Greece itself, leading Athens, for example, to mount the disastrous Sicilian Expedition during the Peloponnesian War. The Greeks came into conflict with the Punic trading communities with ties to Carthage, which was on the African mainland, not far from the southwest corner of the region, and had its own colonies on Sicily. Palermo was a Carthaginian city, founded in the 8th century BC, named Zis or Sis ("Panormos" to the Greeks). Hundreds of Phoenician and Carthaginian grave sites have been found in necropoli over a large area of Palermo, now built over, south of the Norman palace, where the Norman kings had a vast park. In the far west, Lilybaeum (now Marsala) never was thoroughly Hellenized. In the First and Second Sicilian Wars, Carthage was in control of all but the eastern part of Sicily, which was dominated by Syracuse. In 415 BC, Syracuse became an object of Athenian imperialism as exemplified in the disastrous events of the Sicilian Expedition, which reignited the cooling Peloponnesian War. In the 3rd century BC the Messanan Crisis motivated the intervention of the Roman Republic into Sicilian affairs, and led to the First Punic War between Rome and Carthage. By the end of war (242 BC) all Sicily was in Roman hands, becoming Rome's first province outside of the Italian peninsula. The initial success of the Carthaginians during the Second Punic War encouraged many of the Sicilian cities to revolt against Roman rule. Rome sent troops to put down the rebellions (it was during the siege of Syracuse that Archimedes was killed). Carthage briefly took control of parts of Sicily, but in the end was driven off. Many Carthaginian sympathizers were killed— in 210 BC the Roman consul M. Valerian told the Roman Senate that "no Carthaginian remains in Sicily". For the next 6 centuries, Sicily was a province of the Roman Empire. It was something of a rural backwater, important chiefly for its grainfields, which were a mainstay of the food supply of the city of Rome. The empire did not make much effort to Romanize the region, which remained largely Greek. The most notable event of this period was the notorious misgovernment of Verres, as recorded by Cicero in 70 BC, in his oration, In Verrem. Byzantines In 440 AD Sicily fell to the Vandal king Geiseric. A few decades later, it came into Ostrogothic hands, where it remained until it was conquered by the Byzantine general Belisarius in 535. But a new Ostrogothic king, Totila, drove down the Italian peninsula and then plundered and conquered Sicily in 550. Totila, in turn, was defeated and killed by the Byzantine general, Narses, in 552. For a brief period (662-668), during Byzantine rule, Syracuse was the imperial capital, until Constans II was assassinated. Sicily was then ruled by the Byzantine Empire until the Arab conquest of 827-902. It is reported in contemporary accounts that Sicilians spoke Greek or Italo-Greek dialects until at least the 10th century, and in some regions for several more centuries. First Arab invasion of Sicily In 535, Emperor Justinian I made Sicily a Byzantine province, and for the second time in Sicilian history, the Greek language became a familiar sound across the island. As the power of the Byzantine Empire waned, Sicily was invaded by the Arabs in 652 AD. However, this was a short lived invasion and the Arabs left soon after. Arab control from Tunisia and Egypt In around 700, the island of Pantelleria was captured by the Arabs, and it was only discord among the Arabs that prevented Sicily being next. Instead, trading arrangements were agreed and Arab merchants established themselves in Sicilian ports. Then, in 827 a failed Sicilian coup against an unpopular Byzantine governor. Euphemius, a wealthy landowner, who overcame the imperial garrison in Siracusa, declared himself Emperor and invited the Aghlabid Emir of Tunisia to help him. The response was a fleet of 100 ships and 10,000 troops under the command of Asad ibn al-Furat, which consisted largely of Arab Berbers from North Africa and Spain. After resistance at Siracusa, the Arabs gained a foothold in Mazara del Vallo. Palermo fell after a long siege in 831, but Siracusa held out until 878. From 842 to 859 the Arabs captured Messina, Modica, Ragusa and Enna. In 902 Taormina, the last Byzantine stronghold also fell to Arabs and by 965 all of Sicily was under Arab control and Palermo became one of the largest cities in the world. Emirate of Sicily Sicily was ruled by the Sunni Aghlabid dynasty in Tunisia and the Shiite Fatimids in Egypt. The Byzantines took advantage of temporary discord to occupy the eastern end of the island for several years. After suppressing a revolt the Fatimid caliph appointed Hassan al-Kalbi (948-964) as Emir of Sicily. He successfully managed to control the Byzantines and founded the Kalbid dynasty. Raids into southern Italy continued under the Kalbids into the 11th century, and in 982 a German army under Otto II was defeated near Crotone in Calabria. With Emir Yusuf al-Kalbi (990-998) a period of steady decline began. Under al-Akhal (1017-1037) the dynastic conflict intensified, with factions within the ruling family allying themselves variously with Byzantium and the Zirids. By the time of Emir Hasan as-Samsam (1040-1053) the island had fragmented into several small fiefdoms. As a virtually an independent emirate, Sicily played a privileged role as bridge between Africa and Europe. Trade flourished and taxes were low. The tolerant regime allowed subjects to abide by their own laws. Despite freedom of worship, Christians freely converted to Islam and there were soon hundreds of mosques in Palermo alone. The Arabs initiated land reforms which in turn, increased productivity and encouraged the growth of smallholdings, a dent to the dominance of the landed estates. The Arabs further improved irrigation systems. A description of Palermo was given by Ibn Hawqual, a Baghdad merchant who visited Sicily in 950. A walled suburb called the Kasr (the palace) is the center of Palermo until today, with the great Friday mosque on the site of the later Roman cathedral. The suburb of Al-Khalisa (Kalsa) contained the Sultan's palace, baths, a mosque, government offices and a private prison. Ibn Hawqual reckoned 7,000 individual butchers trading in 150 shops. The Cathedral of Palermo.In addition to Andalusian Arabs and other Arabs, there were Berbers, Persians, Greeks, Jews, Slavs and Lombards. Western Sicily particularly prospered with Berbers settling in the Agrigento area coupled with Bedouin, Syrians and Egyptian Arabs in Palermo. Muslim rule in Sicily slowly came to an end following an invitation by the Emirs of Catania and Siracusa for a Norman invasion. The Normans, under Count Roger de Hauteville (Altavilla) attacked Sicily in 1061, beginning a thirty year struggle against the Arabs. In 1068, Roger and his men defeated the Arabs at Misilmeri but the most crucial battle was the siege of Palermo in 1072, and the conquest of Sicily was completed by 1091 with the defeat of the last Emir in Noto. Arab-Norman period (1091-1224) Following the Norman conquest, Arab influence continued to persist creating a hybrid culture on the island that has contributed much to the character of modern Sicily. The cultural diversity and religious tolerance of the period of Muslim rule under the Kalbid dynasty made Palermo the capital city of the Emirate of Sicily. This continued under the Normans who conquered Sicily in 1060-1090 (raising its status to that of a kingdom in 1130). During this period, Sicily became one of the wealthiest states in Europe, and according to historian John Julius Norwich, Palermo under the Normans became wealthier than the England of its day. After only a century, however, the Norman Hauteville dynasty died out and the south German (Swabian) Hohenstaufen dynasty ruled starting in 1194, adopting Palermo as its principal seat from 1220. But local Christian-Muslim conflicts fueled by the Crusades were escalating during this later period, and in 1224, Frederick II, grandson of Roger II, expelled the last remaining Muslims from Sicily, temporarily relocating many to a colony in Lucera on the southern mainland, while the rest fled to North Africa. Conflict between the Hohenstaufen house and the Papacy led in 1266 to Sicily's conquest by Charles I, duke of Anjou: opposition to French officialdom and taxation led in 1282 to insurrection (the Sicilian Vespers) and successful invasion by king Peter III of Aragón. The resulting War of the Sicilian Vespers lasted until the peace of Caltabellotta in 1302. Sicily was ruled as an independent kingdom by relatives of the kings of Aragon until 1409 and then as part of the Crown of Aragon. Spanish control Ruled from 1479 by the kings of Spain, Sicily suffered a ferocious outbreak of plague (1656), followed by a damaging earthquake in the east of the region (1693). Sicily was frequently attacked by Barbary pirates from North Africa. Bad periods of rule by the crown of Savoy (1713-1720) and then the Austrian Habsburgs gave way to union (1734) with the Bourbon-ruled kingdom of Naples, first as independent kingdom under personal union, then (1816) as part of the kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Sicily was the scene of major revolutionary movements in 1820 and 1848 against Bourbon denial of constitutional government, even though the main request was recognition of an independent status from Naples. The 1848 revolution resulted in a sixteen month period of independence from the Bourbons before its armed forces took back control of the island on 15 May 1849. In late 1852, Prince Emanuele Realmuto had set up power in North Central Sicily. Highly educated, the prince established a political system set to bring Sicily's economy to the highest levels in all of Italy. The Prince's life however was shortened by an assassination in 1857. To this day some of his work is still present in the Italian parliament. Italian unification Sicily was