published: 26 May 2010
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Aci Castello
http://wn.com/Aci_Castello -
Acireale
Acireale (Sicilian: Jaciriali; often shortened to Jaci or Aci) is a coastal city and comune in the north-east of the province of Catania, Sicily, Italy, at the foot of Mount Etna, on the coast of the Ionian Sea, and with mineral waters. It is a diocese, famous for its churches, including the Neo-Gothic St. Peter's Basilica, St. Sebastian's Basilica in the Sicilian Baroque style, and the 17th century Acireale Cathedral; and there is a seminary, for the training of priests. Acireale is also noted for its paintings: the oldest academy in Sicily, the "Accademia dei Dafnici e degli Zelanti", is located here.
http://wn.com/Acireale -
Adrano
Adrano () is a town and comune in the province of Catania on the east coast of Sicily.
http://wn.com/Adrano -
Aegadian Islands
http://wn.com/Aegadian_Islands -
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea (, Egeo Pelagos ; ) is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey respectively. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus. The Aegean Islands are within the sea and some bound it on its southern periphery, including Crete and Rhodes. The Aegean Region consists of nine provinces in southwestern Turkey, in part bordering on the Aegean sea.
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Aeolian Islands
http://wn.com/Aeolian_Islands -
Agrigento
http://wn.com/Agrigento -
Agrigentum
http://wn.com/Agrigentum -
Aidone
Aidone () is a town and comune in the province of Enna, in region of Sicily in southern Italy.
http://wn.com/Aidone -
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus () was the Arabic name given to a nation in the parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims (given the generic name of Moors), at various times in the period between 711 and 1492.
http://wn.com/Al-Andalus -
Albania
Albania ( , , Gheg Albanian: Shqipnia/Shqypnia), officially known as the Republic of Albania (, pronounced ), is a country in South Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the west, and on the Ionian Sea to the southwest. It is less than from Italy, across the Strait of Otranto which links the Adriatic Sea to the Ionian Sea.
http://wn.com/Albania -
Alcantara (river)
http://wn.com/Alcantara_(river) -
Anapo
http://wn.com/Anapo -
Anapo River
http://wn.com/Anapo_River -
Apennine Mountains
http://wn.com/Apennine_Mountains -
Appennines
http://wn.com/Appennines -
Apulia
http://wn.com/Apulia -
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic (, ), is the second largest country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth-largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations, though Mexico, Colombia and Spain are more populous.
http://wn.com/Argentina -
Augusta, Sicily
http://wn.com/Augusta_Sicily -
Austria
Austria or (), officially the Republic of Austria (German: ), is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The territory of Austria covers and has a temperate and alpine climate. Austria's terrain is highly mountainous due to the presence of the Alps; only 32% of the country is below , and its highest point is . The majority of the population speaks German, which is also the country's official language. Other local official languages are Croatian, Hungarian and Slovene.
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Bagheria
http://wn.com/Bagheria -
Basilicata
http://wn.com/Basilicata -
Belice
http://wn.com/Belice -
Borsa Italiana
The Borsa Italiana S.p.A., based in Milan, is Italy's main stock exchange. It was privatised in 1997 and acquired by the London Stock Exchange in 2007. In 2005, the companies listed on the Borsa were worth US$890 billion.
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Caccamo
http://wn.com/Caccamo -
Caltagirone
Caltagirone () is a town and comune in the province of Catania, on the island (and region) of Sicily, about 70 km southwest of Catania. It is bounded by the comuni of Acate, Gela, Grammichele, Licodia Eubea, Mazzarino, Mazzarrone, Mineo, Mirabella Imbaccari, Niscemi, Piazza Armerina, San Michele di Ganzaria.
http://wn.com/Caltagirone -
Caltanissetta
Caltanissetta (Sicilian: Nissa or Cartanissetta) is a city and comune located on the western interior of Sicily, capital of the province of Caltanissetta. It lies in an area of rolling hills with small villages and towns, crossed by the river Salso.
http://wn.com/Caltanissetta -
Capo d'Orlando
'''Capo d'Orlando (Sicilian: ''Capu d'Orlannu') is a comune in the province of Messina, Sicily, Italy and is considered the capital of comprensorio dei Nebrodi. Well-known as a vivacious, active, touristic and commercial center, Capo d'Orlando is also the birthplace of the poet Lucio Piccolo, cousin of Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa (see. "Il Gattopardo"). Capo d'Orlando take place artistic's activities (municipal's picture-gallery, the museum "Villa Piccolo"), enjoyments (cinema, theater, blues club).
http://wn.com/Capo_d'Orlando -
Carini
Carini (Latin:Hyccara) is a town and comune in the Province of Palermo, Sicily, 13 miles by rail WNW of Palermo. It has a population of 25,752.
http://wn.com/Carini -
Carthage
http://wn.com/Carthage -
Castelbuono
Castelbuono (Sicilian: Castiddubbuonu) is a town and comune in the province of Palermo, Sicily (southern Italy). It is especially famous for the castle which its name derives, and around which the city grew up in the 14th century.
http://wn.com/Castelbuono -
Castello Maniace
The Castello Maniace is a citadel and castle in Syracuse, Sicily. It stands on a large promontory, where it was constructed between 1232 and 1240 by the Emperor Frederick II. It bears the name of George Maniakes, the Byzantine general who besieged and took the city in 1038.
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Castello Ursino
Castello Ursino is a castle in Catania, Sicily, southern Italy.
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Catalonia
http://wn.com/Catalonia -
Catania
http://wn.com/Catania -
Cefalù
http://wn.com/Cefalù -
Centuripe
http://wn.com/Centuripe -
Cerda
http://wn.com/Cerda -
Civitavecchia
Civitavecchia is a town and comune of the province of Rome in the central Italian region of Lazio. A sea port on the Tyrrhenian Sea, it is located 80 kilometers west-north-west of Rome, across the Mignone river. The harbor is formed by two piers and a breakwater, on which is a lighthouse.
http://wn.com/Civitavecchia -
Constantinople
Constantinople (, , Turkish: Istanbul) was the imperial capital of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine/Eastern Roman Empire, the Latin Empire and the Ottoman Empire. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.
http://wn.com/Constantinople -
Contessa Entellina
http://wn.com/Contessa_Entellina -
Corleone
Corleone (Sicilian: Cunigghiuni) is a small town and comune of approximately 12,000 inhabitants in the Province of Palermo in Sicily, Italy.
http://wn.com/Corleone -
Cretans
http://wn.com/Cretans -
Dirillo
The Dirillo, or Acate, is a river in Sicily which springs from the Hyblaean Mountains and flows through the areas of Vizzini, Licodia Eubea, Mazzarrone, Chiaramonte Gulfi, Acate, Vittoria, Gela. It enters the Strait of Sicily south-east of the town of Gela. As the largest river in the area it is sometimes known as the Fiume Grande.
http://wn.com/Dirillo -
Empedocles (volcano)
Empedocles is a large underwater volcano located 40 km off the southern coast of Sicily named after the Greek philosopher Empedocles who believed that everything on Earth was made up of the four elements.
http://wn.com/Empedocles_(volcano) -
Enna
Enna (Sicilian: Castrugiuvanni; Greek: ; Latin: Henna and less frequently Haenna) is a city and comune located roughly at the center of Sicily in the province of Enna, towering above the surrounding countryside. It has earned the nicknames "belvedere" (panoramic viewpoint) and "ombelico" (navel) of Sicily.
http://wn.com/Enna -
Erice
:For the Spanish film director, see Victor Erice.
http://wn.com/Erice -
Ferdinandea
http://wn.com/Ferdinandea -
Florence
Florence ( , ; alternative obsolete spelling: Fiorenza, Latin: Florentia) is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with 367,569 inhabitants (1,500,000 in the metropolitan area).
http://wn.com/Florence -
Gela
Gela is a town and comune in the province of Caltanissetta in the south of Sicily, Italy. The city is at about 84 kilometers distance from the city of Caltanissetta, on the Mediterranean Sea. The city has a larger population than the provincial capital, and ranks second in land area.
http://wn.com/Gela -
Gela (river)
The Gela river is located in Sicily. It originates from the Disueri lake and, after about 59 kilometers, flows into the Strait of Sicily of the Mediterranean Sea, near the homonymous town (both are mentioned by Virgil, in the third book of Aeneid: >).
http://wn.com/Gela_(river) -
Genoa
Genoa ( , ; in Genoese and Ligurian: Zena, ; in Latin and, archaically, in English: Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria. The city has a population of about 610,000 and the urban area has a population of about 900,000. Genoa's Metropolitan Area has a population of about 1,400,000. It is also called la Superba ("the Superb one") due to its glorious past. Part of the old city of Genoa was inscribed on the World Heritage List (UNESCO) in 2006 (see below). The city's rich art, music, gastronomy, architecture and history, made it 2004's EU Capital of culture.
http://wn.com/Genoa -
Geography of Italy
Italy is located in southern Europe and comprises the short, sandal-shaped Italian Peninsula, the land between the peninsula and the Alps, and a number of islands including Sicily and Sardinia. Corsica is often mistaken to be an Italian island but in fact has been a part of France since 1769. Its total area is , of which is land and .
http://wn.com/Geography_of_Italy -
Giardini Naxos
http://wn.com/Giardini_Naxos -
Gornalunga
The Gornalunga is a 81 km long river located in central-eastern Sicily.
http://wn.com/Gornalunga -
Greece
http://wn.com/Greece -
Hectare
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; padding:0 0 2em 3em;"
http://wn.com/Hectare -
Heraclea Minoa
http://wn.com/Heraclea_Minoa -
Himera
http://wn.com/Himera -
Iberian Peninsula
http://wn.com/Iberian_Peninsula -
Ionian Sea
The Ionian Sea is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Adriatic Sea. It is bounded by southern Italy including Calabria, Sicily and the Salento peninsula to the west, and by southwestern Albania, including Saranda and Himara, and a large number of Greek islands, including Corfu, Zante, Kephalonia, Ithaka, and Lefkas to the east. The islands are collectively referred to as the Ionian Islands, and other islands include the Strophades, Sphagia, Schiza, Sapientza and Kythira. The sea is one of the most seismic areas in the world.
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Irminio
The Irminio is a 55km long river located in south-eastern Sicily and is also the most important of the rivers of the province of Ragusa.
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Ispica
Ispica (, ) is a city and comune in the south of Sicily, Italy. It is 30 km from Ragusa, 50 km from Syracuse, and 90 km away from La Valletta, on the coast of Malta. The first mention in a document of Ispica occurred in 1093, in a list of churches and ecclesiastic departments for administrative purposes, but the territory has been colonized since the Bronze Age.
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Italy
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Kamarina, Sicily
Kamarina () is an ancient city of Sicily, southern Italy, situated on the south coast, about 27 kilometers South East of Gela (Terranova). It was founded by Syracuse in 599 BC, but destroyed by the mother city in 552 BC. Its remains are today in the municipality of Ragusa.
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Kingdom of England
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Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of Naples to distinguish it from the island-based polity. During much of its existence, the realm was contested between French and Aragonese/Spanish dynasties. In 1816, it again merged with island-based Kingdom of Sicily to form the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
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Lampedusa
Lampedusa (, ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea, part of the Province of Agrigento, in the region of Sicily, Italy; it is the largest of the Pelagie Islands. Tunisia is the closest shore to Lampedusa. It is situated from Sicily and from Tunisia, and is the southernmost point in Italy. Its population subsists on fishing, agriculture and tourism. It is known primarily for its role as an entry point to Europe for impoverished illegal immigrants from Africa.
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Lazio
Lazio (, , ) is a region of west central Italy, bordered by Tuscany, Umbria, and Marche to the north, Abruzzo and Molise to the east, Campania to the south, and the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west. It is the region of Rome, capital of Italy.
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Licata
Licata (Greek: ; Latin: Phintias or Plintis; formerly also Alicata) is a city and comune located on the south coast of Sicily, at the mouth of the Salso River (the ancient Himera), about midway between Agrigento and Gela. It is a major seaport developed at the turn of the twentieth century, shipping sulphur, the refining of which has made Licata the largest European exporting centre, and asphalt, and at times shipping cheese.
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Lilybaeum
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Lipari
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Madonie
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Malta
Malta , officially the Republic of Malta (), is a southern European country and consists of an archipelago situated centrally in the Mediterranean, 93 km south of Sicily and 288 km east of Tunisia, with the Strait of Gibraltar 1,826 km to the west and Alexandria 1,510 km to the east.
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Maltese Islands
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Marsala
Marsala is a seaport city located in the Province of Trapani on the island of Sicily in Italy. The low coast on which it is situated is the westernmost point of the island. It is best known as the source of Marsala wine.
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Mazara del Vallo
Mazara del Vallo (Sicilian: Mazzara) is a town and comune in southwestern Sicily, Italy, which lies mainly on the left bank at the mouth of the Mazaro river, administratively part of the province of Trapani.
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Mazzarino
Mazzarino (Sicilian: Mazzarinu) is a city and comune in the province of Caltanissetta in the region of Sicily, Italy.
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Megara Hyblaea
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Messina
Messina (, , Sicilian: Missina) is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, Italy and the capital of the province of Messina. It has a population of c. 240,000 inhabitants in the city proper and about 500,000 in the province. It is located near the northeast corner of Sicily, at the Strait of Messina, just opposite Villa San Giovanni on the mainland.
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Milan
Milan (, ; Western Lombard: Milan, ) is a city in Italy and the capital of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1,310,000, while the urban area is the first in Italy and the fifth largest in the European Union with a population of 4,345,000 over an area of . The Milan metropolitan area, by far the largest in Italy, is estimated by the OECD to have a population of 7,400,000.
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Milazzo
Milazzo (Sicilian: Milazzu, Latin: Mylae) is a town and comune on the northern coast of Sicily, Italy. It lies 40 km from Messina, just north of the road to Palermo. It is located on a peninsula called Capo di Milazzo.
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Misilmeri
Misilmeri (Sicilian: Musulumeli) is a town and comune in the province of Palermo, Sicily, Italy.It is located approximately 15 km (9 miles) from Palermo and its name means "the resting place or the messuage of the Emir", and dates from when the Saracens ruled Sicily and named it Manzil-Al-Emir.
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Misterbianco
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Modica
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Molise
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Motya
Motya (Greek: ; Italian: Mozia ot Mothia; Sicilian: Mozzia), was an ancient and powerful city on an island off the west coast of Sicily, between Drepanum (modern Trapani) and Lilybaeum (modern Marsala). The eponymous (in ancient times) island renamed San Pantaleo in the 11th century by Basilian monks is situated in a lagoon on the most western part of Sicily (nearly 850 meters long and 750 meters wide) about one km (six stadia) from the mainland of Sicily, to which it was joined by an artificial causeway (paved road), by which chariots with large wheels could reach the town.
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Mussomeli
Mussomeli (Mussumeli in Sicilian) is a town and comune in the province of Caltanissetta, Sicily, Italy.
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Naples
Naples ( , , Neapolitan: Napule) is a city in Italy; it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples. Known for its rich history, art, culture, architecture, music, and gastronomy, Naples has played an important role in the the Italian peninsula and beyond for much of its existence, which began more than 2,800 years ago. Situated on the west coast of Italy by the Gulf of Naples, the city is located halfway between two volcanic areas, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields.
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Naxos (Sicily)
Naxos or Naxus (Ancient Greek ), was an ancient city of Sicily, on the east coast of the island between Catana (modern Catania) and Messana (modern Messina). It was situated on a low point of land at the mouth of the river Acesines (modern Alcantara), and at the foot of the hill on which was afterwards built the city of Tauromenium (modern Taormina).
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Nebrodi
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Northern England
Northern England, also known as the North of England, or as the North, is a cultural region of England. It is not a government administrative region, but rather an informal amalgamation of counties. The southern extent of the region is roughly the River Trent, while the north is bordered by Scotland. At times in history the Isle of Man, today a Crown dependency, has been geopolitically linked with the region and for some cultural aspects remains so. The counties of Northern England combined have a population of around 14.5 million covering an area of 37,331 km2 (14,414 sq mi).
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Novara di Sicilia
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Palermo
Palermo (, Sicilian: Palermu, , from , Panormos, , Balharm) is a historic city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its rich history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old. Palermo is located in the northwest of the island of Sicily, right by the Gulf of Palermo in the Tyrrhenian Sea.
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Pantalica
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Pantelleria
:Pantellaria redirects here. For the brachiopod genus, see Pantellaria (brachiopod).
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Papal States
The Papal State(s), State(s) of the Church, or Pontifical States (, also Stato della Chiesa, Stati della Chiesa, Stati Pontifici, and Stato Ecclesiastico; , also Dicio Pontificia) were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia (after which the Papal States, in less territorially extensive form, continued to exist until 1870).
