Sicilia - Amordivino

Sicilia

Population: 5.108.067
Surface (Kmq): 25707
Density (Ab/Kmq.): 199
Main city: Palermo (PA)
Other towns: Agrigento (AG); Caltanissetta (CL); Catania (CT); Enna (EN); Messina (ME); Ragusa (RG); Siracusa (SR); Trapani (TP)

Sicily, the largest Mediterranean island, is a sun-drenched land full of possibilities: wonderful beaches, great cuisine, archaeological sites and beautiful landscapes dotted with frugal villages where you will find women dressed all in black, donkeys, goats and the typical Sicilian way of life. The east coast of the island is dominated by Mount Etna, towering 3180m over the surrounding countryside, controlling the climate and fertility of much of the island. Still active, it is the biggest volcano in Europe. The area to the west of the river Torto has an irregular limestone formation alternating with low rolling hills, while over to the east of the island, between Messina and Mount Etna, lies the easternmost tip of the Peloritani chain - very similar to the mountains of Calabria. Sicily is one of the oldest inhabited parts of Italy, subjected throughout history to invasion from just about every people in the Mediterranean area, all of whom have left their mark.

One of the first inhabited areas of Italy, Sicily was named after the ancient Siculians who introduced agriculture and animal husbandry in the 3rd millennium B.C. The Phoenicians came next; they founded a number of commercial centres and started intensive exploitation of the forests for construction of settlements and boats. Between the 8th and 3rd centuries B.C., the Greeks ruled the island. They sometimes referred to the Island as Trinacria, a reference to the region's triangular shape, and founded numerous colonies and developed commerce and agriculture.

The Romans were the next colonisers to inhabit and control the island, making Sicily the granary of the empire. They built new roads and re-enforced the already existing settlements and agricultural and commercial systems. From 827 A.D., repeated attacks by Arabic pirates prompted the fortification and enlargement of the port of Palermo. The spread of irrigation, introduction of jasmine, citrus, cotton and other new cultivated crops contributed to an overall increase in agricultural production.

The Normans inhabited Sicily next, and later the Germans, continuing the improvements to the island, but under the subsequent Angevin, Aragon and Spanish domination, the trend was reversed. Sicily, in the end, became a Spanish colony and agriculture floundered. In the 19th century, the criminal organisation known as the Mafia was born and, when Sicily became a part of the newly born Italian state in 1860, they took real territorial control of the island.

After World War II, the Italian government initiated a program of economic development for Sicily. Large estates were divided into smaller units and coastal areas were reclaimed and transformed into cultivable fields. In more recent years, new industry in the cities, the construction of new roads and railways, and the development of the tourist industry has helped to improve the overall quality of life on the island.

The Sicilian people have a high level of awareness of their ancient and mediaeval past, and many of them study Latin and Greek at school. The islanders are quite aware of their unique heritage, and increased efforts are being made to preserve and to celebrate their artistic and cultural heritage.