joined with the other Italian regions in 1860 following the invasion of irregular troops led by Giuseppe Garibaldi and the resultant so-called Risorgimento. http://www.greatitalians.com/garibaldi.htm The new Italian state was a strongly centralized nation, and it did not take long before, in 1866, Palermo revolted against Italy. The city was soon bombed by the Italian navy, which disembarked on September 22 under the command of Raffaele Cadorna. Italian soldiers summarily executed the civilian insurgents, and took possession once again of the island. A long extensive guerrilla campaign against the unionists (1861-1871) took place throughout southern Italy, and in Sicily, inducing the Italian governments to a ferocious military repression. Ruled under martial law for many years Sicily (and southern Italy) was ravaged by the Italian army that summarily executed thousands of people, made tens of thousands prisoners, destroyed villages, and deported people. The Sicilian economy collapsed, leading to an unprecedented wave of emigration. In 1894 labour agitation through the radical Fasci Siciliani led again to the imposition of martial law. Map of the Allied landings in Sicily on 10 July 1943.The organised crime networks commonly known as the mafia extended their influence in the late 19th century (and many of its operatives also emigrated to other countries, particularly the United States); partly suppressed under the Fascist regime beginning in the 1920s, they recovered as a side effect of the massive World War II Allied invasion of Sicily on the night of July 10, 1943 when an allied armada of 2,590 vessels freed the then-Fascist Sicily. Mafia was the only organization present in Sicily to be a proved enemy of the Fascist regime and able to offer the Allied occupants a steady grip on the island. The invasion of Sicily was one of the causes of the July 25 crisis. An autonomous region from 1946, Sicily benefited to some extent from the partial Italian land reform of 1950-1962 and special funding from the Cassa per il Mezzogiorno, the Italian government's indemnification Fund for the South (1950-1984). Sicily returned to the headlines in 1992, however, when the assassination of two anti-mafia magistrates, Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino triggered a general upheaval in Italian political life. Transport Main article: Transport in Sicily Automobile Most of Sicily's motorways (autostrade) run through the northern portion of the island. The most important ones are A19 Palermo-Catania, A20 Palermo-Messina, A29 Palermo-Mazara del Vallo and the toll road A18 Messina-Catania. Much of the motorway network is elevated by columns due to the mountainous terrain. http://youtube.com/watch?v=RcI8fadvwaY The road network in the south of the country consists largely of well-maintained secondary roads. Railways Sicily is connected to the Italian peninsula by the national railway company, Trenitalia, though trains are loaded onto ferries for the crossing from the mainland. Officially, the Stretto di Messina, S.p. A. was scheduled to commence construction of the world's longest suspension bridge, the Strait of Messina Bridge, in the second half of 2006. When completed, it would have marked the first time in human history that Sicily was connected by a land link to Italy. In October of 2006 the Italian Parliament scrapped the plan due to lack of popular support, particularly amongst Sicilians.[2]. Air Sicily is served by national and international flights, mostly to European locations, to and from Palermo International Airport and the substantially busier Catania-Fontanarossa Airport. There are also minor national airports in Trapani and on the small islands of Pantelleria and Lampedusa. Metro The city of Palermo has an urban metropolitan service, handled by Trenitalia, with eleven stations, including an airport stop. Catania also has an underground rail system, which completes the circuit on the circumetnea narrow gauge railway. Towns and cities Sicily's principal cities include the regional capital Palermo, together with the other provincial capitals Catania, Messina, Syracuse (Siracusa in Italian), Trapani, Enna, Caltanissetta, Agrigento, Ragusa. Other Sicilian towns include Acireale, Taormina, Giardini Naxos, Piazza Armerina, Bagheria, Partinico, Carini, Alcamo, Vittoria, Caltagirone, Cefalù, Bronte, Adrano, Marsala, Corleone, Castellammare del Golfo, Calatafimi, Gela, Termini Imerese, Francavilla di Sicilia, Ferla, Sciacca, and Abacaenum (now Tripi). The regional flag of Sicily, recognized since January 2000[3], is also the historical one of the island since 1282. It is divided diagonally yellow over red, with the trinacria symbol in the center. "Trinacria" literally means "3 points" and it most probably is a solar symbol even though lately, it has been considered representative of the three points of the island. The head shown on the Sicilian trinacria is the face of Medusa. The trinacria symbol is used also by other regions like the Isle of Man. Arts Palermo is the regional capital of Sicily. Landscape with temple ruins on Sicily, Jacob Philipp Hackert, 1778Sicily is well known as a region of art: many poets and writers were born here, starting from the Sicilian School in the early 13th century, which inspired much subsequent Italian poetry and created the first Italian standard. The most famous, however, are Luigi Pirandello, Giovanni Verga, Salvatore Quasimodo, Gesualdo Bufalino. Other Sicilian artists include the composers Sigismondo d'India, Girolamo Arrigo, Salvatore Sciarrino, Giovanni Sollima (from Palermo), Alessandro Scarlatti (from Trapani or Palermo), Vincenzo Bellini, Giovanni Pacini, Francesco Paolo Frontini, Alfredo Sangiorgi, Aldo Clementi, Roberto Carnevale (from Catania). Noto, Ragusa and particularly Acireale contain some of Italy's best examples of Baroque architecture, carved in the local red sandstone. Caltagirone is renowned for its decorative ceramics. Palermo is also a major center of Italian opera. Its Teatro Massimo is the largest opera house in Italy and the third largest in the world, seating 1,400. Sicily is also home to two prominent folk art traditions, both of which draw heavily on the island's Norman influence. A Sicilian wood cart, or Carretto Siciliano, is painted with intricate decorations of scenes from the Norman romantic poems, such as The Song of Roland. The same tales are told in traditional puppet theatres which feature hand-made wooden marionettes, especially in Acireale, the capital of Sicilian puppets. Sicily is the setting for many classic Italian films such as Visconti's La Terra Trema (1948)and Il Gattopardo (1963), Rosi's Salvatore Giuliano(1962) and Antonioni's L'avventura (1960). The 1988 movie Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, was about life in a Sicilian town following the Second World War. It is also the setting for Michael Radford's Il Postino (1994) starring Massimo Troisi. People The position of Sicily as a stepping stone of sorts in the center of the Mediterranean Basin has lent it strategic importance throughout history, resulting in an endless procession of settlers and conquerors. Modern methods of genetic testing enable us to see which have had the greatest demographic impact. Several studies show strong ties between Sicily, mainland southern Italy and Greece, suggesting that the Siculi, Elymi and Greek colonizations were the most important. It has been proposed that a genetic boundary divides Sicily into two regions, reflecting the distribution of Siculi and Greek settlements in the east, and Sicani/Elymi, Phoenician/Arab and Norman settlements in the west.[10][11][12] However, other research has failed to detect any such division.[13][7] No data exists on the contribution of Normans, but a number of studies hint that North African and Middle Eastern gene flow was limited by the physical barrier of the Mediterranean Sea and resulting cultural differentiation.[6][14][15][16][17][18] Sicily's population is approximately 5 million, and there are an additional 10 million people of Sicilian descent around the world, mostly in the United States, Argentina, Canada, Australia and the EU countries. The island today, like all of western Europe, is home to growing communities of immigrants, including Tunisians, Moroccans, Nigerians, Indians, Romanians, Russians, Chinese and Gypsies from the Balkans. Language Main article: Sicilian language,. Many Sicilians are bilingual in both Italian and Sicilian, a separate Romance language, with Greek, Arabic, Catalan and Spanish influence. It is important to note that Sicilian is not a derivative of Italian. Although thought by some to be a dialect, Sicilianu is a distinct language, with a rich history and a sizeable vocabulary (at least 250,000 words), due to the influence of the different conquerors of, and settlers to, this land. The Sicilian language was an early influence in the development of the first Italian standard, although its use remained confined to an intellectual élite. This was a literary language in Sicily created under the auspices of Frederick II and his court of notaries, or Magna Curia, which, headed by Giacomo da Lentini also gave birth to the Scuola Siciliana, widely inspired by troubadour literature. Its linguistic and poetic heritage was later assimilated into the Florentine by Dante Alighieri, the father of modern Italian who, in his De Vulgari Eloquentia (DVE claims that "In effect this vernacular seems to deserve a higher praise than the others, since all the poetry written by Italians can be called Sicilian" (DVE, I, xii). It is in this language that appeared the first sonnet, whose invention is attributed to Giacomo da Lentini himself. Sicilian dialects are also spoken in the southern and central sections of the Italian regions Calabria (Calabrese) and Puglia (Salentino); and had a significant influence on the Maltese Language. Malta was a part of the Kingdom of Sicily (in its various