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Paternò
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Peloritani
The Peloritani (Sicilian: Piluritani, ) are a mountain range of north-eastern Sicily, in southern Italy, extending for some 65 km from Capo Peloro to the Nebrodi Mountains. At North and West they are bordered by the Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas, respectively.
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Phoenicians
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Piana degli Albanesi
Piana degli Albanesi (; ) is an Italian comune with 6,427 inhabitants in the Province of Palermo, Sicily.
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Piazza Armerina
Piazza Armerina (Sicilian: Ciazza) is an Italian comune in the province of Enna of the autonomous island region of Sicily.
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Platani
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Pozzallo
Pozzallo () is a town and comune in the province of Ragusa, Sicily, Italy. The beaches of Pozzallo have received the Blu Flag by FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education) award. A prestigious award given to beaches which meet strict criteria dealing with water quality, environmental education and information, environmental management, and safety and other services. Of the eight beaches in Sicily that have received the Blu Flag by FEE, four are located in Pozzallo.[http://www.blueflag.org/blueflag/2007/Italy/Sicilia]
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Punta del Faro
Punta del Faro is the northeastern promontory of Sicily.
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Ragusa, Italy
Ragusa (Sicilian: Rausa) is a city and comune in southern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Ragusa, on the island of Sicily, with around 75,000 inhabitants. It is built on a wide limestone hill between two deep valleys, Cava San Leonardo and Cava Santa Domenica.
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Ramacca
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Ravenna
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Regalbuto
Regalbuto (Sicilian: Regarbutu) is a comune in the province of Enna, in region of Sicily in southern Italy.
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Riposto
Riposto () is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Catania in the Italian region Sicily, located about 170 km east of Palermo and about 25 km northeast of Catania.
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Roman Kingdom
The Roman Kingdom () was the monarchical government of the city of Rome and its territories. Little is certain about the history of the Roman Kingdom, as no written records from that time survive, and the histories about it were written during the Republic and Empire and are largely based on legend. However, the history of the Roman Kingdom began with the city's founding, traditionally dated to 753 BC, and ended with the overthrow of the kings and the establishment of the Republic in about 509 BC.
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Salerno
Salerno is a small city and comune in Campania (south-western Italy) and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea.
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San Fratello
:For the horse breed, see San Fratello (horse)
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Sant'Alessio Siculo
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Sant'Alfio
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Santa Cristina Gela
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Savoca
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Schisò Castle
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Sciacca
Sciacca (Greek: ; Latin: Thermae Selinuntinae, Thermae Selinuntiae, Thermae, Aquae Labrodes and Aquae Labodes), also Schiacca, is a town and comune in the province of Agrigento on the southwestern coast of Sicily. It has noteworthy views of the Mediterranean Sea.
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Scicli
Scicli is a city in the Province of Ragusa in the south east of Sicily, southern Italy. It is 25 kilometres from Ragusa, and 308 kilometres from Palermo. Alongside seven other cities in the Val di Noto, it has been listed as one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.
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Scoglitti
Scoglitti () is a small fishing village near the town of Vittoria on the south coast of Sicily.
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Segesta
Segesta () was the political center of the Elymian people, located in the northwestern part of Sicily, in what are now the province of Trapani and the comune of Calatafimi-Segesta.
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Selinunte
Selinunte (Greek: ; Latin: Selinus) is an ancient Greek archaeological site on the south coast of Sicily, southern Italy, between the valleys of the rivers Belice and Modione in the province of Trapani. The archaeological site contains five temples centered on an acropolis. Of the five temples, only the Temple of Hera, also known as "Temple E", has been re-erected.
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Serradifalco
Serradifalco (Sicilian: Serradifarcu) is a town and comune in the province of Caltanissetta, Sicily, Italy.
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Soluntum
::"Solus" redirects here. For the CrossGen comic book, see Solus (comics).
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Sparta
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Strait of Messina
The Strait of Messina (Strittu di Missina in Sicilian, Stretto di Messina in Italian) is the narrow passage between the eastern tip of Sicily and the southern tip of Calabria in the south of Italy. At its narrowest point, it measures 3.1 km (1.9 miles) in width, though near the town of Messina the width is some 5.1 km (3.2 miles) and maximum depth is 250 m (830 ft). A natural whirlpool in the strait has been linked to the legend of Scylla and Charybdis.
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Strait of Sicily
The Strait of Sicily is the strait between Sicily and Tunisia. It is about wide and divides the Tyrrhenian Sea and the western Mediterranean Sea from the eastern Mediterranean. Deep currents in the strait flow from east to west, and the current nearer the surface travels in the opposite direction. The unusual water flow is of interest to oceanographers.
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Syracuse, Italy
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Syracuse, Sicily
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Taormina
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Targa Florio
The Targa Florio was an open road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near Palermo. Founded in 1906, it used to be the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Championship until 1973. While also a whole tour (giro) of the island was used at times, the track length of the last decades was limited to the of the Circuito Piccolo delle Madonie which was lapped 11 times.
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Tellaro
Tellaro is a village on the east coast of the Gulf of La Spezia in Liguria, northern Italy. It is a frazione of the comune (municipality) of Lerici.
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Termini Imerese
Termini Imerese is a town and comune in the province of Palermo on the northern coast of Sicily, southern Italy.
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Thapsos
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Trapani
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Tunisia
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Turkey
Turkey (), known officially as the Republic of Turkey (), is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe. Turkey is one of the six independent Turkic states. Turkey is bordered by eight countries: Bulgaria to the northwest; Greece to the west; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, Azerbaijan (the exclave of Nakhchivan) and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the southeast. The Mediterranean Sea and Cyprus are to the south; the Aegean Sea to the west; and the Black Sea is to the north. The Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles (which together form the Turkish Straits) demarcate the boundary between Eastern Thrace and Anatolia; they also separate Europe and Asia.
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Tyrrhenian Sea
The Tyrrhenian Sea () is part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy.
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Ustica
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Val di Noto
Val di Noto (English: Vallum of Noto) is a geographical area of south east Sicily; it is dominated by the limestone Iblean plateau.
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Valle dei Templi
The Valle dei Templi (English: Valley of the Temples, Sicilian: Vaddi di li Tempri) is an archaeological site in Agrigento (ancient Greek Akragas), Sicily, southern Italy. It is one of the most outstanding examples of Greater Greece art and architecture, and is one of the main attractions of Sicily as well as a national monument of Italy. The area was included in the UNESCO Heritage Site list in 1997. Much of the excavation and restoration of the temples was due to the efforts of archaeologist Domenico Antonio Lo Faso Pietrasanta (1783-1863), who was the Duke of Serradifalco from 1809 through 1812.
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Villa San Giovanni
Villa San Giovanni is a town and comune in the province of Reggio Calabria, Calabria, Italy. It is located on the coast of Strait of Messina, facing the city of Messina across the narrow strait. The Punta Pezzo lies in the area and is the nearest point to Sicily. It contains a notable lighthouse.
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Vittoria, Sicily
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Vulcanello
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Vulcano
Vulcano (Sicilian: Vurcanu) is a small volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian Sea, about 25 km north of Sicily and the southernmost of the eight Aeolian Islands. It is 21 square kilometers in area, rises to 499 meters, and contains several volcanic centers, including one of four active non-submarine volcanoes in Italy.
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Zisa, Palermo
The Zisa is a castle in the western part of Palermo, Sicily.
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Albanians
Albanians () are a people from southeast Europe who live in Albania, Kosovo and neighboring countries. They speak the Albanian language. Roughly half of Albanians live in Albania, with other large groups residing in Kosovo, the Republic of Macedonia and Montenegro. There are Albanian communities in a number of other countries, including Turkey, Greece, Serbia and Italy.
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Alessandro Scarlatti
Alessandro Scarlatti (2 May 1660 – 24 October 1725) was an Italian Baroque composer especially famous for his operas and chamber cantatas. He is considered the founder of the Neapolitan school of opera. He was the father of two other composers, Domenico Scarlatti and Pietro Filippo Scarlatti.
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Alexander Kazhdan
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Antonello da Messina
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Antonioni
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Arab
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Arabs
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Arberesh
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Archimedes
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Ashkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim (, , singular: ; also , Yehudei Ashkenaz, "the Jews of Ashkenaz"), are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany. Thus, Ashkenazim or Ashkenazi Jews are literally "German Jews." Later, Jews from Western and Central Europe came to be called "Ashkenaz" because the main centers of Jewish learning were located in Germany. (See Usage of the name for the term's etymology.) Ashkenaz is also a Japhetic patriarch in the Table of Nations ().
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Augustus
:For other uses of Octavius, see Octavius (disambiguation). For other uses of Octavian, see Octavian (disambiguation). For other uses of Augustus, see Augustus (disambiguation).
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Austria
Austria or (), officially the Republic of Austria (German: ), is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The territory of Austria covers and has a temperate and alpine climate. Austria's terrain is highly mountainous due to the presence of the Alps; only 32% of the country is below , and its highest point is . The majority of the population speaks German, which is also the country's official language. Other local official languages are Croatian, Hungarian and Slovene.
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Belisarius
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Benito Mussolini
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Berber people
Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. They are discontinuously distributed from the Atlantic to the Siwa oasis, in Egypt, and from the Mediterranean to the Niger River. Historically they spoke various Berber languages, which together form a branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. Today many of them speak Darija and also French in the Maghreb, due to the French colonization of the Maghreb, and especially Spanish in Morocco. Today most Berber-speaking people live in Morocco, Algeria, Libya and Tunisia.
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Charles I of Naples
Charles I (21 March 1226 – 7 January 1285), known also as Charles of Anjou, was the King of Sicily by conquest from 1266, though he had received it as a papal grant in 1262 and was expelled from the island in the aftermath of the Sicilian Vespers of 1282. Thereafter, he continued to claim the island, though his power was restricted to the peninsular possessions of the kingdom, with his capital at Naples (and for this he is usually titled King of Naples after 1282, as are his successors).
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Charles III of Spain
:Not to be confused with Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, who briefly ruled parts of Spain during the War of the Spanish Succession as Charles III.
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Christian Riganò
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Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero (; Classical Latin: ; January 3, 106 BC – December 7, 43 BC; sometimes anglicized as "Tully"), was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.
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Constance of Sicily
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Constantine I
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Constantine IV
Constantine IV (652–685), sometimes incorrectly called Pogonatos, "the Bearded", by confusion with his father; was Byzantine emperor from 668 to 685. He had been named a co-emperor with his father Constans II in 654, and became senior emperor when Constans was assassinated in 668. His mother was Fausta, daughter of patrician Valentinus.
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Dante Alighieri
Dante Alighieri (May/June c.1265September 14, 1321), commonly known as Dante, was an Italian poet of the Middle Ages. He was born in Florence; he died and is buried in Ravenna.
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Empedocles
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Epicharmus of Kos
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Euplius
Saint Euplius (Euplus) (, ) (d. ca. AD 304) is venerated as a martyr and saint by the Catholic Church. With Saint Agatha, he is a co-patron of Catania in Sicily.
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Francesco Coco
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Francesco Rosi
Francesco Rosi (born 15 November 1922, Naples) is an Italian film director. He is the father of the actress Carolina Rosi.
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Franco Scoglio
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Geiseric
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Germanic peoples
The Germanic peoples (also called Teutonic in older literature) are a historical ethno-linguistic group, originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Indo-European Germanic languages, which diversified out of Common Germanic in the course of the Pre-Roman Iron Age.
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Giacomo da Lentini
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Giorgio de Chirico
Giorgio de Chirico (; July 10, 1888 – November 20, 1978) was a pre-Surrealist and then Surrealist Italian painter born in Volos, Greece, to a Genoese mother and a Sicilian father. He founded the scuola metafisica art movement. His surname is traditionally written De Chirico (capitalized De) when it stands alone.
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Giovanni Gentile
Giovanni Gentile (; May 30, 1875 – April 15, 1944) was an Italian neo-Hegelian Idealist philosopher, a peer of Benedetto Croce. He described himself as 'the philosopher of Fascism', and ghostwrote A Doctrine of Fascism (1932) for Benito Mussolini. He also devised his own system of philosophy, Actual Idealism.
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Giovanni Pacini
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Giovanni Verga
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Giuseppe Furino
Giuseppe Furino (born 5 July 1946 in Palermo) is a retired football player. His role was defensive midfielder.
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Goethe
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Gorgias
Gorgias (, ca. 485-c.380 BCE) "the Nihilist", Greek sophist, pre-socratic philosopher and rhetorician, was a native of Leontini in Sicily. Along with Protagoras, he forms the first generation of Sophists. Several doxographers report that he was a pupil of Empedocles, although he would only have been a few years younger. "Like other Sophists he was an itinerant, practicing in various cities and giving public exhibitions of his skill at the great pan-Hellenic centers of Olympia and Delphi, and charged fees for his instruction and performances. A special feature of his displays was to invite miscellaneous questions from the audience and give impromptu replies."
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Goths
The Goths (Gothic: *Gutans) were a heterogeneous East Germanic tribe, who played an important role in the history of the Roman Empire after they appeared on its lower Danube frontier in the third century.
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Greek people
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Greeks
Ethnic group
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Hohenstaufen
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Hohenstaufen Dynasty
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Ibn Hawqal
http://wn.com/Ibn_Hawqal -
Italian diaspora
The term Italian diaspora refers to the large-scale migration of Italians away from Italy in the period roughly beginning with the unification of Italy in 1861 and ending with the Italian economic miracle in the 1960s. The Italian diaspora concerned nearly 25 million Italians and it is considered the biggest mass migration of contemporary times.
http://wn.com/Italian_diaspora -
Italian people
The Italian people () are a people that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence (though the principle of Jus Sanguinis is used extensively and arguably more favorably in the Italian nationality law), and are distinguished from people of Italian descent and, historically, from ethnic Italians living in the unredeemed territories adjacent to the Italian peninsula.
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Italian Wars
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Joachim Murat
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John Julius Norwich
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Julius Evola
Barone Giulio Cesare Andrea Evola (May 19, 1898 – June 11, 1974) also known as Julius Evola, was an Italian philosopher, esotericist, author, artist, poet, political activist, soldier and Perennial Traditionalist. Although a polymath who participated in numerous fields over the course of his lifetime, it is for his literary career which Evola is best known and has solidified his legacy as an influential intellectual. Evola's stances and spiritual values, which he regarded as aristocratic, masculine, traditionalist, heroic and defiantly reactionary, were often at odds with amongst others, liberal democratic popular consensus and moreover surpassed the radicalness of historic doctrines.
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Justinian I
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Ligures
The Ligures (singular Ligus or Ligur; English: Ligurians, Greek: ) were an ancient people who gave their name to Liguria, a region of north-western Italy.
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List of Italians
This is a list of notable Italians in alphabetical order.
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List of Sicilians
This is a list of Sicilian people. Sicily is the largest region in Italy and has special conditions of autonomy, with a population of over five million and has contributed many famous names to all walks of life. Sicilian was for a long time a nationality rather than just a regional title and is still considered to be so by many people, especially Sicilians themselves.
http://wn.com/List_of_Sicilians -
Luchino Visconti
Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo (2 November 1906 - 17 March 1976) was an Italian theatre, opera and cinema director, as well as a screenwriter. He is best known for his films The Leopard (1963) and Death in Venice (1971). There is a museum dedicated to the director's work in Ischia.
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Luigi Pirandello
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Mezezius
Mezezius () was an Armenian noble who served as a general of Byzantium, later usurping the Byzantine throne in Sicily from 668 to 669.
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Michael II
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Napoleon I
http://wn.com/Napoleon_I -
Narses
:For other historical figures with similar names, see Narses (disambiguation).
http://wn.com/Narses -
Ostrogoths
The Ostrogoths () were a branch of the Goths (the other branch being the Visigoths), an East Germanic tribe that played a major role in political events of the last decades of the Roman Empire. The Ostrogoths established the Kingdom of Italy, a relatively short-lived successor state of the Western Roman Empire.
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Persian people
Ethnic group|group = Persian Speakers
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Peter III of Aragon
Peter the Great (, , ; 1239, Valencia – 2 November 1285) was the King of Aragon (as Peter III) of Valencia and of Majorca (as Peter I), and Count of Barcelona (as Peter II) from 1276 to his death. He conquered Sicily and became its king in 1282. He was one of the greatest of medieval Aragonese monarchs.
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Phoenicians
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Pietro Anastasi
Pietro Anastasi (born April 7, 1948), nicknamed 'Petruzzu 'u turcu' by fans, was an Italian former footballer, playing in the striker role.
