Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, may be just
a short hop from the Italian mainland, across the narrow strait of
Messina, but it is a world apart in atmosphere and attitude.
Everything Italian seems a little more appetising here, not only
the food but the history and culture as well.
For a long time Sicily was ignored as a holiday destination,
largely because of the Mafia stranglehold and because of the
poverty of the people. Today, however, the island is experiencing a
tourism boom and a surge in development as the destructive
influences of the Mafia wane. Visitors discover that the Sicilian
people are gracious, noble and welcoming and that the island itself
offers natural and historic attractions of great beauty and
enormous interest.
The main cities of Palermo and Catania feature some of the most
exquisite architecture in the world, a legacy of the many great
civilisations that have vied for control of this strategically
situated island over the centuries, from the Greeks and Romans,
Arabs and Normans to more recently the French, Spanish and
Italians. There are massive Romanesque cathedrals, the
best-preserved Greek temples in the world, Roman amphitheatres and
magnificent Baroque palaces. The continuous blue skies and
temperate climate, lush vegetation and rich marine life all add to
the island's appeal. Nature has given Sicily Mount Etna, Europe's
tallest active volcano, a dramatic coastline and a fertile soil
that gives forth much of the bounty on which the island's unique
and delicious cuisine is based.