forms) until the late 18th century. With the predominance of Italian in Italian schools, the media, etc., Sicilian is no longer the first language of many Sicilians. Indeed, in urban centers in particular, one is more likely to hear standard Italian spoken rather than Sicilian, especially among the young. Sicilian generally uses the word ending [u] for singular masculine nouns and adjectives, and [a] for feminine. The plural is usually [i] for both masculine and feminine. By contrast, in Italian masculine nouns and adjectives that end in [o] in the singular pass to [i] in the plural, while the feminine counterparts pass from [a] to [e]. The "-LL-" sound (in words of Latin origin, for example) manifests itself in Sicilian as a voiced retroflex plosive with the tip of the tongue curled up and back, a sound which is not part of Standard Italian. In Sicilian, this sound is written simply as "-dd-" although the sound itself is not [d] but rather [ɖ]. For example, the Italian word bello is beddu in Sicilian. In numerous villages, the Arbëreshë dialect of the Albanian language has been spoken since a wave of refugees settled there in the 15th century. While it is spoken within the household, Italian is the official language and modern Greek is chanted in the local Byzantine liturgy. There are also several areas where dialects of the Lombard language of the Gallo-Italic family are spoken. Much of this population is also tri-lingual, being able to also speak one of the Sicilian dialects as well. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sicily

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Sicily Un posto ci sarà per questa solitudine perché mi sento così inutile davanti alla realtà Un posto ci sarà fatto di lava e sole dove la gente sa che è ora di cambiare Un posto ci sarà dove puoi alzarti presto il giorno finisce per dispetto e haje voglia di alluccà Che un posto ci sarà dove si pesca ancora e il mare porterà una storia nuova io son pazzo di te 'e chesta furtuna Sicily terra e nisciuno Un posto ci sarà per essere felici cantare a squarciagola e dici tutt' chell' ca vuo' tu Un posto ci sarà dove si spera ancora la gente porterà una storia nova io son pazzo di te 'e chesta furtuna Sicily terra 'e nisciuno LIVE 1993 antonio annona alle tastiere

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Siracusa in Sensational Sicily http://www.SensationalSicily.com is presented by Alessandro Sorbello http://www.AlessandroSorbello.com showcase one of the most beautiful regions on earth, rich in history, Sicily formed part of the cradle of civilization. This project is born from a collaboration between the Region of Sicily http://www.regione.sicilia.it/, The Italian Chamber of Commerce, New Realm Media http://www.newrealm.com.au and Alessandro Sorbello Productions. Syracuse, Sicily, Comune di Siracusa, Municipal coat of arms, Country Italy, Region Sicily, Province Siracusa (SR), Mayor Giambattista Bufardeci (from June 14, 2004), Elevation 17 m, Area 204 km², Population - Total (as of December 31, 2004) 123,322, - Density 593/km² Frazioni Belvedere, Cassibile, Fontane Bianche, Isola, Santa Teresa Longarini Scalo, Targia, Patron Saint Lucy, - Day December 13 Location of Syracuse in Italy, Website: http://www.comune.siracusa.it UNESCO World Heritage Site Syracuse (Italian Siracusa, Sicilian Sarausa, Greek Συρακοῦσαι, Latin Syracusae) is an Italian city on the eastern coast of Sicily and the capital of the province of Syracuse. Once described by Cicero as "the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all," the ancient center of Syracuse is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Sicily · Comuni of the Province of Syracuse Augusta | Avola | Buccheri | Buscemi | Canicattini Bagni | Carlentini | Cassaro | Ferla | Floridia | Francofonte | Lentini | Melilli | Noto | Pachino | Palazzolo Acreide | Portopalo di Capo Passero | Priolo Gargallo | Rosolini | Syracuse | Solarino | Sortino History Greek period Syracuse and its surrounding area have been inhabited since ancient times, as shown by the findings in the villages of Stentinello, Ognina, Plemmirio, Matrensa, Cozzo Pantano and Thapsos, which already had a relationship with Mycenaean Greece. Syracuse was founded in 734 or 733 BC by Greek settlers from Corinth and Tenea, led by the oecist (colonizer) Archias, who called it Sirako, referring to a nearby swamp. The nucleus of the ancient city was the small island of Ortygia. The settlers found the land to be fertile and the native tribes to be reasonably well-disposed to their presence. The city grew and prospered, and for some time stood as the most powerful Greek city anywhere in the Mediterranean. Colonies were founded at Akrai (664 BC), Kasmenai (643 BC) and Kamarina (598 BC). The descendants of the first colonist, called Gamoroi, held the power until they were expelled by the Killichiroi, the lower class of the city. The former, however, returned to power in 485 BC, thanks to the help of Gelo, ruler of Gela. Gelo himself became the despot of the city, and moved numerous inhabitants of Gela, Kamarina and Megera to Syracuse, building the new quarters of Tyche and Neapolis outside the walls. His program of new constructions included also a new theater, designed by Damocopos, which gave the city a flourishing cultural life: this in turn attracted personalities as Aeschylus, Ario of Metimma, Eumelos of Corinth and Sappho, who had been exiled here from Mytilene. The enlarged power of Syracuse made unavoidable the clash against the Carthaginians, who ruled over the Western part of Sicily. In the Battle of Himera, Gelo, who had allied with Theron of Agrigento, decisively defeated the African force led by Hamilcar. A temple, entitled to Athena (on the site of the today's Cathedral), was erected in the city to commemorate the event A Syracusan tetradrachm (c. 415--405 BC), sporting Arethusa and a quadriga.Gelo was succedeed by his brother Hiero, who fought against the Etruscans at Cumae in 474 BC. His rule was eulogized by poets like Simonides of Ceos, Bacchylides and Pindar, who visited his court. A democratic regime was introduced by Thrasybulos (467 BC). The city continued to expand in Sicily, fighting against the rebellious Siculi, and on the Tyrrhenian Sea, making expeditions up to Corsica and Elba. In the late 5th century BC, Syracuse found itself at war with Athens, which sought more resources to fight the Peloponnesian War. The Syracusans enlisted the aid of a general from Sparta, Athens' foe in the war, to defeat the Athenians, destroy their ships, and leave them to starve on the island (see Sicilian Expedition). In 401 BC, Syracuse contributed a force of 3,000 hoplites and a general to Cyrus the Younger's Army of the Ten Thousand. Not long after, in the early 4th century BC, the tyrant Dionysius the Elder was again at war against Carthage and, although losing Gela and Camarina, kept that power from capturing the whole of Sicily. After the end of the conflict Dionysius built a massive fortress on the Otrigia island of the city, as well as another 22 km-long walls line that encircled the whole of Syracuse. After another period of expansion, which saw the destruction of Naxos, Catania and Lentini, the city entered again in war against Carthage (397 BC). After various changes of fortune, the Africans managed to besiege Syracuse itself, but were eventually pushed back by a pestilence. A treaty in 392 BC allowed Syracuse to enlarge further its possessions, founding the cities of Adrano, Ancona, Adria, Tindari and Tauromenos, and conquering Reggio Calabria on the continent. Apart from his battle deeds, Dionysius was famous as a patron of art, and Plato himself visited Syrcacuse several times. His successor was Dionysius the Younger, who was however expelled by Dion in 356 BC. However, the latter's despotic rule led in turn to his expulsion, and Dionysius reclaimed his throne in 347 BC. A democratic government was installed by Timoleon in 345 BC. The long series of internal struggles had weakened Syracuse's power in the island, and Timoleon tried to remedy this situation, defeating the Carthaginians in 339 BC near the Krimisos river. The struggle among the city's parties, however, restarted after his death and ended with the rise of another tyrant, Agathocles, who seized power with a coup in 317 BC. He resumed the war against Carthage, with alternate fortunes. He however scored a moral success, bringing the war to the Carthaginians' native African soil, inflicting heavy losses to the enemy. The war, however, ended with another treaty of peace which did not prevent the carthaginians interfering in the politics of Syracuse after the death of the tyrant Agathocles (289 BC). The citizens therefore called Pyrrhus of Epirus for help. After a brief period under the rule of Epirus, Hiero II seized power in 275 BC. Hiero inaugurated a period of fifty years of peace and prosperity, in which Syracause became one of the most renowned capitals of Antiquity. He issued the so-called Lex Hieronica, which was later adopted by the Romans for their administration of Sicily; he also had the theater enlarged and a new immense altar, the "Hiero's Ara", built. Under his rule the most famous Syracusan lived, the natural philosopher Archimedes. Among his many inventions were various military engines including the claw of Archimedes, later used to resist a Roman siege. Literature figures included Theocritus and others. The siege of Syracuse in a 17th century engraving.Hiero's successor, the young Hieronymus (ruled from 215 BC), broke the alliance with the Romans after their defeat at Cannae and accepted Carthago's support. The Romans, led by consul Marcus Claudius Marcellus, besieged the city in 214 BC. The city held out for three years, but fell in 212 BC. It is believed to have fallen due to a peace party opening a small door in the wall to negotiate a peace, but the Romans charged through the door and took the city, killing Archimedes