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Pino Puglisi
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Piri Reis
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Pliny the Elder
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Pope Boniface VIII
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Pope Innocent III
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Pope Innocent IV
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Pope Martin IV
Pope Martin IV, born Simon de Brion (between 1210 and 1220, Andrezel – March 28, 1285) held the papacy from February 21, 1281 until his death.
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Renato Guttuso
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Roberto Galia
Roberto Galia (born March 16, 1963 in Trapani) is an Italian professional football coach and a former player. Currently, he manages S.C. Insubria A.S.D..
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Romanians
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Saint Lucy
: ''This article is about the Christian saint. For other meanings, see Saint Lucia (disambiguation)
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Salvatore Pappalardo
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Salvatore Quasimodo
Salvatore Quasimodo (August 20, 1901 - June 14, 1968) was an Italian author. In 1959, he won the Nobel Prize for Literature "for his lyrical poetry, which with classical fire expresses the tragic experience of life in our own times." Along with Giuseppe Ungaretti and Eugenio Montale, he is one of the foremost Italian poets of the 20th century.
http://wn.com/Salvatore_Quasimodo -
Salvatore Schillaci
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Salvatore Sciarrino
Salvatore Sciarrino (born Palermo, Italy, on April 4, 1947) is an Italian composer of contemporary classical music.
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Saracens
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Sextus Pompey
Sextus Pompeius Magnus Pius, in English Sextus Pompey (67 BC-35 BC), was a Roman general from the late Republic (1st century BC). He was the last focus of opposition to the Second Triumvirate.
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Sicilian revolt
The Sicilian revolt was a revolution against the Second Triumvirate of the Roman Republic which occurred between 44 BC and 36 BC. The revolt was led by Sextus Pompeius, and ended in a Triumvirate victory.
http://wn.com/Sicilian_revolt -
Sigismondo d'India
'''Sigismondo d'India''' (c. 1582 – before 19 April 1629) was an Italian composer of the late Renaissance and early Baroque eras. He was one of the most accomplished contemporaries of Monteverdi, and wrote music in many of the same forms as the more famous composer.
http://wn.com/Sigismondo_d'India -
Silvio Berlusconi
(born 29 September 1936 in Milan) is an Italian politician, the current Prime Minister of Italy, as well as a successful entrepreneur. He is the second longest-serving Prime Minister of Italy, a position he has held on three separate occasions: from 1994 to 1995, from 2001 to 2006 and currently since 2008. Technically, Berlusconi has been sworn in four times because after a cabinet reshuffle, as happened with Berlusconi in 2005, the new ministry is sworn in and subjected to a vote of confidence. He is the leader of the People of Freedom political movement, a centre-right party he founded in 2009. As of November 2009, he is the longest-serving current leader of a G8 country. As of 2010, Forbes magazine has ranked him as the 74th richest man in the world with a net worth of USD 9 billion.
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Spaniards
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Theodoric the Great
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Thomas Cole
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Thucydides
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Totila
Totila (died July 1, 552) was king of the Ostrogoths from 541 until his death. He waged the Gothic War against the Byzantine Empire for the mastery of Italy. Most of the historical evidence for Totila consists of chronicles by the Byzantine historian Procopius, who accompanied the Byzantine general Belisarius during the Gothic War.
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Uthman Ibn Affan
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Vandals
The Vandals were an East Germanic tribe that entered the late Roman Empire during the 5th century, perhaps best known for their sack of Rome in 455. Although they were not notably more destructive than other invaders of ancient times, Renaissance and Early Modern writers who idealized Rome tended to blame the Vandals for its destruction. This led to the coinage of "vandalism", meaning senseless destruction, particularly the defacing of artworks that were completed with great effort.
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Vincenzo Bellini
Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini (3 November 1801 – 23 September 1835) was an Italian opera composer. His most famous works are La sonnambula (1831), Norma (1831) and I puritani (1835). Known for his long flowing melodic lines for which he was named "the Swan of Catania", Bellini was the quintessential composer of Bel canto opera.
http://wn.com/Vincenzo_Bellini -
Vincenzo Florio
Vincenzo Florio, Jr. (March 18, 1883 – January 6, 1959) was an Italian industrialist in the wine industry of Sicily, famous for establishing the Targa Florio race.
http://wn.com/Vincenzo_Florio
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Travel Series - Sicily
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 30:26
- Published: 26 May 2010
- Updated: 22 Oct 2012
Sicily, the beautiful island with 3000 years of cultural heritage and unbelievably varied and beautiful. The largest island of the Mediterranean fascinates its visitors by its diversity. But not only the landscape attracts the travellers. Where the nature is so generous, where citruses, almonds and fig trees bloom and where vegetables, corn and fruit of all kinds is of such a high quality, there Sicily offers luxurious and imaginative menus of typical dishes and product that cannot be compared to any other region.
http://wn.com/Travel_Series_Sicily
Sicily
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:49
- Published: 09 Jan 2010
- Updated: 18 Oct 2012
Ferries to Sicily: ferriessicily.com Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and an autonomous region of Italy. Minor islands around it are also considered to be part of Sicily. Throughout much of its history, Sicily has been considered a crucial strategic location due in large part to its importance for Mediterranean trade routes. The area was highly regarded as part of Magna Graecia, with Cicero describing Siracusa as the greatest and most beautiful city of all Ancient Greece. The island was once a city-state in its own right, and as the Kingdom of Sicily ruled from Palermo over southern Italy, Sicily, and Malta. It later became a part of the Two Sicilies under the Bourbons, a kingdom governed from Naples that comprised both the island itself and most of Southern Italy. The Italian unification of 1860 led to the dissolution of this kingdom, and Sicily became an autonomous part of the Kingdom of Italy. Sicily is today an autonomous region of Italy. Of all the regions of Italy, Sicily covers the largest land area at 25708 square kilometres (9926 sq mi) and currently has just over five million inhabitants. ( source Wikipedia ) Sicily has its own rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature, cuisine, architecture and language, having given birth to some of the greatest and most influential people in history. The Sicilian economy is largely based on agriculture (mainly orange and lemon orchards); this same rural countryside has <b>...</b>
http://wn.com/Sicily
HD - The Great Betrayal - The Sicilian Mafia & Heroin - Full Documentary
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 46:58
- Published: 18 Mar 2012
- Updated: 24 Oct 2012
Amazing Documentary on the Sicilian / Italian Mafia's control of Heroin. This also details the events when a Sicilian Mafia boss broke Omerta...
http://wn.com/HD_The_Great_Betrayal_The_Sicilian_Mafia_Heroin_Full_Documentary
Street Food - Palermo - 5 Dec 08 - Part 1
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 11:49
- Published: 06 Dec 2008
- Updated: 15 Oct 2012
Sicily has stood as a crossroads for traffic and trade throughout the ages - inhabited by Phoenicians, Romans, Goths, Normans and Arabs among others. Today it is a transit point for would-be immigrants coming from the south. Sicily's unique geography and history is reflected in the variety of dishes present on the streets of the capital, Palermo.
http://wn.com/Street_Food_Palermo_5_Dec_08_Part_1
Palermo (Sicily)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:14
- Published: 02 Jan 2011
- Updated: 17 Oct 2012
A city of contrasts: Norman, Arabic, Romanic, gothic, baroque architecture in grandiose or derelict structures! Dark, narrow streets under an amazing blue sky! The sea and the mountains! We spent three days (at the fabulous B&B Casa Orioles) walking the streets of this unforgettable city! Music: Tarrega's 'Capriccio Arabe'; Handel's 'Organ Concerto in B flat major Op.7 No.3'; Kitaro's 'Caravansary'.
http://wn.com/Palermo_Sicily
A Glass of Sicily
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:21
- Published: 05 Sep 2011
- Updated: 21 Oct 2012
You probably already know how to open a bottle and drink a glass of wine... But do you know how to drink a glass OF Sicily? Check the Interactive Map on bit.ly Corporate Website: www.tascadalmerita.it Creativity and Production by http
http://wn.com/A_Glass_of_Sicily
Bikini Beach in Sicily
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 13:16
- Published: 23 Jul 2010
- Updated: 25 Oct 2012
Become a BodyRocker and Get in the best shape of your life at home for free. Don't miss a workout! Visit us here for all of our updates! (bit.ly Official BodyRock.Tv T-Shirts are available here: bit.ly Connect and Follow us! We love hearing from you guys. Twitter: bit.ly Facebook (Main): on.fb.me Facebook - Sean: on.fb.me Facebook - Lisa: on.fb.me Facebook - Freddy:on.fb.me Google+: bit.ly Links to all of the equipment that helps us get the most fat burn and tone in our workouts: Interval Timer: bit.ly SandBag: bit.ly Abs & Dip Station: bit.ly Weighted Soft Fitness Ball :bit.ly Protein & Fat Loss Supplements: bit.ly Balance Ball, Skipping Rope, Exercise Mats & Pull Up Bars: bit.ly
http://wn.com/Bikini_Beach_in_Sicily
Anthony Bourdain in Sicily part1
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:42
- Published: 11 Oct 2007
- Updated: 20 Oct 2012
Anthony Bourdain - No Reservations - in Sicily
http://wn.com/Anthony_Bourdain_in_Sicily_part1
Incredible Fashion Town in Sicily
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:18
- Published: 10 Nov 2010
- Updated: 25 Oct 2012
Did you know that in the heart of Sicily is hidden the most fashionable town in the world? The ancient Town of Agira is populated by the coolest people ever seen. Corporate website: siciliafashionvillage.it Facebook Page www.facebook.com
http://wn.com/Incredible_Fashion_Town_in_Sicily
Sicily May 2010 pt 1
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:02
- Published: 21 May 2012
- Updated: 16 Oct 2012
Visiting Sal's family in Sicily, Italy.
http://wn.com/Sicily_May_2010_pt_1
Discover Sicily: Heart of the Mediterranean Guided Tour
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:39
- Published: 29 Jun 2012
- Updated: 06 Aug 2012
bit.ly On Grand Circle Travel's Discover Sicily tour, see travelers learn about mafia history in Corleone, inspiration for "The Godfather," and sample Sfincione (Sicilian pizza) in Mitogio. As you explore the island's three coasts, you can also: • Visit Taormina's ancient amphitheater, with views of Mount Etna • See Baroque palaces in Palermo • Tour Greek ruins in the Valley of Temples
http://wn.com/Discover_Sicily_Heart_of_the_Mediterranean_Guided_Tour
Palermo, Sicily: Singing Salesmen
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:38
- Published: 04 Jun 2009
- Updated: 24 Oct 2012
After the collapse of Rome and the chaos which followed, Sicily flourished for a couple centuries under Arab rule. Palermo, Sicily's main city and historic capital, still comes with a whiff of Arabia. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — visit www.ricksteves.com.
http://wn.com/Palermo,_Sicily_Singing_Salesmen
Piazza Armerina, Sicily: Villa del Casale
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:50
- Published: 03 Jun 2009
- Updated: 30 Sep 2012
In about 300 AD, Emperor Maximilian built the imperial Roman villa of Casale — an obscenely lavish country escape — covering it wall-to-wall in some of the finest Roman mosaics found anywhere. For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — visit www.ricksteves.com.
http://wn.com/Piazza_Armerina,_Sicily_Villa_del_Casale
Catania Sicily - Italy | Joe Journeys
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:59
- Published: 11 Sep 2008
- Updated: 04 Oct 2012
www.joejourneys.com Travels in Sicily and the city of Catania. Visit my website at http
http://wn.com/Catania_Sicily_Italy_|_Joe_Journeys
Catacombs of Palermo, Sicily
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:12
- Published: 23 Aug 2008
- Updated: 22 Oct 2012
My apologies. No disrespect intented. A quick view of the Cupuchin Catacombs.
http://wn.com/Catacombs_of_Palermo,_Sicily
Welcome to Sicily, September 2006
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:21
- Published: 14 May 2007
- Updated: 28 Sep 2012
A brief record of the holiday of a lifetime enjoyed by Sean and Andrea Gabb in this jewel of the Mediterranean.
http://wn.com/Welcome_to_Sicily,_September_2006
Sicily Travel: Main square in Taormina
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:45
- Published: 07 Jul 2007
- Updated: 14 Jul 2012
This video was taken during my language study trip to Taormina in 2007. Sicily was absolutely awesome! This was an official travel writing assignment and you can read the detailed articles about my experience at this link: www.travelandtransitions.com I am also in the process of compiling all my travel stories into easy-to-ready FREE PDF ebooks. Have a peek at www.travelandtransitions.com
http://wn.com/Sicily_Travel_Main_square_in_Taormina
Sensational Sicily - An Overview
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 1:55
- Published: 21 Jul 2007
- Updated: 29 Jun 2012
Presented by Alessandro Sorbello www.alessandrosorbello Sensational Sicily http SICILY Provinces: Palermo, www.youtube.com Agrigento, www.youtube.com Caltanissetta, Catania, www.youtube.com Enna, Messina, Ragusa, Siracusa, www.youtube.com Trapani, www.youtube.com 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 (3323 mt). The isles of Stromboli and Vulcano also are active volcanoes. www.youtube.com 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 <b>...</b>
http://wn.com/Sensational_Sicily_An_Overview
Trapani, Sicily - Italy, 20th August, 2011
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 12:09
- Published: 08 Sep 2011
- Updated: 24 Oct 2012
Views around the Sicilian port and town of Trapani. The video begins with views over the town, port and harbour from the cruise ship the Thomson Destiny. The video then features footage taken on a long (1 1/2 hour walk) from Trapani cable car station back to the harbour. This footage features the streets and railway station of Trapani, before arrival back at the port. The video ends with footage again taken from The Thomson Destiny of the journey from the harbour as the cruise ship sets out to sea.
http://wn.com/Trapani,_Sicily_Italy,_20th_August,_2011
Erice, Sicily, Italy - 20th August, 2011
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:48
- Published: 08 Sep 2011
- Updated: 10 Oct 2012
Views around the cobbled and tiled streets of Erice in Sicily. Erice is located on top of Mount Erice, at around 750m above sea level, overlooking the city of Trapani, the low western coast towards Marsala, the dramatic Punta del Saraceno and Capo san Vito to the north-east, and the Aegadian Islands on Sicily's north-western coast, providing spectacular views. The ancient name of Erice was Eryx, and its foundation was associated with the eponymous Greek hero Eryx. It was not a Greek colony, but was largely Hellenized. It was destroyed in the First Punic War by the Carthaginians, and from then on declined in importance. Eryx was conquered by Aghlebids in 831 and was renamed as Cebel Hamid (In Western sources Gebel Hamed, meaning Mountain of Hamid). It was ruled by Arabs over 3 centuries until Norman conquest in 1167. Normans renamed it Monte San Giuliano. It was known as Monte San Giuliano until 1934. This footage includes the architecture, streets, squares, shops, churches, steps and restaurants of Erice.
http://wn.com/Erice,_Sicily,_Italy_20th_August,_2011
![The Sicilian Girl - Official Trailer [HD]](http://web.archive.org./web/20121025225620im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/N_oBqfXfPaM/0.jpg "The Sicilian Girl - Official Trailer [HD]")
The Sicilian Girl - Official Trailer [HD]
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:01
- Published: 26 Jul 2010
- Updated: 08 Oct 2012
Release Date: 4 August 2010 Genre: Crime | Drama Cast: Veronica D'Agostino, Gérard Jugnot, Giulia Andò, Mario Bellevista Director: Marco Amenta Writers: Marco Amenta, Sergio Donati Studio: Music Box Films Plot: Inspired to a true story, on November 5th 1991, Rita Atria a young 17-year-old Sicilian girl, goes to see an anti-Mafia judge Paolo Borsellino to denounce the Mafia system that was responsible for the murder of her father and her brother. It is the first time that such a young woman from a Mafia family rebels and betrays the Mafia. From that moment on, Rita's days are numbered. She only has nine months to live... Subscribe Now: www.youtube.com
http://wn.com/The_Sicilian_Girl_Official_Trailer_HD_
Sicily Unpacked
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 58:48
- Published: 05 Jun 2012
- Updated: 18 Oct 2012
Con Andrew Graham e Giorgio Locatelli "Sicily Unpacked"
http://wn.com/Sicily_Unpacked
Folk music from Sicily by Arany Zoltán
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:12
- Published: 15 Apr 2009
- Updated: 25 Oct 2012
www.aranyzoltan.hu Sunshine, sea and mandolin...
http://wn.com/Folk_music_from_Sicily_by_Arany_Zoltán
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Creative Commons / Clemensfranz![Bay of Giardini Naxos at sunrise. Giardini Naxos[1] (Sicilian: Giaddini) is a comune in the Province of Messina on the island of Sicily in Italy.](http://web.archive.org./web/20121025225620im_/http://cdn6.wn.com/pd/14/34/4bf3cce65a803ffb26f6b9dc77fb_small.jpg "Bay of Giardini Naxos at sunrise. Giardini Naxos[1] (Sicilian: Giaddini) is a comune in the Province of Messina on the island of Sicily in Italy.")
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AP / Carmelo Imbesi
![Bay of Giardini Naxos at sunrise. Giardini Naxos[1] (Sicilian: Giaddini) is a comune in the Province of Messina on the island of Sicily in Italy.](http://web.archive.org./web/20121025225620/http://cdn0.wn.com/pd/14/34/4bf3cce65a803ffb26f6b9dc77fb_medium.jpg "Bay of Giardini Naxos at sunrise. Giardini Naxos[1] (Sicilian: Giaddini) is a comune in the Province of Messina on the island of Sicily in Italy.")
Photo: White House / Pete Souza
24 Oct 2012
Article by WN.com Correspondent Dallas Darling By the time President Richard Nixon told his Chinese hosts during a banquet toast, "Let us start a long march together, not in lockstep, but on different...
Photo: AP / Collin Reid
25 Oct 2012
HAVANA (Reuters) - Hurricane Sandy, growing stronger over warm Caribbean waters, lashed eastern Cuba with heavy rains and rising winds on Wednesday as it bore down on the communist island after...
Photo: AP / Khin Maung Win
25 Oct 2012
YANGON: A new wave of sectarian violence in western Myanmar has left five people dead and dozens injured in recent days, triggering another exodus of Muslims to emergency camps, officials said...
Photo: AP / Ariel Schalit
24 Oct 2012
Repeated attacks ... a rocket is launched from Gaza towards southern Israel. Photo: AFP JERUSALEM: The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, threatened "more extensive and deeper action" against...
Photo: U.S. Army Courtesy
23 Oct 2012
Article by WN.com Correspondent Dallas Darling As the two armies faced each other on that fateful day, a day in which perhaps the die had already been cast, a ground swell of experienced and newly...
Panetta: US lacked early info on Benghazi attack
25 Oct 2012
Houston Chronicle
DONNA CASSATA, Associated Press, LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press | Thursday, October 25, 2012 | Updated: Thursday, October 25, 2012 5:26pm Comments (0) E-mail Print...(size: 16.1Kb)
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Before dawn on June 6, 1944, as the cruiser Augusta headed toward the coast of Normandy, Chester Hansen was up and, as always, at the side of Gen. Omar N. Bradley. And as always, Mr. Hansen, a journalist by training and a top aide to Bradley, made notes in his diary: "Like others in the Army party,...(size: 4.7Kb)
The Washington Times
Follow @kristina_wongPhoto Gallery: Related Stories Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said Thursday that a U.S. commando team was mobilizing as the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Libya was unfolding last month, but the lethal assault was over by the time the team arrived. The Sept. 11 attack...(size: 3.2Kb)
MSNBC
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force says it now plans to fly the last in a series of four Boeing-built experimental hypersonic vehicles in late spring or early summer under a troubled testing program that the service weighed canceling following an Aug. 14 failure. During that flight, the third X-51A...(size: 21.3Kb)
Super-dense neutron star is fastest ever seen
25 Oct 2012
MSNBC
Astronomers have discovered an ultra-dense star that orbits with a dying stellar companion once every 93 minutes, making it the fastest-orbiting star of its kind. The speedy object, a kind of neutron star called a millisecond pulsar, rockets through space at 8,100 mph (13,000 kph) or more,...(size: 25.0Kb)
MSNBC
NEW YORK, Oct 25, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Ford Motor Company's (Ford) plans to close plants in Belgium and the U.K. is a positive and necessary step in rightsizing its European capacity, according to Fitch Ratings. Although the restructuring will result in significant cash outlays over the next two...(size: 19.8Kb)
Reuters
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This article is about the region of Italy. For other uses, see Sicily (disambiguation).
| Sicily Sicilia |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| — Autonomous region of Italy — | |||
|
|||
 |
|||
| Country | Italy | ||
| Capital | Palermo | ||
| Government | |||
| • President | Raffaele Lombardo (MpA) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 25,711 km2 (9,927 sq mi) | ||
| Population (31 December 2011) | |||
| • Total | 5,051,075 | ||
| • Density | 200/km2 (510/sq mi) | ||
| Demonym | Sicilian | ||
| Citizenship[1] | |||
| • Italian | 98% | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| GDP/ Nominal | € 84.5[2] billion (2008) | ||
| GDP per capita | € 16,600[3] (2008) | ||
| NUTS Region | ITG | ||
| Website | www.regione.sicilia.it | ||
Sicily (Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia, [siˈtʃiːlja]; [sɪˈɕilja]) is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea; along with surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana (Sicilian Autonomous Region).
Sicily is located in the central Mediterranean. It extends from the tip of the Apennine peninsula from which it is separated only by the narrow Strait of Messina, towards the North African coast. Its most prominent landmark is Mount Etna, which is at 3,320 m (10,890 ft) the tallest active volcano in Europe and one of the most active in the world. The island has a typical Mediterranean climate.
The earliest archeological evidence of human dwelling on the island dates from 8000 BC. At around 750 BC, Sicily became a Greek colony and for the next 600 years it was the site of the Greek-Punic and Roman-Punic wars, which ended with the Roman destruction of Carthage. After the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century AD, Sicily often changed hands, and during the early Middle Ages it was ruled in turn by the Vandals, Ostrogoths, Byzantines, Arabs and Normans. Later on, the Kingdom of Sicily lasted between 1130 and 1816, subordinated to the crowns of Aragon, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, and finally the Bourbons, as the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. It was united with the rest of Italy in 1860, but a subsequent economic collapse led to a wave of emigration, separatism, and the emergence of the Mafia, whose criminal activities pose problems to this day. After the birth of the Italian Republic in 1946, Sicily was given special status as an autonomous region.
Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature, cuisine, architecture and language. Sicily also holds importance for archeological and ancient sites such as the Necropolis of Pantalica, the Valley of the Temples and Selinunte.
The Sicilian economy is diversified. The agriculture sector is significant with citrus fruits, olives and olive oil, grapes and wine. Tourism and real estate are economically important for the island. Still, with the gross domestic product per capita at around €17,000, it stands at only two-thirds of the European Union average and is one of the least developed regions of Italy.
Contents |
Geography[link]
Sicily has roughly triangular shape, which earned it the name Trinacria. It is separated to the east from the Italian region of Calabria through the Strait of Messina. The distance between the island and mainland Italy by the Strait of Messina is about 3 km (1.9 mi) wide in the north, and about 16 km (9.9 mi) in the south of the Strait.[4]
The terrain of inland Sicily is mostly hilly, and intensively cultivated wherever it was possible. Along the northern coast, mountain ranges of Madonie, 2,000 m (6,600 ft), Nebrodi, 1,800 m (5,900 ft), and Peloritani, 1,300 m (4,300 ft), represent an extension of mainland Appennines. The cone of Mount Etna dominates over the eastern coast. In the south-east lie lower Hyblaean Mountains, 1,000 m (3,300 ft).[5] The mines of the Enna and Caltanissetta district were a leading sulfur-producing area throughout the 19th century, but have declined since the 1950s.
Sicily and its small surrounding islands have some highly active volcanoes. Mount Etna, located in the east of mainland Sicily with a height of 3,320 m (10,890 ft), is the tallest active volcano in Europe and one of the most active in the world. The Aeolian Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea, to the northeast of mainland Sicily, exhibit a volcanic complex including Stromboli. Currently active also are the three volcanoes of Vulcano, Vulcanello and Lipari, usually dormant. Off the southern coast of Sicily, the underwater volcano of Ferdinandea, which is part of the larger Empedocles, last erupted in 1831. It is located between the coast of Agrigento and the island of Pantelleria (which itself is a dormant volcano), on the underwater Phlegraean Fields of the Strait of Sicily.
The autonomous region also includes several neighboring islands: the Aegadian Islands, the Aeolian Islands, Pantelleria and Lampedusa.
Rivers[link]
The island is drained by several rivers, most of which flow through the central area and enter the sea at the south of the island. The Salso flows through parts of Enna and Caltanissetta before entering the Mediterranean Sea at the port of Licata. To the east, there is the Alcantara in the province of Messina, which exits at Giardini Naxos; and the Simeto which exits into the Ionian Sea south of Catania. Other important rivers on the island are to the southwest with Belice and Platani.
|
Climate[link]
Sicily has a typical Mediterranean climate with mild and wet winters and hot, dry summers.
According to the Regional Agency for Waste and Water, on 10 August 1999 the weather station of Catenanuova (EN) recorded a maximum temperature of 48.5 °C (119 °F), which is the highest temperature ever recorded in Europe by the use of reliable instruments. The official European record – measured by minimum/maximum thermometers – is recognized to Athens, Greece, as communications reported a maximum of 48.0 °C (118 °F) in 1977.[6]
Flora and fauna[link]
Sicily is an often-quoted example of man-made deforestation, which was practiced since Roman times, when the island was made an agricultural region.[5] This gradually dampened the climate, leading to decline of rainfall and drying of rivers. Today, entire central and southwest provinces are practically without any forests.[7] That also affected the island's wild fauna, of which is little left in the pastures and crop fields of the inland.[5]
The Nebrodi Mountains Regional Park, established August 4, 1993, with its 86,000 hectares (210,000 acres) is the largest protected natural area of Sicily, here is the largest forest of Sicily, called forest Caronia, that is also the second name of Nebrodi Mountains. A number of bird species are found in Sicily. In some cases Sicily is a delimited point of a species range. For example, the subspecies of Hooded Crow, Corvus cornix ssp cornix occurs in Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica, but no further south.[8]
The Hundred Horse Chestnut (Castagno dei Cento Cavalli), located on Linguaglossa road in Sant'Alfio, on the eastern slope of Mount Etna is the largest and oldest known chestnut tree in the world, dated between 2000 and 4000 years.[9]
History[link]
Main article: History of Sicily
Ancient tribes[link]
The original inhabitants of Sicily were three defined groups of the Ancient peoples of Italy. The most prominent and by far the earliest of these was the Sicani, who according to Thucydides arrived from the Iberian Peninsula (perhaps Catalonia).[10][11] Important historical evidence has been discovered in the form of cave drawings by the Sicani, dated from the end of the Pleistocene epoch, around 8000 BC.[12] The arrival of the first humans is correlated with extinction of dwarf hippos and dwarf elephants. The Elymians, thought to be from the Aegean Sea, were the next tribe to migrate to join the Sicanians on Sicily.[13]
Although there is no evidence of any wars between the tribes, when the Elymians settled in the north-west corner of the island, the Sicanians moved across eastwards. From mainland Italy, thought to originally have been Ligures from Liguria, came the Sicels in 1200 BC; forcing the Sicanians to move back across Sicily settling in the middle of the island.[12] Other minor Italic groups who settled in Sicily were the Ausones (Aeolian Islands, Milazzo) and the Morgetes (Morgantina). There are many studies of genetic records which show inhabitants of various parts of the Mediterranean Basin mixed with the oldest inhabitants of Sicily. Among these were Egyptian, Phoenician, and Iberian.[14] The Phoenicians also were early settlers before the Greeks.[15]
Greek and Roman period[link]
.JPG)
About 750 BC, the Greeks began to live in Sicily (Sikelia), establishing many important settlements. The most important colony was Syracuse; other significant ones were Akragas, Selinunte, Gela, Himera, and Zancle. The native Sicani and Sicel peoples were absorbed by the Hellenic culture with relative ease, and the area was part of Magna Graecia along with the rest of southern Italy, which the Greeks had also colonised. Sicily was very fertile, and the introduction of olives and grape vines flourished, creating a great deal of profitable trading;[16] a significant part of Greek culture on the island was that of Greek religion and many temples were built across Sicily, such as the Valley of the Temples at Agrigento.[17]
Politics on the island was intertwined with that of Greece; Syracuse became desired by the Athenians, who during the Peloponnesian War set out on the Sicilian Expedition. Syracuse gained Sparta and Corinth as allies, and as a result the Athenian expedition was defeated. The Athenian army and ships were destroyed, with most of the survivors being sold into slavery.[18]
While Greek Syracuse controlled much of Sicily, there were a few Carthaginian colonies in the far west of the island. When the two cultures began to clash, the Greek-Punic wars erupted, the longest wars of antiquity. Greece began to make peace with the Roman Republic in 262 BC and the Romans sought to annex Sicily as its republic's first province. Rome intervened in the First Punic War, crushing Carthage so that by 242 BC Sicily had become the first Roman province outside of the Italian Peninsula.[19]
The Second Punic War, in which Archimedes was murdered, saw Carthage trying to take Sicily from the Roman Republic. They failed and this time Rome was even more unrelenting in the annihilation of the invaders; during 210 BC the Roman consul M. Valerian, told the Roman Senate that "no Carthaginian remains in Sicily".[20]
Sicily served a level of high importance for the Romans as it acted as the empire's granary. It was divided into two quaestorships, in the form of Syracuse to the east and Lilybaeum to the west.[21] Although under Augustus some attempt was made to introduce the Latin language to the island, Sicily was allowed to remain largely Greek in a cultural sense, rather than a complete cultural Romanisation.[21] When Verres became governor of Sicily, the once prosperous and contented people were put into sharp decline. In 70 BC, noted figure Cicero condemned the misgovernment of Verres in his oration In Verrem.[22]
The island was used as a base of power numerous times, being occupied by slave insurgents during the First and Second Servile Wars, and by Sextus Pompey during the Sicilian revolt. Christianity first appeared in Sicily during the years following AD 200; between this time and AD 313 when Constantine the Great finally lifted the prohibition on Christianity, a significant number of Sicilians became martyrs such as Agatha, Christina, Lucy, Euplius and many more.[23] Christianity grew rapidly in Sicily during the next two centuries. The period of history where Sicily was a Roman province lasted for around 700 years in total.[23]
Early Middle Ages[link]
Main articles: Byzantine Empire and Emirate of Sicily
Germanic[link]
As the Western Roman Empire was falling apart, a Germanic tribe known as the Vandals took Sicily in AD 440 under the rule of their king Geiseric. The Vandals had already invaded parts of Roman France and Spain, asserting themselves as an important power in western Europe.[24] However, they soon lost these newly acquired possessions to another East Germanic tribe in the form of the Goths.[24] The Ostrogothic conquest of Sicily (and Italy as a whole) under Theodoric the Great began in 488; although the Goths were Germanic, Theodoric sought to revive Roman culture and government and allowed freedom of religion.[25]
Byzantine[link]
In the 6th century, the Gothic War took place between the Ostrogoths and the Eastern Roman Empire, also known as the Byzantine Empire. Sicily was the first part of Italy to be taken under general Belisarius who was commissioned by Eastern Emperor Justinian I, this campaign being part of an ambitious project of restoring the whole Roman Empire, uniting the Eastern and the Western halves.[26] Sicily was used as a base for the Byzantines to conquer the rest of Italy, with Naples, Rome, Milan and the Ostrogoth capital Ravenna falling within five years.[27] However, a new Ostrogoth king Totila, drove down the Italian peninsula, plundering and conquering Sicily in 550. Totila, in turn, was defeated and killed in the Battle of Taginae by the Byzantine general Narses in 552.[27]
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 Arab forces of Caliph Uthman in 652. The Arabs failed to make any permanent gains, and returned to Syria after gathering some booty.[28]
Byzantine Emperor Constans II decided to move from the capital Constantinople to Syracuse in Sicily during 660. The following year he launched an assault from Sicily against the Lombard Duchy of Benevento, which then occupied most of southern Italy.[29] The rumors that the capital of the empire was to be moved to Syracuse, probably cost Constans his life as he was assassinated in 668.[29] His son Constantine IV succeeded him, a brief usurpation in Sicily by Mezezius being quickly suppressed by the new emperor. Contemporary accounts report that the Greek language was widely spoken on the island during this period.[30]
By 826, Euphemius the commander of the Byzantines killed his wife in Sicily and forced a nun to marry him. Emperor Michael II caught wind of the matter and ordered that general Constantine end the marriage and cut off Euphemius' head. Euphemius rose up, killed Constantine and then occupied Syracuse; he in turn was defeated and driven out to North Africa.[31]
He offered rule of Sicily over to Ziyadat Allah the Aghlabid Emir of Tunisia in return for a place as a general and safety; a Muslim army of Arabs, Berbers, Spaniards of Al-Andalus (which was then an Islamic region), Cretans and Persians was sent.[31] The conquest was a see-saw affair and met with much resistance. It took over a century for Byzantine Sicily to be conquered. Syracuse held out for a long time, Taormina fell in 902, and all of Sicily was eventually conquered by Arabs in 965.[31]
Arab Sicily (965–1072)[link]
Main article: Emirate of Sicily
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 Hawqal, an Arab merchant who visited Sicily in 950. A walled suburb called the Al-Kasr (the palace) is the center of Palermo to this day, 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 Hawqal reckoned 7,000 individual butchers trading in 150 shops.