in the process. From Roman domination to the Middle Ages Though declining slowly by the years, Syracuse maintained the status of capital of the Roman government of Sicily and seat of the praetor. It remained an important port for the trades between the Eastern and the Western parts of the Empire. Christianity spread in the city through the efforts of Paul of Tarsus and Saint Marziano, the first bishop of the city, who made it one of the main centres of proselytism in the West. In the age the persecutions massive catacombs were carved, whose size is second only to Rome's ones. After a period of Vandal rule, Syracuse and the island was recovered by Belisarius for the Byzantine Empire (31 December 535). From 663 to 668 Syracuse was the seat of Emperor Constans II, as well as metropolis of the whole Sicilian Church. Another siege in 878, which ended with the fierce sack of the city, inaugurated two centuries of Muslim rule. Syracuse lost its capital status in favour of Palermo. The Cathedral was turned into a mosque and the quarter on the Ortygia island was gradually rebuilt along Islamic styles. The city, anyway, maintained important trade relationships, and housed a relatively flourishing cultural and artistic life: several Arab poets, including Ibn Hamdis, the most important Sicilian poet of the 12th century, lived here. In 1038, the Byzantine general George Maniaces reconquered the city, sending the relics of St. Lucy to Constantinople. The eponymous castle on the cape of Ortygia bears his name, although it was built under the Hohenstaufen rule. The Normans entered Syracuse, one of the last Saracen strongpoints, in 1085, after a summer-long siege by Roger I of Sicily and his son Jordan of Hauteville, who was given the city as count. New quarters were built, and the cathedral was restored, as well as other churches. In 1194 Henry VI of Swabia occupied Syracuse. After a short period of Genoese rule (1205--1220), which favoured a rise of trades, Syracuse was conquered back by emperor Frederick II. He began the construction of the Castello Maniace, the Bishops' Palace and the Bellomo Palace. Frederick's death brought a period of unrest and feudal anarchy. In the struggle between the Anjou and Aragonese monarchies, Syracuse sided with the Aragonese and defeated the Anjou in 1298, receiving from the Spanish sovereigns great privileges in reward. The pre-eminence of baronal families is also showed by the construction of the palaces of Abela, Chiaramonte, Nava, Montalto. Modern Syracuse The city in the following centuries was struck by two ruinous earthquakes in 1542 and 1693, and, in 1729, by a plague. The 17th century destruction changed forever the appearance of Syracuse, as well as the entire Val di Noto, whose cities were rebuilt along the typical lines of Sicilian Baroque, considered one of the most typical expressions of art of Southern Italy. The spread of cholera in 1837 led to a revolt against the Bourbon government. The punishment was the move of the province capital seat to Noto, but the unrest had not been totally choked, as the Siracusani took part to the 1848 revolution. After the Unification of Italy of 1865, Syracuse regained its status of provincial capital. In 1870 the walls were demolished and a bridge connecting the mainland to Ortygia island was built. In the following year a railway link was constructed. Heavy destruction was caused by the Allied and the German bombings in 1943. After the end of World War II the northern quarters of Syracuse experienced a heavy, often chaotic, expansion, favoured by the quick process of industrialization. Syracuse today has about 125,000 inhabitants and numerous attractions for the visitor interested in historical sites (such as the Ear of Dionysius). A process of recovering and restoring the historical centre has been ongoing since the 1990s. Nearby places of note include Catania, Noto, Modica and Ragusa. The Roman amphitheatre. The Maniace Castle. Detail of Palazzo Beneventano Del Bosco. View of Archimede Square. Ancient buildings. The Temple of Apollo, adapted to a church in Byzantine times and to a mosque under Arab rule. The Fountain of Arethusa, in the Ortygia island. According to a legend, the nymph Arethusa, hunted by Alpheus, took shelter here. The Theatre, whose cavea is one of the largest ever built by the ancient Greeks: it has 67 rows, divided into nine sections with eight aisles. Only traces of the scene and the orchestra remain. The edifice (still used today) was modified by the Romans, who adapted it to their different style of spectacles, including also circus games. Near the theatre are the latomìe, stone quarries, also used as prisons in ancient times. The most famous latomìa is the Orecchio di Dionisio ("Ear of Dionysius"). The Roman amphitheatre, of Roman Imperial age. It was partly carved out from the rock. In the centre of the area is a rectangular space which was used for the scenic machinery. The so-called Tomb of Archimede, in the Grotticelli Nechropolis. Decorated with two Doric columns, it was a Roman tomb. The Temple of Olympian Zeus, about 3 km outside the city, built around 6th century BC. Churches The Cathedral was built by bishop Zosimo in the 7th century over the great Temple of Athens (5th century BC), on the Ortygia island. This was a Doric edifice with six columns on the short sides and 14 on the long ones: these can still be seen incorporated in the walls of the current church. The base of the Greek edifice had three steps. The interior of the church has a nave and two aisles. The roof of the nave is from Norman times, as well as the mosaics in the apses. The façade was rebuilt by Andrea Palma in 1725--1753, with a double order of Corinthian columns, and statues by Ignazio Marabitti. The most interesting pieces of the interior are a font with marble basin (12th--13th century), a silver statue of St. Lucy by Pietro Rizzo (1599), a ciborium by Luigi Vanvitelli, and a statue of the Madonna della Neve ("Madonna of the Snow", 1512) by Antonello Gagini. Basilica of Santa Lucia extra Moenia, a Byzantine church built, according to tradition, in the same place of the martyrdom of the saint in 303 AD. The current appearance is from the 15th-16th centuries. The most ancient parts still preserved include the portal, the three half-circular apses and the first two orders of the belfry. Under the church are the Catacombs of St. Lucy. Church of San Paolo (18th century). Church of San Cristoforo (14th century, rebuilt in the 18th century). Church of Santa Lucìa alla Badìa, a Baroque edifice built after the 1693 earthquake. Church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli (13th century). Church of the Spirito Santo (18th century). Church of the Jesuite College, a majestic, Baroque building. Church of St. Benedict (16th century, restored after 1693). It houses a painting of the Death of Saint Benedict by the Caravaggisti Mario Minniti. Chiesa della Concezione (14th century, rebuilt in the 18th century), with the annexed Benedictine convent. Church of San Francesco all'Immacolata, with a convex façade intermingled by columns and pilaster strips. It housed and ancient celebration, the Svelata ("Revelation"), in which an image of the Madonna was unveiled at dawn of November 29. Basilica of St. John the Evangelist, built by the Normans and destroyed in 1693. Only partially restored it was erected over an ancient crypt of the martyr San Marciano, later destroyed by the Arabs. The main altar is Byzantine. It includes the Catacombs of San Giovanni, featuring a maze of tunnels and passages, with thousands of tombs and several frescoes. Other edifices and sights The Castello Maniace, constructed between 1232 and 1240, is an example of the military architecture of Frederick II's reign. It is a square structure with circular towers at each of the four corners. The most striking feature is the pointed portal, decorated with polychrome marbles. The important Archaeological Museum, with collections including findings from the mid-Bronze Age to 5th century BC. Palazzo Lanza Buccheri (16th century). Palazzo Mergulese-Montalto (14th century), which conserves the old façade from the 14th century, with a pointed portal. The Archbishop's Palace (17th century, modified in the following century). It houses the Alagonian Library, founded in the late 18th century. The Palazzo Vermexio, the current Town Hall, which includes fragments of an Ionic temple of the 5th century BC. Palazzo Francica Nava, with parts of the original 16th century building surviving. Palazzo Beneventano del Bosco, originally built in the Middle Ages but extensively modified between 1779 and 1788. It has a pleasant internal court. Palazzo Migliaccio (15th century), with notable lava inlay decorations. The Senate Palace, housing in the court an 18th century coach. The Castle of Euryalos, built nine kilometres outside the city by Dionysius the Elder and which was one of the most powerful fortresses of ancient times. It had three moats with a series of underground galleries which allowed the defenders to remove the materials the attackers could use to fill them. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syracuse,_Italy

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Kiteboarding world cup - PKRA in Sicily - Girls single and double eliminations

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Natural enviroment in Sicily Italy. Sicily maintains numerous nature reserves and green areas. http://www.SensationalSicily.com These, scattered throughout the nine provinces, have remarkably increased in number in the last half century. The Botanic Garden in Palermo, stretching over an area of 10 hectares, is a real green lung and an important sanctuary for various plant species. It also contains busts dedicated to historical figures. The Entella Grotto Nature Reserve, in the Palermo area, offers a splendid environment that includes a man-made lake. It is close to archaeological-historical cities Elima and Entellina and provides a critical habitat for a rich wildlife, among which is the falco peregrinus. On a small island some 15km off the Palermo coast, is the Isola delle Femmine (Island of Women) Nature Reserve with its lush vegetation and a natural patrimony represented by leguminosae, graminaceous and composite species; varieties of flowers like nigella, reeds, romulea and Iris; numerous animal communities such as the mediterranean gull, the crested lark and the heron. Remnants of Punic and Roman amphoras were unearthed on the island. The Sugherata Reserve, stretching over an area of 3,000 hectares in the territory of Niscemi, Caltanissetta, is mostly composed of holm-oaks, evergreens and shrubs. The Monte Pellegrino Oriented Nature Reserve, in the Palermo province, now entrusted to the Associazione Nazionale Rangers D'Italia, is home to over a thousand plant and wildlife communities, the latter also including a reptile group. The Favorita Park, within the reserve boundries, was used as a royal hunting lodge at the time of Ferdinand III of Bourbon. Many amazing sites can be found there, such as the Valle del Porco, largely covered with rock-plants and holm-oaks. The local fauna mainly consists of raptors like the buzzard, the falco peregrinus and the stone-chat. In the Gela area, is the Nature Reserve of the Bievere Lake, housing a variety of submerged and sheltering plants, such as orchids, the rare white-broom and the corn-flower. This is most recommended for nature lovers and birdwatchers, it being home to duck species like the porchard and the widgeon, and to many migrators. Several mammal species also inhabit the reserve such as the fox and the weasel, and raptors like the duck-hawk and the marsh-herrier. The Grotta Conza Reserve, in the territory of Palermo, extends over an area of 4 hectares largely populated by the Mediterranean bush. The presence of limestone carbonate rocks gives this grotto-reserve a geological importance. The LIPU oasis of the Montallegro Lake, Agrigento, covering an area of 500,000 sqm, is a crucial stopping place for migratory birds. Its scanty vegetation enhances birdwatching. The Reserve of Platani and Capo Bianco rivers, in the Agrigento area, stretches on a rocky promontory with long beaches. The promontory, once home to greek colonies -- among which was Heraclea Minoa -- is an interesting archaeological park most characterized by fine wooded stretches inhabited by foxes, weasels and duck-hawks. The Regional Nature Reserve Torre Salsa, in the Stella Mount district, east of Siculiana Marittima, comprises the mouth of the Salso river and a small sandy beach. Its pristine coastal environment is a major attraction for ecotourists. The Etna Park offers a wide choice of spots; among these is the Valle del Bove (Oxen Valley), a sunken area (hence called valley) with great crevasses and chasms. Photography and nature lovers can enjoy amazing sites and landscapes, such as Bocca Nuova, Monte Zuccolaro or the Grotta delle Vannette. The Etna volcano has always been regarded as a major symbol of Sicily. Today rising over 3,000m, it began to form about 500,000 years ago. Its vegetation varies according to altitude, ranging from pistachio and holm-oaks on the western side, to bay-oaks, oaks, black hornbeams and chestnut woods on the eastern side. Higher up are the remnants of ancient woods which have been largely replaced by pastures and endemic plants. The Bosco di Santo Pietro, in the proximity of Caltagirone, in the southern side of the Erei Mountains, has a richest flora composed of over 300 species, among which cork- and holm-oaks dominate. The fauna is mostly represented by winged animals and migrators. Such spots as the Cava Cannizzolo, the Cava Vaccarizzo and the Cava Imboscata are a must-see. The area between Trapani and Paceco houses a fine nature reserve with splendid naturalistic attractions and major stopping place for migratory birds. Especially renowned are its salt pans, re-thriving of late, after a period of decline. The Valle del Sosio, Agrigento, is particularly interesting, with numerous fine spots and large areas of holm-oaks, walnuts, strawberry-trees. Many fossils, today preserved at the Museum Geologico Gemellaro in Palermo, were recovered across its territory. Along the coast south of Siracusa is the beautiful Vendicari nature reserve, a major rest place for the migratory avifauna. The Southernmost of all Italian reserves, it is comprised of three large marshy areas with several outlets to the sea. The site known as Calamosche, covering its northern stretch, provides with a beautiful environment with a richest marine wildlife and unspoilt sea floors. A variety of flora inhabited the reserve, dominated by the mediterranean bush and other plants such as the sea-fennel and the spiny chicory. The local fauna includes the water-hen and several communities of migratory birds. The site boasts an important history, having been a Phoenician port and still housing such interesting archaeological specimens as a necropolis and a church from the Byzantine age. A Swabian watch-tower, referred to as the Castello di Vendicari, is situated there near a tuna-fishery. In the Belice's lower valley there is a gorgeous green area, alas not protected by environmental laws; the site is known as the Riserva del Castello della Pietra, deriving its name from a ruined Norman fortification there located. Covered with a short vegetation, natural bonsai species, capers and dwarf fan palms, it also houses remnants from the Greek, Arab, Roman and Norman epochs. In the Messina province is the Valle degli Eremiti (the valley of the hermits), a naturalistic site deriving its name from a neighboring hill, once a refuge for hermits. A monastery, now reduced to ruins, was erected here by the Carmelitani Friars in the 1500s. The valley provides impressing spots for excursions on foot. The Parco Minerario Floristella Grottacalda, in the Enna province, was an important mining area providing a livelyhood for thousands of workers. Today, it represents a fine specimen of industrial archaeology, combined with naturalistic spots, where visitors can still smell the acrid scent of sulphur. The highly injured Palazzo Pennisi, at Floristella, once the residence of the owners and the headquarter of the mining business, is supposed to be soon restored to house a Labour Museum. The Sambughetti-Campanito Oriented Nature Reserve, Enna, covers a large area of mediterranean bush. Oaks, holm- and bay-oaks dominate the landscape. The reserve includes the Sambughetti Mount (1508m), with remains of an ancient beech-wood, and several small lakes. The Altesina Mount Oriented Nature Reserve, Enna, is a major tourism attraction. Populated by pines, eucalyptuses and beech-woods, it is home to a richest wildlife. A fine archaeological site and the Nicoletti Park further enriches the Reserve. Between Vittoria and Camarina, Ragusa, the Aleppo Pine Oriented Reserve is a sanctuary for some of the last remaining specimens of kermes oaks. The local fauna includes such species as the owl and the jay. The Oriented Nature Reserve of the Irminio River's mouth, Ragusa, offers a rich vegetation composed of a great variety of communities such as the prickly juniper and the lentisk; on the riverside are marsh-reeds, tamerisks and reeds. The fauna includes, among the others, the marsh turtle, the coleopter and the nightingale. A most interesting and noted naturalistic area stretches from the Lauro Mount to the Sicily Channel, still in the Ragusa district. This provides a critical habitat for a variety of animals and plants. It is divided into three large zones: the Dirillo riverside, the Cava di Bocampello and the Cava Biddieni. The district of the Alcantara river is a major tourism resort, designated a reserve as to preserve its precious resources and environment. Rose in the Nebrodi mountains, the Alcantara river -- one of the four main rivers in Sicily -- flows into the Ionian Sea, after bathing several cities between Messina and Catania. First just a little creek, it grows in size as it approaches the Etna volcano. Its gradual erosion has created spectacular gorges, today most crowded by tourists. The flora is mostly composed of citrus grove, vineyard, oak wood, varieties of flowers, corn poppy and myrtle. A richest wildlife, including communities of raptors and migratory birds, inhabits the area. The Madonie Park comprises a range of impressing naturalistic places. Tracts of rich Mediterranean bush stretches in the vicinity of Polizzi Generosa, near Palermo. The area is scattered with farmhouses and cave-dwellings where innumerable relics have been discovered. Nearby is a fine site known as Padella, with splendid landscapes and spots including a botanic garden. A site of high naturalistic and archaeological value is that bordered by the San Calogero Mount and the valleys of the Torto and San Leonardo rivers. Here stood the ancient Himera. A dam on the San Leonardo river is today a major attraction for tourists. The Oriented Nature Reserve of Favara and Granza woods is a vast land covered with trees like cork-oaks, holm-oaks and shrubs. It is home to a rich fauna including the fox, the marten, reptiles, amphibians and birds. The vast area of the Sicani Mountains, in the Palermo province, offers as much appreciated sites as those in the Nebrodi. With several lakes -- that of Prizzi is particularly interesting -- and naturalistic sites, it provides an ideal habitat for migratory birds and other communities. The nature reserves of Monte Carcaci, a paradise of endemic plants, and Monte Genuardo, covered by woods and a dense undergrowth inhabited by rare raptors and mammals are also worth-mentioning. Here also stands an Abbey, dedicated to Santa Maria del Bosco, dating from the late 1500s. The Oriented Nature Reserve Bagni di Cefalà Diana e Pizzo Chiaristella is especially noted for its Arab thermal baths. The Nature Reserve Pizzo Cane, Pizzo