Throughout this reign, revolts by Byzantine Sicilians continuously occurred, especially in the east, and parts of the island were re-occupied before being quashed. Agricultural items such as oranges, lemons, pistachio and sugar cane were brought to Sicily.[24] Under the Arab rule the island was aligned in three administrative regions, or "vals", roughly corresponding to the three "points" of Sicily: Val di Mazara in the west; Val Demone in the northeast; and Val di Noto in the southeast.
As dhimmis, the native Christians (Eastern Orthodox) were allowed freedom of religion, but had to pay a tax, Jizya, and had limitations placed on their occupations, dress and ability to participate in public affairs. The Emirate of Sicily began to fragment as intra-dynastic quarreling fractured the Muslim regime.[31] During this time there was also a minor Jewish presence.[32]
Norman Sicily (1068–1194)[link]
By the 11th century, mainland southern Italian powers hired Norman mercenaries, who conquered Sicily from the Arabs under Roger I.[33] After taking Apulia and Calabria, he occupied Messina with an army of 700 knights. In 1068, Roger was victorious at Misilmeri, but the most crucial battle was the siege of Palermo, which in 1072 led to Sicily coming under Norman control.[34]
Roger died in 1101. He was succeeded by his son, Roger II, who was the first King of Sicily. The elder Roger was married to Adelaide, who ruled until her son came of age in 1112.[33]
The Normans, the Hautevilles, who were descended from the Vikings, came to appreciate and admire the rich and layered culture in which they now found themselves. Many Normans in Sicily adopted some of the attributes of Muslim rulers in dress, language, literature, and even in the presence of palace Eunuchs and according to some accounts, a harem. Like the multi-ethnic Caliphate of Córdoba, then only just eclipsed, the court of Roger II became the most luminous center of culture in the Mediterranean, both from Europe and the Middle East. This attracted scholars, scientists, poets, artists and artisans of all kinds. In Norman Sicily, still with heavy Arab influence,[35] laws were issued in the language of the community to whom they were addressed: the governance was by the rule of law so there was justice. Muslims, Jews, Byzantine Greeks, and Latin Normans worked together to form a society that historians have said has created some of the most extraordinary buildings the world has ever seen.[35]
Kingdom of Sicily[link]
Main articles: Kingdom of Sicily and List of monarchs of Sicily
Palermo continued on as the capital under the Normans. Roger's son, Roger II of Sicily, having succeeded his brother Simon of Sicily as Count of Sicily, was ultimately able to raise the status of the island to a kingdom in 1130, along with his other holdings which included the Duchy of Apulia and Calabria and the Maltese Islands.[34][36] During this period the Kingdom of Sicily was prosperous and politically powerful, becoming one of the wealthiest states in all of Europe; even wealthier than the Kingdom of England.[37]
Significantly, immigrants from Northern Italy and Campania arrived during this period. Linguistically, the island became Latinised. In terms of church, it would become completely Roman Catholic; previously, under the Byzantines, it had been more Eastern Christian.[38]
Holy Roman Emperor[link]
After a century the Norman Hauteville dynasty died out; the last direct descendant and heir of Roger, Constance, married Emperor Henry VI.[39] This eventually led to the crown of Sicily being passed on to the Hohenstaufen Dynasty, who were Germans from Swabia. The last of the Hohenstaufens was one of the greatest and most cultured men of the Middle Ages, Frederick II, the only son of Constance. His mother's will had asked Pope Innocent III to undertake the guardianship of her son. The pope gladly accepted the role, as it allowed him to detach Sicily from the rest of The Holy Roman Empire, thus ending the specter of the Papal States being surrounded. Frederick was four when, at Palermo he was crowned King of Sicily in 1198. Frederick received no systematic education and was allowed to run free in the streets of Palermo. There he picked up the many languages he heard spoken there, such as Arabic and Greek, and learned some of the lore of the Jewish community. He grew familiar with different peoples, garb, customs and faiths, so that he became unusually tolerant for that period. At age twelve, he dismissed Innocent's deputy regent and took over the government; at fifteen he married Constance of Aragon, and began his reclamation of the imperial crown.
Conflict between the Hohenstaufen house and the Papacy led in 1266 to Pope Innocent IV crowning the French prince Charles, count of Anjou and Provence, as the king of both Sicily and Naples.[39]
Sicilian Vespers and Aragonese Sicily[link]
Strong opposition to French officialdom due to mistreatment and taxation saw the local peoples of Sicily rise up, leading in 1282 to an insurrection known as the War of the Sicilian Vespers, which eventually saw almost the entire French population on the island killed.[39] During the war the Sicilians turned to Peter III of Aragon, son-in-law of the last Hohenstaufen king, for support after being rejected by the Pope. Peter gained control of Sicily from the French though the French retained control of the Kingdom of Naples. A crusade was launched in August 1283 against Peter III and the Aragon Kingdom by Pope Martin IV (a pope from Île-de-France), but it failed. The wars continued until the peace of Caltabellotta in 1302, which saw Peter's son Frederick III recognised as king of the Isle of Sicily, while Charles II was recognised as the king of Naples by Pope Boniface VIII.[39] 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.[16] In October 1347, in Messina, Sicily, the Black Death first arrived in Europe.[40]
The onset of the Spanish Inquisition in 1492 led to Ferdinand II decreeing the expulsion of all Jews from Sicily.[39] The island was hit by two very serious earthquakes in the east in 1542 and 1693, just a few years before the latter earthquake the island was struck by a ferocious plague.[39] The earthquake in 1693 took an estimated 60,000 lives.[41] There were revolts during the 17th century, but these were quelled with significant force especially the revolts of Palermo and Messina.[16] Pirate raids discouraged settlement along the coast until the 19th century.[42][43] The Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 saw Sicily assigned to the House of Savoy, however this period of rule lasted only seven years as it was exchanged for the island of Sardinia with Emperor Charles VI of the Austrian Habsburg Dynasty.[44]
While the Austrians were concerned with the War of the Polish Succession, a Bourbon prince, Charles from Spain was able to conquer Sicily and Naples.[45] At first Sicily was able to remain as an independent kingdom under personal union, while the Bourbons ruled over both from Naples. However, the advent of Napoleon's First French Empire saw Naples taken at the Battle of Campo Tenese and Bonapartist Kings of Naples were instated. Ferdinand III the Bourbon was forced to retreat to Sicily which he was still in complete control of with the help of British naval protection.[46]
Following this Sicily joined the Napoleonic Wars, after the wars were won Sicily and Naples formally merged as the Two Sicilies under the Bourbons. Major revolutionary movements occurred in 1820 and 1848 against the Bourbon government with Sicily seeking independence; the second of which, the 1848 revolution was successful and resulted in a period of independence for Sicily.[47]
Italian unification[link]
In 1860, as part of the risorgimento,[48] the Expedition of the Thousand led by Giuseppe Garibaldi captured Sicily. The conquest started at Marsala, and native Sicilians, lured by Garibaldi's promises of an Italian republic and equality for Sicilians, joined him in the capture of the southern Italian peninsula. Garibaldi's march was finally completed with the Siege of Gaeta, where the final Bourbons were expelled and Garibaldi announced his dictatorship in the name of Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia. Sicily then became part of the Kingdom of Italy. With the imposition of a monarchy, Sicilians got neither the promised republic, nor equality, since important police, judicial and political positions were filled by northern Italians. An anti-Savoy revolt pushing for Sicilian independence erupted in 1866 at Palermo; it was quelled brutally by the Italians within a week.[48][49]
Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa wrote in his book Il Gattopardo that the Sicilians viewed the unification of Italy as a conquest of the south by the north. The Sicilian (and the wider mezzogiorno) economy collapsed, leading to an unprecedented wave of emigration.[48] Organizations of workers and peasants known as the Fasci Siciliani, who were leftist and separatist groups, rose and caused the Italian government to impose martial law again in 1894.[50][51] The Messina earthquake of 28 December 1908 killed over 80,000 people.[52]
The Mafia, a loose confederation of organized crime networks, emerged in the middle of the 19th century initially in the role of private enforcers hired to protect the property of landowners and merchants from the groups of bandits (briganti) who frequently pillaged the countryside and towns. The Fascist regime began suppressing them in the 1920s with considerable success.[48] There was an allied invasion of Sicily during World War II starting on 10 July 1943. In preparation of the invasion of Sicily, the Allies revitalised the Mafia to aid them. The invasion of Sicily contributed to the 25 July crisis; in general the Allied victors were warmly embraced by the Sicilian population.[53] The Mafia continues to run rampant in Sicily and provides many problems for the government of Italy.[citation needed]
Italy became a Republic in 1946 and as part of the Constitution of Italy, Sicily was one of the five regions given special status as an autonomous region.[54] Both the partial Italian land reform and special funding from the Italian government's Cassa per il Mezzogiorno (Fund for the South) from 1950 to 1984, helped the Sicilian economy improve, though the imposition of northerners in important administrative positions continued.[55][56]
Economy[link]
Sicily has long been noted for its fertile soil due to the volcanic eruptions in the past and present. The island is still known for its pleasant climate and natural beauty. It has a long, hot growing season, but summer droughts are frequent. Agriculture is the chief economic activity but has long been hampered by absentee ownership, primitive methods of cultivation, and inadequate irrigation. The establishment (1950) of the now-defunct Cassa per il Mezzogiorno (Southern Italy Development Fund) by the national government led to land ownership reforms, an increase in the amount of land available for cultivation and the general development of the island's economy. However, the Mafia, which is still influential, has hindered governmental efforts to institute reforms in the region, and Sicily continues to have an extremely low per capita income and high unemployment, although many work under the table, or have unreported jobs with no pension. Billions of euros have been infused in Sicily to bring the region up to current times. Prices rose 500% and many families decided to move back to the family residences to be able to afford to live. Although policies have begun to change, there is a large group of people that also rely on the revenue from NAS Sigonella, the American naval air station that is situated near Catania.
Agriculture[link]
The main agricultural products are citrons, oranges, lemons, olives, olive oil, almonds, grapes, Sicilian pistachios and wine; cattle, mules, donkeys, and sheep are raised.
Sicily produces more wine than New Zealand, Austria and Hungary combined, but was previously known mainly for fortified Marsala wines. In recent decades the wine industry has improved, new winemakers are experimenting with less-known native varietals, and Sicilian wines have become better known.[57] The best known local varietal is Nero d'Avola, named for a small town not far from Syracuse; the best wines made with these grapes come from Noto, a famous old city close to Avola.
There are important tuna and sardine fisheries.
Industry and manufacturing[link]
In addition to wine, Sicily manufactures processed food, chemicals, refined petroleum, fertilizers, textiles, ships, leather goods, and forest products. There are petroleum fields in the southeast, and natural gas and sulfur are also produced. Improvements in Sicily's road system have helped to promote industrial development. The chief ports of the island are Palermo, Catania, Augusta and Messina.
Statistics[link]
GDP growth[link]
A table showing Sicily's different GDP (nominal and per capita) growth between 2000 and 2008:[58][59]
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2008 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Domestic Product (Millions of Euros) |
67,204 | 70,530 | 72,855 | 75,085 | 77,327 | 80,358 | 82,938 | 88,328 |
| GDP (PPP) per capita (Euro) |
13,479 | 14,185 | 14,662 | 15,053 | 15,440 | 16,023 | 16,531 | 17,533 |
Economic sectors[link]
After the table which shows Sicily's GDP growth,[58] this table shows the sectors of the Sicilian economy in 2006:
| Economic activity | GDP (mil. €) | % sector (region) |
% sector (Italy) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture, farming, fishing | 2,923.3 | 3.52% | 1.84% |
| Industry | 7,712.9 | 9.30% | 18.30% |
| Constructions | 4,582.1 | 5.52% | 5.41% |
| Commerce, hotels and restaurants, transport, services and (tele)communications | 15,159.7 | 18.28% | 20.54% |
| Financial activity and real estate | 17,656.1 | 21,29% | 24,17% |
| Other economic activities | 24.011,5 | 28.95% | 18.97% |
| VAT and other forms of taxes | 10,893.1 | 13.13% | 10.76% |
| GDP of Sicily | 82,938.6 |
Transport[link]
Roads[link]
Highways have recently been built and expanded in the last four decades. The most prominent Sicilian roads are the motorway (known as autostrada) running through the northern section of the island. Much of the motorway network is elevated by columns due to the mountainous terrain of the island.[60][61][62][63] Other main roads in Sicily are the Strade Statali like the SS.113 that connects Trapani to Messina (via Palermo), the SS.114 Messina-Syracuse (via Catania) and the SS.115 Syracuse-Trapani (via Ragusa, Gela and Agrigento).
| Sign | Motorway | Length | Toll | Services |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
A18 Messina-Catania | 76 km (47 mi) |  Yes |
 Yes |
 |
RA15 Catania's By Pass (West) | 24 km (15 mi) | free | Yes |
 |
Motorway Catania-Siracusa | 25 km (16 mi) | free | No |
|
A18 Siracusa-Rosolini | 40 km (25 mi) | free | No |
 |
A19 Palermo-Catania | 199 km (124 mi) | free | Yes |
 |
A20 Palermo-Messina | 181 km (112 mi) | Yes |
Yes |
 |
A29 Palermo-Mazara del Vallo | 119 km (74 mi) | free | No |
 |
A29dir Alcamo-Trapani/Marsala | 38 km (24 mi) and 44 km (27 mi) | free | No |
Railways[link]
The first railway in Sicily was opened in 1863 (Palermo-Bagheria) and today all of the Sicilian provinces are served by a network of railway services, linking to most major cities and towns; this service is operated by Trenitalia. Of the 1,378 km (856 mi) of railway tracks in use, over 60% has been electrified whilst the remaining 583 km (362 mi) are serviced by diesel engines. 88% of the lines (1.209 km) are single-track and only 169 km (105 mi) are double-track serving the two main routes, Messina-Palermo (Tyrrhenian) and Messina-Catania-Syracuse (Ionian). Of the narrow gauge railways the Ferrovia Circumetnea is the only one that still operates, going round Mount Etna. From the major cities of Sicily, there are services to Naples and Rome; this is achieved by the trains being loaded onto ferries which cross to the mainland.[64] In two of the main cities there are underground railway services; these feature in the cities of Palermo and Catania whilst Messina is served by a light rail service.
Airports[link]
Main article: List of airports in Sicily
Mainland Sicily has several airports which serve numerous Italian and European destinations and some extra-European;
- Catania-Fontanarossa Airport, located on the east-coast is the busiest on the island (and one of the busiest in all of Italy).
- Palermo International Airport, which is also substantially large airport with many national and international flights.
- Trapani-Birgi Airport, a military-civil joint use airport (third for traffic on the island). Recently the airport has seen an increase of traffic thanks to a low-cost carrier.
- Comiso-Ragusa Airport, has recently been refurbished and re-converted from military use to civil airport but to the date (9 March) it is still closed to the general traffic.
- Palermo-Boccadifalco Airport is the old airport of Palermo and has internal flights to the Waterdrome of Enna and the Aeolian Islands (operated with amphibious aircrafts).
- NAS Sigonella Airport, it is an Italian Air Force and U.S. Navy installation. Between the NATO Bases, Sigonella, is called "The Hub of the Med".[citation needed]
- Lampedusa Airport and Pantelleria Airport are also two small airports on smaller islands which are considered part of Sicily.
Ports[link]
By sea, Sicily is served by several ferry routes and cargo ports, and in all major cities, cruise ships dock on a regular basis.
- Mainland Italy: Ports connecting to the mainland are Messina (route to Villa San Giovanni and Salerno), the busiest passenger port in Italy, Palermo (routes to Genoa, Civitavecchia and Naples) and Catania (route to Naples) .
- Sicily's small surrounding islands: The port of Milazzo serves the Aeolian Islands, the ports of Trapani and Marsala the Aegadian Islands and the port of Porto Empedocle the Pelagie Islands. From Palermo there is a service to the island of Ustica and to Sardinia.
- International connections: From Palermo and Trapani there are weekly services to Tunisia and there is also a daily service between Malta and Pozzallo.[65][66]
- Commercial/Cargo Ports: The port of Augusta is the 5th largest cargo port in Italy which handles tonnes of goods. Other major cargo ports are Palermo, Catania, Trapani, Pozzallo and Termini Imerese.
- Touristic ports: Several "Touristic ports" along the Sicilian coast are in the service of private boats that need to moor on the island. The main ports for this traffic are in Marina di Ragusa, Riposto, Portorosa, Syracuse, Cefalù and Sciacca.