Trigna and Grotta Mazzamuto, one of the largest in the province, features a mostly inaccessible territory comprised of densest woods. It protect rare raptors such as the royal eagle and the red kite. Palermo's reserve of Serre di Ciminna, with its uncontaminated landscapes, is of high geological value, dating from the Miocene. The Integral Nature Reserve Grotta di Carburangeli is characterized by interesting karst phenomenons. Rare specimens of stalagmites and stalactites were created throughout the centuries by the constant dripping of the water. A rare group of bats inhabits the Reserve, what contributed to enhance its scientific importance. The Oriented Nature Reserve Capo Rama stretches on the coast facing the Golfo di Castellammare and Terrasini. It provides with a striking sea landscape with rocky strips, grassy vegetation, shrubs, dwarf fan palms and other species. The Integral Natural Geological Reserve of Contrada Scaleri, in the province of Caltanissetta, is splitted into two areas. Of high scientific value for geomorfologic researches, this is the first reserve being destined for mostly scientific research. Of geoligical value is also the Integral Nature Reserve Lago Sfondato thanks to the presence of sulphur and gypsum rocks and karst phenomenons. The landscape sees a predominance of orchids and grassy vegetation. The lake, on the slopes of the Monte Pestichino, has a karstic origin, formed by the collapse of gypsum deposits. The Nebrodi Mountains, stretching along the thyrrenian coast of Sicily, are characterized by densely wooded areas. The twenty-one municipalities comprised in the territory retain much of their historical heritage, with precious specimens of old fortifications and constructions. Amazing lakes, valleys and peaks dominate the landscape; the richest flora and fauna has been protected since the establishment of the outstanding Parco Naturale Regionale dei Nebrodi. Here live the tortois, the porcupin, the ousel, the hawk, the falcos peregrinus, the owl, horses and many other animal communities. Several villages in this area go back to the period of the Greek decline in Sicily, founded by refugees who evaquated their threatened cities and moved inland up the course of the main rivers. Relics of fortified cities and hamlets contribute to the tourism importance of the Park. Especially worth-seeing are the small cities of Ficarra, San Fratello, Montalbano Elicona, S. Marco D'Alunzio, Mistretta, Roccella Valdemone. The Pergusa Lake district, in the Enna province, stretched, in ancient times, over a vast territory populated by richest fauna, today rarer and rarer. The decline, started under the Roman domination responsible for a massive deforastation, continued throughout the centuries notably due to the establishment of the landowning system. The situation has only recently improved thanks to environmental measures and restrictions (hunting was forbidden several years ago). Remains of a necropolis and other relics were recovered from the Monte Cozzo Matrice, one of the tallest peaks in the district. Near Sperlinga, amidst a densely wooded area flows the Salso river, salted, since it crosses some salt works on its course, and surrounded by oaks and a rich fauna. The Altesina Mount, the tallest in the Erei Mountains, is home to archaeologic relics and to an uncontaminated environment where bay-oaks, holm-oaks, pines, eucalyptuses, poplars and mediterranean bush dominate the landscape. A natural habitat for apennine fauna is here provided. Worth-mentioning is the area known as Vallone di Piano della Corte, with abundant precipitations throughout the year and impressing gorges. The mouth of the Belice River, declared as a Nature Reserve in 1984, protects an endangered African landscape, with plenty of sandy dunes and water courses. This area, running between Marinella di Selinunte and Porto Palo, includes two fine coastal strips with aquatic and marshy vegetation. It is a highly windy area with a sub-tropical climate, covered by bushes and abundant grassy vegetation. Wildlife includes the heron, the kingfisher, reptiles, the marine turtle and other communities. The Gorgo Lake area, near Montallegro, is one of several green oasises scattered around the Agrigento province. Albeit not largest, it is considered a real ornithologic paradise. Interventions by both WWF and LIPU have helped protect the area from poachers and pollution. In the Enna province are the Bosco di Rossomanno, between Aidone and Piazza Armerina, well-endowed with natural resources and a rich flora, the Bosco della Baronessa, which is a state property, and the Vallone Strazzavertole, with abundant vegetation mostly composed of oaks and holm-oaks. The Grotte della Gulfa, at a few distance from Alia, Palermo, is a complex of caves and grottoes dug into a cliff, once used as a storehouse by local peasants. Very characteristic is the Tholos, a wide circular space of uncertain origin, inside the grotto, believed to date from before the this was dug. The Montagna Grande Natural Park is a cherished jewel on Pantelleria island, mostly covered with pines, holm-oaks and shrubs like the prickly pear cactus, the wild broom, the lentisk and graminaceous species. SICILY'S STATE FOREST PROPERTIES The tour through Sicily's naturalistic riches comprises several of what are referred to as Aree Attrezzate, several equipped state forests and areas. PALERMO In the Palermo province are: Casaboli, covered by pines, aleppo pines, holm-oaks and bushes, and protecting a fauna composed by the wild rabbit, sparrow communities and more; Renda-Aglisotto, reafforested with Mediterranean, Canarian and black pines, cypresses, holm-oaks and maples; the Gradara Mount, in a mountainous landscape dominated by woods of pines and cypresses; the Montagna Longa-Santa Venera; Santa Caterina, a wood at some 900m above sea level providing with a beautiful panorama; the Piano Zucchi, in the heart of the Madonie mountains, with a profusion of black pines, holm-oaks, cypresses and maples. TRAPANI The Trapani province includes a number of state forest areas: Erice Vetta, in the proximity of Erice, a natural area mostly covered with holm-oaks and bay-oaks; the Monte Erice, with mediterranean pines and eucalyptuses, and a man-made lake inhabited by ducks and gooses; the Finestrelle, with an interesting Agri-Forestry museum accessible with authorization by the local forest office; the Inici, highly damaged by a fire but still offering a breathtaking coastal view between Castellammare and Balestrate, AGRIGENTO The Cammarata Mount, comprising a densely wooded area of conifers; Monte Sara, a 4 hectares wooded area of mediterranean pines and dwarf fan palms; the Arancio Lake, rich in pines and eucalyptuses. CALTANISSETTA The province of Caltanissetta comprises four equipped areas: The Parco Attrezzato Comunelli, covered with eucalyptuses and Mediterranean pines, and comprising the Comunelli dam; Alzacuda and Raffo Rosso, both rich in eucaliptyses and picturesque trails; Mustogarufi, with fine trails most frequented by tourists. CATANIA Over 48,000 hectares of woods, mostly composed of conifers, surround the Etna volcano. Monte Boiardo, a wooded area with a predominance of poplars, maples and pines; the Camisa, falling in Demanio Forestale Flascio (State property), covered with plopars, cypresses, pines, bay-oaks and with a dense undergrowth. Motorized vehicles are not allowed here. Nature lovers can enjoy hikes along many beautiful trails; the Demanio Granvilla, a state property with plenty of pines, cypresses, eucalyptuses and a dense undergrowth; the Di Ganzaria district, a wood that offers opportunity for amazing excursions and walks amidst mediterranean pines, bay-oaks, cypresses, eucalyptuses, cork-oaks and a rich undergrowth. ENNA The Enna territory comprises: The Ronza, covered with pines, eucalyptuses, false acacias, hosting a rich fauna including birds, fallow-deers and wild-boars. Provided with developed accommodation facilities, this is much frequented by tourists; Selsa Perugina, accessible not far from the Pergusa Lake; the Casale, covered by chestnut and cherry trees. MESSINA The state forests in the province of Messina are mainly scattered in the Nebrodi and Peloritani Mountains. The vegetation here is that typical of the mountainside spanning beeches, turkey-oaks, pines, chestnut-trees. Several well-equipped areas have grown to remarkable tourism resorts frequented all the year round; the Piano Margi, covered with mediterranean pines and chestnuts, and home to an artificial hilly lake and a towering rock called the Castello di Margi. Then there are: the Madonnuzza, deriving its name from a church dedicated to the Virgin of Camaro, largely composed by bay-oaks, pines and chestnuts; the Crupi, with a nice pine-wood and accommodation facilities; the Pantano, covered with pines and eucalyptuses, and only accessible on foot; the Camaro, in the Peloritani Mountains, consisting of an ancient forest in a highly panoramic position, dominated by pines and acacias; the Erbe Verdi, with mediterranean and black pines. Finally is the Demanio Forestale Savoca, also known as Cavagna. This, accessible through a wood of oaks and chestnuts, offers dramatic views of the Misitano creek and the Etna volcano and is particularly renowned for its delicious porcini mushrooms. RAGUSA The Ragusa province also counts a quantity of woods and forests often alternating with fields zig-zagged by the typical dry-stone walls: Calaforno, covered with mediterranean pines and oriental planes, and inhabited by deers and wild-boars; the Bosco Arcibressi, accessible by a mountainous densely wooded tract, with accommodation facilities, a fauna including fallow-deers, tibetan goats and birds, and a lake inhabited by gooses and ducks; the Canalazzo, a wood of most oaks, holm oaks and bay-oaks. TRAPANI The Monte Cofano, in the Trapani province, with its rich flora of most endemic plants and dwarf fan palms closes the list.

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Fishing Industry in Sicily - http://www.sensationalsicily.com Medieval Fishing off Sicily - The most important fishing industry of the medieval Mediterranean was, arguably, in Sicily, and even there fish played a modest albeit constant role in the food of the island. There were two kinds of fish caught in the fifteenth century, the so-called blue fish, mostly sardines and anchovies that had some limited economic importance in Sicily's export trade, and the white fish, such as John Dory, turbot, sea bass, grouper, comber, etc., which were secondary in economic importance. However, fish had no overall importance in either the diet or the economy of medieval Sicily and the total number of fishermen was few. But the fasting prescriptions of the church assured that fish would always be in demand. In data for the vice-regent from 1415 we see that fresh and dried fish were bought ten days out of the month. On Friday and Saturday, fresh fish, eel, salted little tuna, and eggs were eaten instead of meat. Messina, Cefalù, Termini, Trapani, and Palermo were the five fishing centers of Sicily in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, all fishing sardines for the most part. Fish were in seasonal demand and especially during Lent, when church-mandated fasting requirements limited the amount of meat that could be eaten. During the winter, the fishing industry was involved in salting sardines and, especially, tonnina (little tuna, Euthynnus alletteratus). The fishermen encircled the shoals of fish with their seine nets and unloaded their catch directly onto the beach. The fish were processed for salting, a small amount perhaps set aside for local cooks of these coastal villages, while the fishermen victualed their boats with bread and wine. Villages of the interior ate freshwater fish from local rivers and streams or eels from the Simeto River near Paterno. In the twelfth century eels were caught in a complicated device called a tarusi, consisting of a series of chambers whereby the eel is unable to turn around and get out. Palermo was the most important of the five fishing towns in medieval Sicily, and in the fourteenth century the fishermen lived in an area of the city near the sea called the Kalsa. A fisherman's life was a poor and hard one. The Kalsa still exists and even today one finds fishermen, smugglers, and mafiosi (so they say) living there. It was in Palermo where the net- makers were and where most of the fishermen could be recruited. Fishing zones were well demarcated and the fishing of sardines from Termini was the economically most important fishing activity. The zone off Trapani was rich in fish, and we know that agents for the royal kitchen of the Angevin King in Naples, Charles d'Anjou, came here in 1270 to buy dacteri (flying fish?) and cervige (amberjack?). The zone off Messina was known for its swordfish and it still is. Fish were also caught in more rudimentary ways using traditional techniques that go back to the Arab era and earlier. Usually this meant two men in a boat with a net. The Arab influence on Sicilian fishing and nautical affairs in general is attested to by the Sicilian fishing and nautical vocabulary which is thoroughly rooted in the Arabic language. Take, for instance, the Sicilian word xabica, the big fishing net that is attached to shore and moved seaward in a great sweeping swath by a bark, a small sailing ship. The word derives from the Arabic word shabaka, meaning "net." But as some scholars have pointed out, the interplay among Arabo-Berber, Italo-Siculo, Arab, and Turkish cultures was complex enough to find influence a constant two- and even three- way street in the Mediterranean Sea when it comes to nautical matters. There were fishermen who used another kind of net called a spiruni which was very thin and expensive to purchase. The archdeacon of Cefalù bought three of these nets in 1431. They had eighteen stitchings and cost as much as a ton of fresh fish. Other kinds of nets were the rizza, a bit bigger and made of plaited grass cording, used for larger fish. The nassa was a complicated device used for catching eels or lobster and those fishermen who used them were called nassaroli. The business of fishing in Sicily was already an ancient profession and well organized by the fifteenth century. But fishing comprised a whole ensemble of activities that went far beyond fishing. There were instrument makers, cordage makers, fishing zone administrators, packers, haulers, net makers, and salters, as well as the fishermen. Curiously, at the end of the fourteenth century and into the fifteenth century many fishermen came from the tiny island of Lipari off Sicily's north coast. "Mattanza: Love and Death in the Sea of Sicily" by Theresa Maggio A writer explores her obsession with an ancient Sicilian ritual steeped in the erotics of killing. June 5, 2000 | "I had found my island, and I wanted to stay forever," Theresa Maggio writes in "Mattanza," her valentine to tiny Favignana, off the coast of Sicily, where each spring for several years she witnessed the tonnara, a ritualized tuna hunt dating from ancient times. She's riveted by the mattanza, the moment at which the giant bluefin tuna, having been herded into an elaborate netting system, are hauled one by one onto the fishing boats and killed. In the process of documenting the history and customs of the tonnaroti, the tuna fishermen, Maggio lays bare her own quest to become part of life on the stark, beautiful island. Her quixotic desire is to be more than a tourist, more than a journalist -- to become a member of Favignana's eccentric cast of characters herself. Maggio finds the ritual hunt close to mythical, with its songs and invocations, its bloody celebration of "the wheel of life, death and rebirth." The traps are set to take advantage of the bluefin's yearly migration to the Mediterranean to spawn, and Maggio dwells lovingly on this fusion of sex and death: It is possible that some of the captured tuna that swims into Favignana's trap began life there when their parents, in a last-ditch effort to procreate, ejected their sperm and eggs as they were being killed. Sex, death, and begetting mingle in this briny vessel of primordial juices. She's obviously turned on by the erotics of hunting and killing.gustibus non est disputandum, I guess, but she lost me as she worked this theme. At one point, having gotten a strikingly masculine tonnaroto into her bed, she seizes the chance to ask the burning question: "How does it feel to kill a giant bluefin with your bare hands?" He's not impressed with the direction their pillow talk is taking, and she never gets an answer. Scenes like that have an appealing element of self-deprecation; but in the end Maggio's self-exposure undermines the more serious aspects of her project. There's a neediness to the way she longs to be accepted by the tonnaroti, not to mention the women and older men in Favignana's piazza and cafes. In many ways she's butting her head against a wall, and she knows it. There's no easy social slot for her to fit into in Sicily, no place for an unmarried, independent woman in her late 30s who bicycles around town and crouches in boats, scribbling notes as the tonnaroti work. Again and again she's asked, "Why don't you get married and quit writing books?" The Favignani are warm and generous to her, and she does achieve her fondest hope when the rais -- the distant, autocratic leader of the tuna hunt -- tells her, "You are a tonnorota, a member of the crew." I'm sure it was a heartfelt moment, but she should know that Italians are prone to extravagance. The truth is, she'll always be a bit of a freak to them. By not acknowledging the tension between the ways she feels accepted and the ways she'll never truly fit in, Maggio ends up sentimentalizing the Favignani and their vanishing way of life. Her account of the history of the Sicilian tuna fishing industry suffers from a similar tendency to gloss over ugly realities. She has done plenty of research, but the overall picture is so idyllic, with centuries of beloved, benevolent bosses and humble, satisfied workers, that it strains credulity. And while I'm as annoyed as the next Italian-American by knee-jerk references to the Mafia in discussions of anything Italian, come on -- there's not one mention of La Cosa Nostra in this book. Did this single corner of Sicily really remain pure? Most disturbing, Maggio lets emotion color her treatment of complicated issues, notably the role of the Japanese in the tuna fishing industry. She casts them as wily, ruinous intruders whose interest in the time-honored rituals of the tonnara is not as pure as hers and whose taste for tuna meat is somehow deplorable. ("It was only the insatiable