- Fishing ports: As all islands, Sicily also has many fishing ports. The most important is in Mazara del Vallo followed by Castellamare del Golfo, Licata, Scoglitti and Portopalo di Capo Passero.
The planned bridge[link]
Main article: Strait of Messina Bridge
Plans for a bridge linking Sicily to the mainland have been discussed since 1865. Throughout the last decade, plans were developed for a road and rail link to the mainland via what would be the world's longest suspension bridge, the Strait of Messina Bridge. Planning for the project has experienced several false starts over the past few years. On 6 March 2009, Silvio Berlusconi's government declared that the construction works for the Messina Bridge will begin on 23 December 2009, and announced a pledge of 1.3 billion EUR as a contribution to the bridge's total cost, estimated at 6.1 billion EUR.[67] The plan has been criticized by environmental associations and some local Sicilians and Calabrians, concerned with its environmental impact, economical sustainability, and even possible infiltrations by organized crime.[68][69]
Demographics[link]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1861 | 2,409,000 | — |
| 1871 | 2,590,000 | +7.5% |
| 1881 | 2,933,000 | +13.2% |
| 1901 | 3,568,000 | +21.7% |
| 1911 | 3,812,000 | +6.8% |
| 1921 | 4,223,000 | +10.8% |
| 1931 | 3,906,000 | −7.5% |
| 1936 | 4,000,000 | +2.4% |
| 1951 | 4,487,000 | +12.2% |
| 1961 | 4,721,000 | +5.2% |
| 1971 | 4,681,000 | −0.8% |
| 1981 | 4,907,000 | +4.8% |
| 1991 | 4,966,000 | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 4,969,000 | +0.1% |
| 2010 (Est.) | 5,050,000 | +1.6% |
| Source: ISTAT 2010 | ||
Further information: List of Sicilians
The people of Sicily are often portrayed as very proud of their island, identity and culture and it is not uncommon for people to describe themselves as Sicilian, before the more national description of Italian.[70] Despite the existence of major cities such as Palermo, Catania, Messina and Syracuse, popular stereotypes of Sicilians commonly allude to ruralism, for example the coppola is one of the main symbols of Sicilian identity; it is derived from the flat cap of rural Northern England which arrived in 1800 when Bourbon king Ferdinand I had fled to Sicily and was protected by the British Royal Navy.[71]
Sicily received a variety of different cultures, including the original Italic people, the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Saracens, Normans, Arberesh, and Spaniards, each contributing to the island's culture, particularly in the areas of cuisine and architecture. Ethnic Sicilians are descended from the native Sicani people, early Greek settlers, Romans, and Northern Italians. Sicilian people tend to most closely associate themselves with other southern Italians, with whom they share a common history. The island of Sicily has a population of approximately five million, and there are an additional ten million people of Sicilian descent around the world, mostly in North America, Argentina, Australia and other European and Latin American countries. Like the rest of southern Italy, immigration to the island is very low compared to other regions of Italy because workers tend to head to Northern Italy instead, due to better employment and industrial opportunities. The most recent ISTAT figures show around 100 thousand immigrants out of the total five million population, that is nearly 2 percent of the population; Romanians with more than 17 thousand make up the most immigrants, followed by Tunisians, Moroccans, Sri Lankans, Albanians, and others mostly from Eastern Europe.[72]
Major settlements[link]
In Sicily there are only two metropolitan areas, Palermo that has a Larger Urban Zone of about 900.000 people and Catania whose LUZ is of 650.000 people. Overall on the island there are fifteen cities and towns which have a population above 50.000 people, these are:[73]
| Comune | Population (May 2011) |
|---|---|
| Palermo | 655,343 |
| Catania | 292,855 |
| Messina | 242,121 |
| Siracusa | 123,248 |
| Marsala | 82,812 |
| Gela | 77,295 |
| Ragusa | 73,756 |
| Trapani | 70,642 |
| Vittoria | 63,393 |
| Caltanissetta | 60,221 |
| Agrigento | 59,190 |
| Bagheria | 56,421 |
| Modica | 55,294 |
| Acireale | 53,205 |
| Mazara del Vallo | 51,413 |
Population genetics[link]
Y-Dna haplogroups were found at the following frequencies in Sicily: R1 (30.09%), J (29.65%), E1b1b (18.21%), I (7.62%), G (5.93%), T (5.51%), Q (2.54%).[74] R1 and I haplogroups are typical in West European populations while J and E1b1b consist of lineages with differential distribution within Middle East, North Africa and Europe. According to two recent studies in 2008 and 2009, Greek male influence was estimated at 37% while North African male influence was estimated between 6% and 7.5%.[75][76][77]
| N | E-V12 | E-V13 | E-V22 | E-V65 | E-M81 | E-M123 | G | I | J1 | J2 | T | L | Q | R1a | R1b | Study |
| 236 | 1.27% | 5.93% | 3.81% | 0.42% | 2.12% | 4.66% | 5.93% | 7.62% | 3.81% | 25.84% | 5.51% | 0.42% | 2.54% | 5.51% | 24.58% | Di Gaetano et al. (2009) |
Most common surnames[link]
20 most common surnames in the region of Sicily are:
|
1. Russo |
11. Amato |
Ethno-linguistic minorities[link]
See also: Lombards of Sicily and Arbëreshë
In Sicily there there are two historical ethno-linguistic minorities, the Lombards of Sicily and the Arbëreshë.
- Lombard of Sicily are a linguistic minority living in northern-central Sicily speaking an isolated variety of Gallo-Italic dialects, the so called Gallo-Italic of Sicily. The Lombards of Sicily settled the central and eastern part of Sicily about 900 years ago, coming from the Northern Italy, during the Norman conquest of Sicily. Because of linguistic differences among the Gallo-Italics dialects of Sicily, it is supposed that there were independent immigration routes. From Piedmont, Liguria, Emilia, Lombardy they began to spread south, between the 11th and 14th centuries AD. Aidone, Piazza Armerina, Nicosia, San Fratello, Novara di Sicilia are the the most important communities.
- Arbereshe settled in Southern Italy in the 15th to 18th centuries AD in several waves of migrations. There are three Arbereshe communities identified within the province of Palermo, which have maintained unchanged, with different aspects together, the ethnic, linguistic and religious origins. The countries are: Contessa Entellina, Piana degli Albanesi and Santa Cristina Gela. The largest center is Piana degli Albanesi, which, besides being the hub religious and socio-cultural communities, has guarded and defended their peculiarities intact over time. There are two other communities with a strong historical and linguistic heritage.
Government and politics[link]
Main article: Politics of Sicily
The politics of Sicily takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democracy, whereby the President of Regional Government is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the Regional Government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Sicilian Regional Assembly. The capital of Sicily is Palermo.
Sicilian Independence Movement[link]
Main article: Sicilian Independence Movement
The Sicilian Independence Movement (Movimento Indipendentista Siciliano, MIS) was a separatist Sicilian political party active in on the island from 1943 to 1951. Its best electoral result was in 1947, when it won 8.8% of the votes and nine regional deputies were elected.
The party was supported by Sicilians from a very wide of political stances: both conservatives and socialists were involved at some point. The purpose was first to gain independence for Sicily. Once this was accomplished MIS planned to sort out the politics of the island themselves, with the movement splintering to found new Sicilian political parties with their own personal stances.
In the 1946 general election, MIS obtained 0.7% of national votes (8.8% of votes in Sicily), and four seats, including its leader Finocchiaro Aprile. During the 1947 congress, Antonino Varvaro, former secretary and leading member of the left wing, was expelled from the party by a majority. The reasons remained unknown. Following these events, Varvaro founded a rival independentist movement, MISDR, which did not achieve much success and disbanded soon. In the first Sicilian elections held in 1947, MIS obtained circa 9% of votes, and eight seats. However, the movement lost all its seats following the 1948 general election and the 1951 regional election. Soon after the latter, Finocchiaro Aprile and several other members resigned from MIS and the movement entered into a sort of political hiatus, never being formally disbanded.
Administrative divisions[link]
Administratively Sicily is divided into nine provinces, each with a capital city of the same name as the province. Small surrounding islands are also part of various Sicilian provinces: Aeolian Islands of Messina, isle of Ustica (Palermo), Aegadian Islands (Trapani), isle of Pantelleria (Trapani) and Pelagian Islands (Agrigento).
| Province | Area (km2) | Population[78] | Density (inh./km2) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Province of Agrigento | 3,042 | 453,594 | 149.1 |
| Province of Caltanissetta | 2,128 | 271,168 | 127.4 |
| Province of Catania | 3,552 | 1,090,620 | 307.0 |
| Province of Enna | 2,562 | 172,159 | 67.2 |
| Province of Messina | 3,247 | 652,742 | 201.0 |
| Province of Palermo | 4,992 | 1,249,744 | 250.3 |
| Province of Ragusa | 1,614 | 318,980 | 197.6 |
| Province of Syracuse | 2,109 | 403,559 | 191.3 |
| Province of Trapani | 2,460 | 436,240 | 177.3 |
Tourism[link]
Sicily's sunny, dry climate, scenery, cuisine, history, and architecture attract many tourists from mainland Italy and abroad. The tourist season peaks in the summer months, although people visit the island all year round. Mount Etna, the beaches, the archeological sites, and the two major cities of Catania and Palermo are the favourite tourist destinations, but the old town of Taormina and the neighbouring seaside resort of Giardini Naxos draw visitors from all over the world, as do the Aeolian Islands, Erice, Cefalù, Syracuse, and Agrigento. The latter features some of the best-preserved temples of the ancient Greek period. Many Mediterranean cruise ships stop in Sicily, and many wine tourists also visit the island.
World Heritage Sites[link]
- Archeological park Valle dei Templi of Agrigento, since 1997.[79]
- Villa Romana del Casale of Piazza Armerina inscribed in 1997.[80]
- The Aeolian Islands (Natural site) inscribed 2000.[81]
- Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto (South-Eastern Sicily) since 2002.[82]
- Syracuse and the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica since 2005.[83]
Sicilian Baroque[link]
Main article: Sicilian Baroque
The Sicilian Baroque has a unique architectural identity. Noto, Caltagirone, Catania, Ragusa, Modica, Scicli and particularly Acireale contain some of Italy's best examples of Baroque architecture, carved in the local red sandstone. Noto provides one of the best examples of the Baroque architecture brought to Sicily.
The Baroque style in Sicily was largely confined to buildings erected by the church, and palazzi built as private residences for the Sicilian aristocracy.[84] The earliest examples of this style in Sicily lacked individuality and were typically heavy-handed pastiches of buildings seen by Sicilian visitors to Rome, Florence, and Naples. However, even at this early stage, provincial architects had begun to incorporate certain vernacular features of Sicily's older architecture. By the middle of the 18th century, when Sicily's Baroque architecture was noticeably different from that of the mainland, it typically included at least two or three of the following features, coupled with a unique freedom of design that is more difficult to characterise in words.
Archeological sites[link]
Because many different cultures settled, dominated or invaded the island, Sicily has a huge variety of archeological sites. Also, some of the most notable and best preserved temples and other structures of the Greek world are located in Sicily.[citation needed]. Here is a short list of the major archeological sites:
- Sicels/Sicans/Elymians: Segesta, Eryx, Cava Ispica, Thapsos, Pantalica.
- Greeks: Syracuse, Agrigento, Selinunte, Gela, Kamarina, Himera, Megara Hyblaea, Naxos, Heraclea Minoa,
- Phoenicians: Motya, Soluntum, Marsala.
- Romans: Piazza Armerina, Centuripe, Taormina.
- Arabs: Palermo, Mazara del Vallo.
The excavation and restoration of one of Sicily's best known archeological sites, the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, was at the direction of a native Sicilian, Domenico Antonio Lo Faso Pietrasanta, Fifth Duke of Serradifalco, known in archeological circles simply as "Serradifalco". He also oversaw the restoration of ancient sites at Segesta, Selinunte, Siracusa, and Taormina.
Castles[link]
| Province | Castles | Commune |
|---|---|---|
| Caltanisetta | Castello Manfredonico | Mussomeli |
| U Cannuni | Mazzarino | |
| Castelluccio di Gela | Gela | |
| Catania | Castello Ursino | Catania |
| Castello Normanno | Adrano | |
| Castello Normanno | Paternò | |
| Castello di Aci | Aci Castello | |
| Messina | Forte dei Centri | Messina |
| Castello di Milazzo | Milazzo | |
| Castello di Sant'Alessio Siculo | Sant'Alessio Siculo | |
| Castello di Pentefur | Savoca | |
| Castello di Schisò | Giardini Naxos | |
| Palermo | Zisa, Palermo | Palermo |
| Castello di Caccamo | Caccamo | |
| Castello di Carini | Carini | |
| Castello dei Ventimiglia | Castelbuono | |
| Ragusa | Castello di Donnafugata | Ragusa |
| Torre Cabrera | Pozzallo | |
| Castello Dei Conti | Modica | |
| Syracuse | Castello Maniace | Syracuse |
| Trapani | Castello di Venere | Erice |
Culture[link]
Arts[link]
See also: Music of Sicily and Sicilian School
Sicily has long been associated with the arts; many poets, writers, philosophers, intellectuals, architects and painters have roots on the island. The history of prestige in this field can be traced back to Greek philosopher Archimedes, a Syracuse native who has gone on to become renowned as one of the greatest mathematicians of all time.[85] Gorgias and Empedocles are two other highly noted early Sicilian-Greek philosophers, while the Syracusan Epicharmus is held to be the inventor of comedy.[86][87] The golden age of Sicilian poetry began in the early 13th century with the Sicilian School, which was highly influential. Some of the most noted figures in the area of Sicilian poetry and writing are Luigi Pirandello, Salvatore Quasimodo, Antonio Veneziano and Giovanni Verga. On the political side notable Sicilian philosophers include: Giovanni Gentile who wrote The Doctrine of Fascism and Julius Evola.
| “ | To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is to not have seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the clue to everything | ” |
Terracotta ceramics from the island are well known, the art of ceramics on Sicily goes back to the original ancient peoples named the Sicanians, it was then perfected during the period of Greek colonisation and is still prominent and distinct to this day.[88] There are two prominent folk art traditions on Sicily, both draw heavily from Norman influence; Sicilian cart is the painting of wooden carts with intricate decorations of scenes from the Norman romantic poems, such as The Song of Roland.[89] The same tales are told in traditional puppet theatres or teatro dei pupi, which feature hand-made wooden marionettes, depicting Normans and Saracens, who engage in mock battles. this is especially popular in Acireale.[90] Famous Sicilian painters include Renaissance artist Antonello da Messina, Renato Guttuso and Greek born Giorgio de Chirico who is commonly dubbed the "father of Surrealist art" and founder of the metaphysical art movement.[91]
Palermo hosts the Teatro Massimo, which is the largest opera house in Italy and the third largest in all of Europe.[92] Sicilian composers vary from Vincenzo Bellini, Sigismondo d'India, Giovanni Pacini and Alessandro Scarlatti, to contemporary composers such as Salvatore Sciarrino and Silvio Amato. Many award winning and acclaimed films of Italian cinema have been filmed in Sicily, amongst the most noted of which are; Visconti's "La Terra Trema" and "Il Gattopardo", Rosi's "Salvatore Giuliano", Marco Risi's "Mery per sempre" and "Ragazzi fuori", and Antonioni's "L'avventura".
Language[link]
Main article: Sicilian language
Many Sicilians are bilingual in Italian and Sicilian, a distinct Romance language which has a sizeable vocabulary, with at least 250,000 words. Some of the words are loan words from Greek, Catalan, French, Arabic, Spanish, and other languages.[93] The Sicilian language is also spoken to some extent in Calabria and Apulia; it had a significant influence on the Maltese language. In the modern age, as Italian is taught in schools and is the language of the media, Sicilian is now a secondary language amongst much of the youth, especially in some of the urban areas.
The Sicilian language was an early influence in the development of the first Italian standard, although its use remained confined to an intellectual elite. 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 Sicilian School, 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, 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".[94] It is in this language that appeared the first sonnet, whose invention is attributed to Giacomo da Lentini himself.
There are also several less common, unofficial languages spoken on the island. In and around three countries, the Albanian language has been spoken since a wave of refugees Albanians settled there in the 15th century; these people are predominantly Byzantine rite and chant Greek at local Byzantine liturgy.[95] The language of this community is an ancient Albanian language closely related to the one spoken especially in southern Albania, and is recognized by national law 482 of December 15, 1999 for the protection of minority ethno-linguistic in Italy. As one might expect, the language bears the marks of 15th century grammar and diction. In some cases, the Church itself encouraged the Albanians to settle on formerly monastic lands, particularly in western Sicily. In others, feudal lords welcomed the new residents. In Sicily there are the between much numerous Albanian communities in Italy. Arbëreshë (Albanians in Italy) communities in which we commonly speak Albanian as their mother tongue, are: Piana degli Albanesi, Contessa Entellina and Santa Cristina Gela. The Albanian literature of Piana degli Albanesi is very important, because here began the story in a literal version Toskë Albanian. In more than five centuries of history have achieved significant levels Arbëreshë the cultural and literary Albanian.
There are also several Ennese towns where dialects of the Lombard language of the Gallo-Italic family are spoken.[96] Much of these two groups of people are tri-lingual, being able to also speak Italian and Sicilian.
Religion[link]
See also: History of the Jews in Sicily
As in most Italian regions, Christian Roman Catholicism is the most diffused religious denomination in Sicily, and the church still plays an important role in most Sicilians' lives. Before the invasion of the Normans, Sicily was predominantly Eastern Orthodox, which few adherents still remain today. Most still attend church weekly or at least for religious festivals, and many people get married in churches. However, there was a wide presence of Jews in Sicily. There has been a Jewish presence in the insular region for at least 1,400 years and possibly for more than 2,000 years. Some scholars believe that the Sicilian Jewry are partial ancestors of the Ashkenazi Jews.[citation needed] However, much of the Jewish community faded away when they were expelled from the island in 1492. Since there was also a strong Arab presence in Sicily, the Islamic faith was also significant for many centuries. Today, due to notably African and Eastern European immigration to the island, there are also several other religious minorities, such as Islam, Judaism, Temoins Jehovah, and Sikhism. There are also a fair number of Evangelist Church members and practitioners who reside on the island.
Cuisine[link]
Main articles: Sicilian cuisine and Sicilian pizza
The island has a long history of producing a variety of noted cuisines and wines, to the extent that Sicily is sometimes nicknamed God's Kitchen because of this.[97] Every part of Sicily has its speciality (for example Cassata is typical of Palermo, even if available everywhere in Sicily, as is Granita, a Catania speciality). The ingredients are typically rich in taste while remaining affordable to the general public[98] The savory dishes of Sicily are viewed to be healthy, using fresh vegetables and fruits, such as tomatoes, artichokes, olives (including olive oil), citrus, apricots, aubergines, onions, beans, raisins commonly coupled with sea food, freshly caught from the surrounding coastlines, including tuna, sea bream, sea bass, cuttlefish, swordfish, sardines, and others.[99]
Perhaps the most well-known part of Sicilian cuisine is the rich sweet dishes including ice creams and pastries. Cannoli, a tube-shaped shell of fried pastry dough filled with a sweet filling usually containing ricotta cheese, is in particular strongly associated with Sicily worldwide.[100] Biancomangiare, biscotti ennesi (cookies native to Enna), braccilatte a Sicilian version of doughnuts, buccellato, ciarduna, pignoli, bruccellati, sesame seed cookies, a sweet confection with sesame seeds and almonds (torrone in Italy) is cubbaita, frutta martorana, cassata, pignolata, granita, cuccidati (a variety of fig cookie; also known as buccellati) and cuccìa are amongst some of the most notable sweet dishes.[100]
Like the cuisine of the rest of southern Italy, pasta plays an important part in Sicilian cuisine, as does rice; for example with arancini.[101] As well as using some other cheeses, Sicily has spawned some of its own, using both cow's and sheep's milk, such as pecorino and caciocavallo.[102] Spices used include saffron, nutmeg, clove, pepper, and cinnamon, which were introduced by the Arabs. Parsley is used abundantly in many dishes. Although Sicilian cuisine is commonly associated with sea food, meat dishes, including goose, lamb, goat, rabbit, and turkey, are also found in Sicily. It was the Normans and Swabians who first introduced a fondness for meat dishes to the island.[103] Some varieties of wine are produced from vines that are relatively unique to the island, such as the Nero d'Avola made near the baroque of town of Noto.[104]
Sports[link]
File:CarmeloDiBella.jpg
Football manager Carmelo Di Bella
The best known and most popular sport on the island of Sicily is football, which was introduced in the late 19th century under the influence of the English. Some of the oldest football clubs in all of Italy are Sicilian: the three most successful are Palermo, Messina, and Catania, who have all, at some point, played in the prestigious Serie A. To date, no Sicilian side has ever won Serie A; however, football is deeply embeded in local culture, all over Sicily each town has its own representative team.[105]
Palermo and Catania have a heated rivalry and compete in the Sicilian derby together: to date, Palermo is the only Sicilian team to have played on the European stage, in the UEFA Cup. The most noted Sicilian footballer is Salvatore Schillaci, who won the Golden Boot at the 1990 FIFA World Cup with Italy.[105] Other noted Sicilian players include Giuseppe Furino, Pietro Anastasi, Francesco Coco, Christian Riganò, and Roberto Galia.[105] There have also been some noted managers from the island, such as Carmelo Di Bella and Franco Scoglio.
Although football is by far the most popular sport in Sicily, the island also has participants in other fields. Amatori Catania compete in the top Italian national rugby union league called Super 10. They have even participated at European level in the European Challenge Cup. Competing in the basketball variation of Serie A is Orlandina Basket from Capo d'Orlando in the province of Messina, where the sport has a reasonable following. Various other sports that are played to some extent include volleyball, handball, and water polo. Previously, in motorsport, Sicily held the prominent Targa Florio sports car race that took place in the Madonie Mountains, with the start-finish line in Cerda.[106] The event was started in 1906 by Sicilian industrialist and automobile enthusiast Vincenzo Florio, and ran until it was cancelled due to safety concerns in 1977.[106]
Sicilian lifestyle and folklore[link]
File:Sicilian animated crib.JPG
Sicilian arrotino at a living nativity scene wearing traditional Sicilian clothing
The family is at the heart of Sicilian culture as it has always been for generations. Family members often live close together, sometimes in the same housing complex, and sons and daughters usually remain at home with their parents until they marry, which tends to occur later than in previous decades. Couples today have fewer children than before, yet babies and children are much revered in Sicilian culture and almost always accompany their parents to social events.[107]
Sicilian weddings are lavish, expensive, and traditional. They are normally held in church. The Catholic Church is an important fixture in Sicilian life. Almost all public places are adorned with crucifixes upon their walls, and most Sicilian homes contain pictures of saints, statues, and other relics. Each town and city has its own patron saint, and the feast days are marked by gaudy processions through the streets with marching bands and displays of fireworks.
Sicilian religious festivals also include the presepe vivente (living nativity scene), which takes place at Christmas time. Deftly combining religion and folklore, it is a constructed mock 19th century Sicilian village, complete with a nativity scene, and has people of all ages dressed in the costumes of the period, some impersonating the Holy Family, and others working as artisans of their particular assigned trade. It is normally concluded on Ephiphany, often highlighted by the arrival of the magi on horseback.
Oral tradition plays a large role in Sicilian folklore. Many stories passed down from generation to generation involve a character named "Giufà". Anecdotes from this character's life preserve Sicilian culture as well as convey moral messages.
Sicilians also enjoy outdoor festivals, held in the local square or piazza where live music and dancing are performed on stage, and food fairs or sagre are set up in booths lining the square. These offer various local specialties, as well as typical Sicilian food. Normally these events are concluded with fireworks. A noted sagra is the Sagra del Carciofo or Artichoke Festival, which is held annually in Ramacca in April. The most important laic event in Sicily is the carnival. Famous carnivals are in Acireale, Misterbianco, Regalbuto, Paternò, Sciacca, Termini Imerese.
Symbols and icons[link]
There are several cultural icons and regional symbols in Sicily, including flags, carts, sights and geographical features.
Flag[link]
Main article: Flag of Sicily
The Sicilian flag is the flag of Sicily, and is regarded as a regional icon. It was first adopted in 1282, after the Sicilian Vespers of Palermo. It is characterized by the presence of the triskelion (trinacria) in its middle, the (winged) head of Medusa and three wheat ears. The three bent legs are supposed to represent the three points of the island Sicily itself.
The colours, instead, respectively represent the cities of Palermo and Corleone, at those times an agricultural city of renown. Palermo and Corleone were the first two cities to found a confederation against the Angevin rule. It finally became the official public flag of the Autonomous Region of Sicily in January 2000, after the passing of an apposite law which advocates its use on public buildings, schools, city halls, and all the other places in which Sicily is represented.
Trinacria (Sicilian triskelion)[link]
Main article: Triskelion
Familiar as an ancient symbol of the region, the triskelion is also featured on Greek coins of Syracuse, such as coins of Agathocles (317–289 BCE). In Sicily, the first inhabitants mentioned in history are the tribes of the Sicani (Greek Sikanoi) and the Sicels (Greek Sikeloi), who gave Sicily its more familiar modern name. The triskelion was revived, as a neoclassic — and non-Bourbon — emblem for the new Napoleonic Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, by Joachim Murat in 1808. The actual name "Trinacria" was also occasionally used in the Kingdom of Sicily after 1302 (the English equivalent word of Trinacria is the Triangle).[108]
The symbol dates back to when Sicily was part of Magna Graecia, the colonial extension of Greece beyond the Aegean.[109] Pliny the Elder attributes the origin of the triskelion of Sicily to the triangular form of the island, the ancient Trinacria, which consists of three large capes equidistant from each other, pointing in their respective directions, the names of which were Pelorus, Pachynus, and Lilybæum.
The three legs of the triskelion are also reminiscent of Hephaestus's three-legged tables that ran by themselves, as mentioned in Iliad xviii:
- "At the moment Hephaestus was busily
- Turning from bellows to bellows, sweating with toil
- As he laboured to finish a score of three-legged tables
- To stand around the sides of his firm-founded hall. On each
- Of the legs he had put a gold wheel, that those magic tables
- Might cause all to marvel by going with no other help
- To the gathering of gods and by likewise returning to his house."
Coppola[link]
Main article: Coppola (cap)
The coppola is a traditional kind of flat cap typically worn in Sicily. First used by English nobles during the late 18th century, the coppola began being used in Sicily in the early 20th century as a driving cap, usually worn by car drivers. The Coppola is usually made in tweed. Today, the coppola is widely regarded, at least in Italy, as a definitive symbol of Sicilian heritage.[110]
Cart[link]
Main article: Sicilian cart
File:Sicilian Cart Agrigento.jpg
A Traditional Sicilian Cart from Agrigento, Sicily, 2003. Note the cart appears slightly raised where it is attached to the horse. This is because the cart was traditionally drawn by donkeys, which are of a slightly lower stature to that of a horse.
The Sicilian cart (or carretto Siciliano in Italian and carrettu Sicilianu in Sicilian or carretti (plural)) is an ornate, colorful style of horse or donkey-drawn cart native to Sicily.
Sicilian wood carver, George Petralia states, that horses were mostly used in the city and flat plains, while donkeys or mules were more often used in rough terrain for hauling heavy loads.[111] The cart has two wheels and is primarily handmade out of wood with iron metal components. Carts are used for hauling miscellaneous light loads, such as produce, wood, wine, and people, called "Carretto del Lavoro" (cart for work) and also carts for festive occasions such as weddings and parades called "Carretto de Gara'. The Carretto is like the 'taxi' or 'truck' of today.[112] In modern-day Sicily, the tradition continues in small, three-wheeled motorized vehicles (called lapa). They are often painted in the traditional way.
Mount Etna[link]
Main article: Mount Etna
Mount Etna is the largest active volcano in Europe and still plagues the island with black ash with its ever current eruptions. It currently stands 3,329 metres (10,922 ft) high, though this varies with summit eruptions; the mountain is 21 m (69 ft) lower now than it was in 1981. It is the highest mountain in Italy south of the Alps. Etna covers an area of 1,190 km2 (459 sq mi) with a basal circumference of 140 km (87 mi). This makes it by far the largest of the three active volcanoes in Italy, being about two and a half times the height of the next largest, Mount Vesuvius. In Greek Mythology, the deadly monster Typhon was trapped under this mountain by Zeus, the god of the sky, and Mount Etna is widely regarded as a cultural symbol and icon of Sicily.
See also[link]
References[link]
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- ^ EUROPA - Press Releases - Regional GDP per inhabitant in 2008 GDP per inhabitant ranged from 28% of the EU27 average in Severozapaden in Bulgaria to 343% in Inner London
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- ^ a b "Dati Istat – Tavole regionali". Istat.it. Archived from the original on 9 March 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080309125317/http://www.istat.it/dati/dataset/20071004_00. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
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- ^ "A 29 autostrada Palermo – Trapani – Mazara del Vallo". SiciliaEMoto.it. 2 January 2008. http://www.siciliaemoto.it/main.php?plc=a29palermotrapanimazara.
- ^ "Autostrada: A18 Messina – Catania". Sicilia.Indettaglio.it. 24 October 2007. http://sicilia.indettaglio.it/ita/lineestradali/autostrade/a18/a18.html.
- ^ "Sicily Travel and Transport". ItalyHeaven.co.uk. 2 January 2008. http://www.italyheaven.co.uk/sicily/transport.html.
- ^ "Traghetti Sicily 2008". Traghetti Guida. 2 January 2008. Archived from the original on 14 November 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071114044904/http://it.geocities.com/traghetti2002/sicilia.html.
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- ^ Hooper, John (2 January 2008). "Italian MPs kill plan to bridge Sicily and mainland". London: Guardian.co.uk. http://www.guardian.co.uk/italy/story/0,,1920199,00.html. Retrieved 30 March 2010.
- ^ Kahn, Gabriel (10 April 2008). "No Italian Job Takes Longer Than This Bridge". Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120777463250502755.html?mod=todays_us_nonsub_page_one&apl=y&r=769642.
- ^ "Sicily". Getaway.com.au. 20 November 2007. http://getaway.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=17000.
- ^ "The Coppola Returns". BestofSicily.com. 20 November 2007. http://www.bestofsicily.com/mag/art116.htm.
- ^ "Statistiche demografiche ISTAT". Demo.istat.it. http://demo.istat.it/str2007/index.html. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
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- ^ (n=236), Differential Greek and northern African migrations to Sicily are supported by genetic evidence from the Y chromosome, Gaetano et al.2008, European Journal of Human Genetics (2009)
- ^ Differential Greek and northern African migrations to Sicily are supported by genetic evidence from the Y chromosome European Journal of Human Genetics (2009) 17, 91–99; doi:10.1038/ejhg.2008.120; published online 6 August 2008
- ^ Moors and Saracens in Europe: estimating the medieval North African male legacy in southern Europe European Journal of Human Genetics (2009) 17, 848–852; doi:10.1038/ejhg.2008.258; published online 21 January 2009
- ^ European Journal of Human Genetics. "Historically introduced NW African types in Italy and Iberia". Nature.com. http://www.nature.com/ejhg/journal/v17/n6/fig_tab/ejhg2008258t1.html#figure-title. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- ^ Population May 2011, data from Demo Istat.
- ^ "Archaeological Area of Agrigento – UNESCO World Heritage Centre". Whc.unesco.org. 7 December 1997. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/831. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
- ^ "Villa Romana del Casale – UNESCO World Heritage Centre". Whc.unesco.org. 7 December 1997. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/832. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
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- ^ "Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto (South-Eastern Sicily) – UNESCO World Heritage Centre". Whc.unesco.org. 26 June 2002. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1024. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
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- ^ "Palazzo" (pl. palazzi): is any large building in a town, state or private (often much smaller than the term palace implies in the English-speaking world). While palazzo is the technically correct appellation, and postal address, no Sicilian aristocrat would ever use the word, instead referring to his or her own house, however large, as "casa". "Palazzo" followed by the family name was the term used by officials, tradesmen, and delivery men. Gefen, p. 15.
- ^ Calinger, Ronald S. A Contextual History of Mathematics. Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0-02-318285-3. http://www.amazon.com/Contextual-History-Mathematics-Ronald-Calinger/dp/0023182857.
- ^ Talfourd, Thomas Noon. History of Greek Literature. University of Michigan. http://books.google.com/books?id=BDJBAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA173&lpg=PA173&dq=%22invented+comedy%22+Epicharmus&source=web&ots=YLYRp8DDTJ&sig=3pAaO5PptN4IbQKcdydEk73QAO8&hl=en.
- ^ "Discovering the Similarity of the Greek and Sicilian Spirit". GreekNewsOnline.com. 2 January 2008. http://www.greeknewsonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid=3450. [dead link]
- ^ "Sicilian Ceramic Art". BestOfSicily.com. 2 January 2008. http://www.bestofsicily.com/ceramic.htm.