appetite of the Japanese for bluefin that kept the Favignana tonnara afloat in recent years ... The Japanese waited with sharp knives at Castiglione's slaughterhouse for the Chamber of Death to give up its fruit.") She's angry at a Japanese film crew for filming the mattanza and getting "the royal treatment" from the rais, "close to tears" when they're invited onto the boat one day and she's not. It's a tricky issue; I'd have liked less of Maggio's schoolgirlish resentment and more information on the politics of the tuna industry and the choices facing the tonnaroti. Luckily, the Favignani resist Maggio's wish that they be either larger than life or less than complexly human. In the end, they emerge from "Mattanza" as people blessed to live in a naturally sumptuous place, hanging on to what they can in a world that's less and less under their control. Mattanza For hundreds of years, fishermen in Sicily and Sardinia have used dense nets to capture the Mediterranean bluefin tuna (thunnus thinnus) in a quasi-spiritual procedure known as the mattanza. This takes place in May and June, when the giant fish swim past the coasts. In Sicily, the few remaining mattanzas take place off the island's western point among the Egadi Islands. The term "mattanza" comes to us from an old Spanish word, matar, meaning "to kill." Many terms, such as rais (head fisherman of the mattanza), are actually Arabic in origin, introduced in the ninth century when, during the Arab domination of Sicily, the technique became popular. There are indications, however, that it is much older, possibly originating, in some form, in the Phoenician or Carthaginian era. Averaging over two hundred kilograms (over four hundred pounds), the fish are now popular in the Japanese market, where the delicious red meat is used in sashimi and sushi. It must be said that this fresh tasty meat is a breed apart from the bland whitish stuff sold in cans. Bluefin, many of which escape into the Atlantic, may also be consumed young. The keys to a successful mattanza, apart from the obvious questions of supply (overfishing has reduced the number of larger tuna in recent years) and weather, are organisation and technique. A series of vast nets are lowered into the water. The tuna are captured in successive nets which are gradually restricted in size and raised toward the surface, where the fish are attacked with what might be described as large spears in a sophisticated trap system. Reaching 4.3 meters (14 feet) in length and weighing as much as 800 kilograms (1800 pounds), the bluefin is the largest tuna, surpassing the skipjack, albacore, yellowfin and bigeye. Unlike these other worldwide species, the bluefin lives in the Atlantic and Mediterranean. The network of net chambers is called an isola (island). One of the interesting things about the mattanza is the team effort of the numerous fishermen involved in each catch. From his boat, the rais directs the work of the men in the other small boats. Because a mattanza is the catch of an entire school of fish, dozens of tuna may be captured. The ambience of bloody water and particularly large fish, which may be compared to cattle or large game, leaves one with a singular impression. There's nothing like watching the fish struggle as they are herded into ever smaller, shallower net chambers (the final one is called the "chamber of death") and finally lifted onto the boats. Indeed, the term mattanza has found its way into the Italian vernacular as a synonym for "massacre." Just how long the mattanza itself survives remains to be seen. As time passes, the tuna are diminishing in size and numbers, while demand increases in world markets. This has prompted legal restrictions. A hundred years ago, there were dozens of small "tonnare" (tuna canneries) along the Sicilian coasts, though the word "tonnara" originally referred to the complex series of nets used in tuna fishing during the mattanza. The occupation of tuna fishing was more widespread, with hundreds of tonnarotti (tuna fishermen) throughout Sicily. Tunny fishing has usually been a seasonal profession in Sicily, with the tonnarotti catching other fish during the autumn and winter. Breaded fried tuna steaks are a traditional Sicilian specialty. Tuna steaks are also good simply grilled. For something different, try it "Japanese-Sicilian" style --raw sprinkled with varietal extra virgin olive oil and freshest lemon juice.

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Andrew Zimmern travels to Italy in "Bizarre Foods" where he samples a cow spleen sandwich, Sicily's original fast food item since the 1800s. Bizarre Foods airs Tuesdays at 10 PM on Travel Channel. Visit http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Bizarre_Foods

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The two Arbëresh villages of Hora e Arbëreshëvet and Shëndahstina Xhela (piana degli albanesi and santa cristina gela), located thirty miles from Palermo, Sicily. These villages have spoken the same Tosk Albanian dialect "Arbërishte" since the 16th Century when they began to arrive from Himarë in southern Albania. Hora keeps the Byzantine Orthodox Rite in the Albanian language, and Shëndahstina changed to the Latin Catholic Rite in 1900.

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Video compiled by Wendy Lewis All quotes by Prem Rawat are written from memory Music by Klaus Hastermann

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a tour trough the ancient streets of Siracusa, sicily

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Note che trovo estremamente eleganti e rilassanti mi hanno ispirato un tour virtuale della Sicilia. Se volete accompagnarmi ho unito musica e immagini...

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FMF-DVD-00001003 - Mezzogiorno -Sicily: Palermo, Palermo...' begins in Palermo, the largest city in Sicily, whose reputation is more connected with Mafia that with other events in history. But this does not do justice to this beautiful city of magnificent architecture, whose boulevards are aligned with impressive buildings having also an outstanding cathedral. We visit Capela Palatina, an exquisite example of Byzantine mosaic art, the beautiful churches of the city, the elegant squares and the crypts full of mummified corpses of the Capuchin Catacombs. Outside of Palermo is another famous church completely covered inside with Byzantine mosaics, the cathedral of Monreale. From Monreale we do a short stop in Corleone, half century headquarters of the infamous Cosa Nostra, and further we drive on the northern coast to Cefalu, that preserves the romantic ruins of a castle overlooking the city and has in its main square the third cathedral of Sicily covered in Byzantine mosaics. We continue on the coast stopping in another town famous for ceramic manufacturing, San Stephano de Camastra and ending our visit in Taormina, glitzy resort but with an enchanting medi'val air. Mezzogiorno-Sicily: Palermo, Palermo.... (Copyright ¼ 2002) covers Palermo, Monreale, Corleone, Cefalu, San Stefano de Camastra and Taormina.

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Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean basin. The channel between the italian mainland and the sicilian Island is only 2 miles wide. From the west coast of Sicily to the coast of north africa (Tunesia) it's about 100 miles. The Island of Sicily has a 620 mile long coastline on offer, however it is mostly rocky beach in the northand only sandy in the south. Sicily, may be just a short hop from the Italian mainland, across the narrow strait of Messina, but it is a world apart in atmosphere and attitude. Everything Italian seems a little more appetising here, not only the food but the history and culture as well.. Visitors discover that the Sicilian people are gracious, noble and welcoming and that the island itself offers natural and historic attractions of great beauty and enormous interest. The main cities of Palermo and Catania feature some of the most exquisite architecture in the world, a legacy of the many great civilisations that have vied for control of this strategically situated island over the centuries, from the Greeks and Romans, Arabs and Normans to more recently the French, Spanish and Italians. There are massive Romanesque cathedrals, the best-preserved Greek temples in the world, Roman amphitheatres and magnificent Baroque palaces. The continuous blue skies and temperate climate, lush vegetation and rich marine life all add to the island's appeal. Nature has given Sicily Mount Etna, Europe's tallest active volcano, a dramatic coastline and a fertile soil that gives forth much of the bounty on which the island's unique and delicious cuisine is based.

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