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- ^ Thrall Soby, James. The Early Chirico. Ayer Co Pub. ISBN 978-0-405-00736-1. http://books.google.com/books?id=GtnYEBkmkIcC&pg=PA93&lpg=PA93&dq=%22father+of+surrealist+art%22&source=web&ots=4F8VZQun88&sig=HaBU3gtJ09nU2PS0Cy9C_mTZeY4#PPA92,M1.
- ^ "Teatro Massimo in Palermo". SelectItaly.com. 2 January 2008. http://selectitaly.com/theater.php?product_id=6.
- ^ "The Sicilian Language". LeoLuca-Criscione.net. 7 October 2007. http://www.leoluca-criscione.net/HTM-DOCUMENTI/DIALetto-english%20version.htm.
- ^ Alighieri, Dante. De vulgari eloquentia. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-40064-0. http://www.amazon.com/Dante-eloquentia-Cambridge-Medieval-Classics/dp/0521400643.
- ^ "Sicilian Peoples: The Albanians". BestofSicily.com. 7 October 2007. http://www.bestofsicily.com/mag/art183.htm.
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- ^ "The Foods Of Sicily – A Culinary Journey". ItalianFoodForevter.com. 24 June 2007. http://www.italianfoodforever.com/iff/articles.asp?id=55. [dead link]
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- ^ a b Senna, Luciana. __Om01QutSjva0I#PPA158,M1 Authentic Sicily. Touring Club of Italy. ISBN 978-88-365-3403-6. http://books.google.com/books?id=E7BYFRh5b7oC&pg=PA158&lpg=PA158&dq=buccellato+cannoli&source=web&ots=eI-wS9E0l7&sig=j1EGw38mRzZl __Om01QutSjva0I#PPA158,M1.
- ^ "Arancini, the cult Sicilian dish". FXCuisine.com. 24 June 2007. http://fxcuisine.com/default.asp?Display=9.
- ^ "Sicilian Cheese". BestofSicily.com. 24 June 2007. http://www.bestofsicily.com/mag/art87.htm.
- ^ "Sicilian Food and Wine". BestofSicily.com. 24 June 2007. http://www.bestofsicily.com/food.htm.
- ^ Maria, Anna. "Sicilian Fig Cookies". Anna Maria's Open Kitchen. http://www.annamariavolpi.com/page47.html. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
- ^ a b c Bright, Richard (7 October 2007). "Sicilian derby takes centre stage". London: Telegraph.co.uk. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2004/11/11/sfneur11.xml. Retrieved 30 March 2010.
- ^ a b "Targa Florio 1906–1977". Porsche.com. 7 October 2007. http://www.porsche.com/all/targaflorio/international.aspx.
- ^ Best of Sicily Magazine
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Further reading[link]
- Bonacini, Elisa (2007) Il territorio calatino nella Sicilia imperiale e tardoromana (British Archeological Reports, International Series: 1694) Archaeopress, Oxford, England, ISBN 978-1-4073-0136-5, in Italian with abstract in English
- Chaney, Edward. (2000), "British and American Travellers in Sicily from the eighth to the twentieth century", The Evolution of the Grand Tour, Routledge.
- Spadi, Fabio. (2001) "The Bridge on the Strait of Messina: 'Lowering' the Right of Innocent Passage?" International and Comparative Law Quarterly 50: 411 ff.
- "From Rome to Sicily: Plane or Train?" Expert Travel Advice, The New York Times, 7 February 2008 The New York Times.
- "Italy makes record mafia seizure". BBC News. 22 December 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7796096.stm. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
- "Sicily Mafia restoring US links". Mafia News. http://www.mafia-news.com/sicily-mafia-restoring-us-links/. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
External links[link]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sicily |
- Sicily Region — Official website (Italian)
- Images of Sicily
- Sicily - Free Online Travel Brochure
- Wilson, R., R. Talbert, T. Elliott, S. Gillies. "Places: 462492 (Sicilia)". Pleiades. http://pleiades.stoa.org/places/462492. Retrieved March 8, 2012.
Coordinates: 37°30′N 14°00′E / 37.5°N 14°E / 37.5; 14
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There are many people in history who are commonly appended with the phrase "the Great", or who were called that or an equivalent phrase in their own language. Other languages have their own suffixes such as e Bozorg and e azam in Persian and Urdu respectively.
In Persia, the title "the Great" at first seems to be a colloquial version of the Old Persian title "Great King". This title was first used by the conqueror Cyrus II of Persia.[1]
The Persian title was inherited by Alexander III of Macedon (336–323 BC) when he conquered the Persian Empire, and the epithet "Great" eventually became personally associated with him. The first reference (in a comedy by Plautus)[2] assumes that everyone knew who "Alexander the Great" was; however, there is no earlier evidence that Alexander III of Macedon was called "the Great".
The early Seleucid kings, who succeeded Alexander in Persia, used "Great King" in local documents, but the title was most notably used for Antiochus the Great (223–187 BC).
Later rulers and commanders began to use the epithet "the Great" as a personal name, like the Roman general Pompey. Others received the surname retrospectively, like the Carthaginian Hanno and the Indian emperor Ashoka the Great. Once the surname gained currency, it was also used as an honorific surname for people without political careers, like the philosopher Albert the Great.
As there are no objective criteria for "greatness", the persistence of later generations in using the designation greatly varies. For example, Louis XIV of France was often referred to as "The Great" in his lifetime but is rarely called such nowadays, while Frederick II of Prussia is still called "The Great". A later Hohenzollern - Wilhelm I - was often called "The Great" in the time of his grandson Wilhelm II, but rarely later.
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Rulers[link]
- Abbas I of Persia (1571–1629), Shah of Iran
- Akbar (1542–1605), ruler of the Mughal Empire of South Asia, mainly India
- Alain I of Albret (1440–1522), French aristocrat
- Alexander the Great (356-323 BC), King of Macedonia, Persia, Greece, Egypt, and all of Mesopotamia
- Alexander I of Georgia (1386–1446), King of Georgia
- Alfonso III of León (c. 848-910), King of León, Galicia and Asturias
- Alfred the Great (848/849-899), King of Wessex
- Antiochus III the Great (c. 241–187 BC), ruler of the Seleucid Empire
- Ashoka the Great (c. 304–232 BC), Indian emperor of the Maurya dynasty
- Ashot I of Iberia “the Great”(died 826/830), presiding prince of Iberia (modern Georgia),
- Askia Mohammad I (c. 1442–1538), ruler of the Songhai Empire
- Bhumibol Adulyadej (born 1927), King of Thailand
- Bolesław I Chrobry (967-1025), sometimes called "the Great", first King of Poland
- Bruno the Great (925–965), Archbishop of Cologne and Duke of Lotharingia (also listed in the following section)
- Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (1736–1809), founder and ruler of the Rattanakosin Kingdom (in what is now Thailand)
- Cnut the Great (c. 985 or 995-1035), King of Denmark, England, Norway and parts of Sweden
- Casimir III the Great (1310–1370), King of Poland
- Catherine the Great (1729–1796), Empress of Russia
- Chandragupta II (reigned 375-413/415), also known as Vikramaditya, ruler of the Gupta empire in India
- Charlemagne (died 814), King of the Franks and Emperor of the Romans
- Chulalongkorn (1853–1910), King of Siam (now Thailand)
- Chlothar II (584-629), King of Neustria and King of the Franks
- Conrad, Margrave of Meissen (c. 1097-1157), Margrave of Meissen
- Constantine I (c. 272-337), Roman emperor
- Cyaxares the Great (c. 625-585 BC), third king of Media
- Cyrus the Great (c. 600 BC or 576 BC–530 BC), founder and ruler of the Persian or Achaemenid Empire
- Darius the Great (550 – 486 BC), third ruler of the Persian Empire
- Devapala (died 850), ruler of the Pala Empire in the Indian subcontinent
- Dionysius I, Greek tyrant of Syracuse[3]
- Ferdinand I of León and Castile (c. 1015–1065), King of León and Count of Castile
- Frederick the Great (1712–1786), King of Prussia
- Genghis Khan (1162?-1227), founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire
- Gero (c. 900–965), ruler of Marca Geronis, a very large march in Europe
- Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden (1594–1632), King of Sweden, founder of the Swedish Empire, and noted military leader
- Gwanggaeto the Great, King of Goguryeo, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea[4][5]
- Hanno the Great, the name of three leaders of Carthage, in the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd centuries BC
- Henry I, Duke of Burgundy (946–1002)
- Henry IV of France (1553–1610), King of France and King of Navarre
- Herod the Great (73/74 BC-4 BC), King of Judea
- Hugh the Great (898-956), Duke of the Franks and Count of Paris
- Hugh Magnus of France (1007–1025), co-King of France
- Hugh I, Count of Vermandois (1057–1101)
- Humphrey I de Bohun (died c. 1123), Anglo-Norman aristocrat
- Ivan III of Russia (1440–1505), Tsar of Russia
- John I of Portugal (1358–1433), King of Portugal and the Algarve
- John II of Aragon (1398–1479), King of Aragon and, through his wife, King of Navarre
- Justinian I (483-565), Byzantine Emperor
- Kamehameha I (c. 1758-1819), first King of Hawai'i
- Kanishka (died c. 127), ruler of the Kushan Empire in Central Asia and parts of India
- Kvirike III of Kakheti (1010–1029), King of Kakheti in eastern Georgia
- Kublai Khan (1215–1294), Mongol ruler in the 13th century and Emperor of China; founder of the Yuan Dynasty
- Llywelyn the Great (c. 1172–1240), Prince of Gwynedd and de facto ruler of most of Wales
- Louis I of Hungary (1326–1382), King of Hungary, Croatia and Poland
- Mangrai the Great (1238–1317), Lanna, northern Thailand
- Emperor Meiji (1852–1912), Emperor of Japan
- Mircea I of Wallachia (1355–1418)
- Mithridates II of Parthia (died 88 BC), ruler of the Parthian Empire (in present day Iran)
- Mithridates VI of Pontus (134 BC–63 BC), ruler of Pontus and the Bosporan Kingdom
- Mstislav I of Kiev (1076–1132), Grand Prince of Kievan Rus
- Naresuan (1555–1605), King of Ayutthaya
- Narai (1633–1688), King of Ayutthaya (in what is now modern Thailand)
- Odo the Great (died c. 735), Duke of Aquitaine
- Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor (912-973)
- K'inich Janaab' Pakal (603-683), ruler of the Mayan city-state of Palenque
- Parakramabahu I of Polonnaruwa (1123–1186), King of Sri Lanka
- Peter Krešimir IV of Croatia (died 1075), King of Croatia
- Peter the Great (1672–1725), Tsar of Russia
- Peter III of Aragon (1239–1285), King of Aragon and King of Sicily
- Pompey (106 BC-48 BC), military and political leader of the late Roman Republic, rival of Julius Caesar
- Radama I (1793–1828), first king of greater Madagascar
- Raja Raja Chola I (c. 947-1014), Indian emperor of the Cholas.[6][7][8]
- Rajendra Chola I (reigned 1014–1044), Tamil King of India
- Ramesses II (reigned 1279 BC – 1213 BC), considered the greatest pharaoh of Ancient Egypt
- Ram Khamhaeng (around 1237 to 1247-1298), King of Sukhothai (in present day Thailand)
- Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona (1082–1131), also Count of Provence and various other counties
- Rhodri the Great (c. 820–878), King of Gwynedd (in present day Wales)
- Roman the Great (after 1160-1205), Grand Prince of Kiev
- Saladin (c. 1138-1193), Kurdish Sultan of Egypt and Syria, founder of the Ayyubid dynasty, and victor over the Crusaders
- Samudragupta (c. 335–375), ruler of the Gupta empire in the Indian subcontinent
- Sancho III of Navarre (c. 992-1035), King of Kingdom of Navarre
- Sargon of Akkad (died c. 2215 BC), ruler of the Akkadian Empire
- Sejong the Great (1397–1450), Korean king[9]
- Shapur II (309-379), king of the Sassanid Empire, Persia
- Simeon I of Bulgaria (864/865-927), ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire
- Stephen III of Moldavia (1433–1504), Prince of Moldavia (Romania)
- Stephen Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia (c. 1308-1355), King of Serbia and Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks
- Taksin (1734–1782), King of the Thonburi Kingdom (Thailand)
- Tamar (1160-1123), Queen of the Georgian Empire
- Timur (1336–1405), better known as Tamerlane, founder of the Timurid Dynasty
- Theobald II, Count of Champagne (1090–1151), Count of Blois and of Chartres as Theobald IV, Count of Champagne and of Brie
- Theodoric the Great (454-526), King of the Ostrogoths, regent of the Visigoths and a viceroy of the Byzantine Empire
- Theodosius I (347-395), Roman emperor
- Tigranes the Great (140-55 BC), Emperor of Armenia
- Tiridates III of Armenia (285-339), King of Armenia
- Umar (c. 586 to 590–644), second caliph of the Muslim Empire
- Valdemar I of Denmark (1131–1182), King of Denmark
- Valentinian I (364-375), Roman Emperor
- Vladimir I of Kiev (c. 958-1015), ruler of Kievan Rus
- Vytautas (c. 1350-1430), archduke of the Lithuanian Grand Duchy
- William I, Count of Burgundy (1020–1087), Count of Burgandy and Mâcon
- William V, Duke of Aquitaine (969-1030), also Count of Poitou
- Xerxes I (519-465 BC), King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire (Persia)
- Yu the Great (c. 2200-2100 BC), legendary ruler in ancient China
Religious figures[link]
- Abraham the Great of Kashkar (ca. 492-586), monk and saint of the Assyrian Church of the East
- Abraham Kidunaia (died c. 366, hermit, priest, and Christian saint of Mesopotamia
- Albertus Magnus (1193/1206–1280), medieval German philosopher and theologian
- Anthony the Great (c. 251–356), early Christian saint of Egypt
- Babai the Great (c. 551–628), Assyrian church leader
- Basil of Caesarea (330-379), Greek bishop and theologian
- Bruno the Great (925–965), Archbishop of Cologne and Duke of Lotharingia (also listed in the previous section)
- Euthymius the Great (377-473), abbot and Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox saint
- Gertrude the Great (1256-c. 1302), German Benedictine, mystic, theologian and Roman Catholic saint
- Pope Gregory I (c. 540-604)
- Hiyya the Great, 3rd-century rabbi, Palestine
- Pope John Paul II (1920–2005)
- Pope Leo I (c. 391 or 400-461)
- Macarius of Egypt (c. 300-391), Egyptian hermit
- Pope Nicholas I (c. 800-867)
- Photius I of Constantinople (c. 810–c. 893), Eastern Orthodox saint and Patriarch of Constantinople
- William of Maleval (died 1157), founder of the Catholic congregation of Williamites
Other[link]
- Beli Mawr, a figure in medieval Welsh literature and genealogies
- Emmy the Great, folk singer
- Matteo Rosso the Great, Roman politician and father of Pope Nicholas III
- Prokop the Great, Hussite general in Bohemia
See also[link]
- Epithet
- List of monarchs by nickname
- List of nicknames of European Royalty and Nobility: G-I
- James, son of Zebedee, also known as James the Greater, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus
- Ajax (mythology), called Ajax the Greater
- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, whose common honorific "Mahatma" means "Great Soul"
Notes[link]
- ^ In a clay cylinder (online). The expression was used in a propagandistic context: the conqueror wants to show he is a normal Babylonian ruler. The first Persian ruler to use the title in an Iranian context was Darius I of Persia (Darius the Great), in the Behistun Inscription (online).
- ^ Plautus, Mostellaria 775.
- ^ History, Instituto Geografico De Agostini S.p.A., p. 479
- ^ World and Its Peoples:Korea. Marshall Cavendish Corporation. September 2008. p. 887. ISBN 0-7614-7631-8.
- ^ Alison Behnke (2004). North Korea in Pictures. Twenty-First Century Books. p. 70. ISBN 0-8225-1908-9. http://books.google.com/?id=ovWvhyLc6hAC&pg=RA1-PA70&dq=%22Gwanggaeto+the+Great%22.
- ^ Sarkar, Benoy Kumar (December 1919). "An English History of India". Political Science Quarterly 34 (4): 644–653. DOI:10.2307/2142032. JSTOR 2142032. ""The finances of the state were not more centralized under Louis XIV than under Rajaraja the Great.""
- ^ "Heaven sent: Michael Wood explores the art of the Chola dynasty". Royal Academy, UK. http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/ra-magazine/winter2006/features/heven-sent,47,RAMA.html. Retrieved 2007-04-26.
- ^ "The Chola Dynasty: Accession of Rajaraja, the Great". Sify.com. http://sify.com/itihaas/fullstory.php?id=13219885. Retrieved 2007-04-26.
- ^ Christoph Bluth; Gareth Schott (2007). Korea. Polity. p. 10. ISBN 0-7456-3356-0.
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This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.
