Sicily

Sicily(Italian:Sicilia,Italian:[siˈtʃiːlja];Sicilian:Sicilia,Sicilian:[sɪˈ(t)ʃiːlja]), officially theSicilian Region(Italian:Regione siciliana), is an island in the centralMediterranean Sea, south of theItalian Peninsulaincontinental Europeand is one of the 20regionsofItaly. With 4.8 million inhabitants, including 1.3 million in and around the capital city ofPalermo, it is both the largest and most populous island in theMediterranean Sea. Sicily is named after theSicels, who inhabited the eastern part of the island during theIron Age. Sicily has a rich and unique culture inarts,music,literature,cuisine, andarchitecture. Its most prominent landmark isMount Etna, the tallest activevolcanoin Europe, and one of the most active in the world, currently 3,357 m (11,014 ft) high. The island has a typicalMediterranean climate. It is separated fromCalabriaby theStrait of Messina. It is one of the fiveItalian autonomous regionsand is generally considered part ofSouthern Italy.
The earliestarchaeological recordof human activity on the island is from around 14,000 BC. By around 750 BC, Sicily had threePhoenicianand a dozenGreek coloniesalong its coasts, becoming one of the centers ofMagna Graecia. TheSicilian Warsof 580–265 BC were fought between the Carthaginians and Greeks, and thePunic Warsof 264–146 BC were fought between Rome and Carthage. The Roman province ofSiciliaended with the fall of theRoman Empirein the 5th century AD. Sicily was ruled during theEarly Middle Agesby theVandals, theOstrogoths, theByzantine Empire, and theEmirate of Sicily.
TheNorman conquest of southern Italyled to the creation of theCounty of Sicilyin 1071, that was succeeded byKingdom of Sicily, a state that existed from 1130 until 1816 under various dynasties,and in 1816 it was unified with theKingdom of Naplesinto theKingdom of the Two Sicilies.  From the 1282Sicilian Vespersuntil the 1860Expedition of the Thousand, Sicily was ruled byAragonand thenSpain, either inpersonal unionwith the crown or by acadet branch, with the exception of a period ofSavoyand thenHabsburgrule in 1713–1735.
The island became part of thenewly unifiedItalyin 1860 following the Expedition of the Thousand, an invasion led byGiuseppe Garibaldi, and a plebiscite. Sicily was given special status as anautonomous administrative divisionon 15 May 1946, 18 days before the1946 Italian institutional referendum.
Sicily has a roughly triangular shape, earning it the nameTrinacria.
To the north-east, it is separated fromCalabriaand the rest of the Italian mainland by theStrait of Messina, about 3 km (1.9 mi) wide in the north, and about 16 km (9.9 mi) wide in the southern part.The northern and southern coasts are each about 280 km (170 mi) long measured as a straight line, while the eastern coast measures around 180 km (110 mi); total coast length isestimatedat 1,484 km (922 mi). The total area of the island is 25,711 km(9,927 sq mi),while theAutonomous Regionof Sicily (which includes the smaller surrounding islands ofLipari,Egadi,Ustica, andPantelleria) has an area of 27,708 km(10,698 sq mi).
The terrain of inland Sicily is mostly hilly and is intensively cultivated wherever possible. Along the northern coast, themountain rangesofMadonie, 2,000 m (6,600 ft),Nebrodi, 1,800 m (5,900 ft), andPeloritani, 1,300 m (4,300 ft), are an extension of the mainlandApennines. The cone ofMount Etnadominates the eastern coast. In the southeast lie the lowerHyblaean Mountains, 1,000 m (3,300 ft).The mines of theEnnaandCaltanissettadistricts were part of a leadingsulphur-producing area throughout the 19th century, but have declined since the 1950s.
Sicily and its surrounding small islands have some highly active volcanoes. This is due to Sicily being geographically on the northern edge of theAfrican Plate.Mount Etna is the largest active volcano in Europe and casts black ash over the island with its recurrent eruptions. It stands 3,403 metres (11,165 ft) high as of September 2024.It is the highest mountain in Italy south of theAlps. Etna covers an area of 1,190 km(459 sq mi) with a basal circumference of 140 km (87 mi). This makes it the largest of the threeactive volcanoes in Italy, being about two and a half times the height of the next largest,Mount Vesuvius. InGreek mythology, the deadly monsterTyphonwas trapped under the mountain byZeus, the god of the sky.Mount Etna is widely regarded as a cultural symbol and icon of Sicily.
TheAeolian Islandsin theTyrrhenian Sea, to the northeast of mainland Sicily form a volcanic complex.
The three volcanoes ofVulcano,StromboliandLipariare also active, although the last is usually dormant. Off the southern coast of Sicily, the underwater volcano ofFerdinandea, which is part of the largerEmpedocles volcano, last erupted in 1831. It is located between the coast ofAgrigentoand the island ofPantelleria(which itself is a dormant volcano).
From a geographical perspective, also forming a part of Sicily is the Maltese Archipelago, the islands home to therepublic of Malta.
Theautonomous regionalso includes several neighbouring islands: theAegadian Islands, the Aeolian Islands, Pantelleria andLampedusa.
The mountains of Sicily form a significant part of the island's diverse landscape, withMount Etna, one of the world's most active volcanoes, being the highest and most notable peak. Other important mountain ranges include theNebrodi,MadonieandPeloritanimountains ranges.
Several riversdrainthe island, most of which flow through the central area and enter the sea at the south of the island. TheSalsoflows through parts of Enna and Caltanissetta before entering theMediterranean Seaat theportofLicata. To the east, theAlcantaraflows through the province ofMessinaand enters the sea atGiardini Naxos, and theSimeto, which flows into theIonian Seasouth ofCatania. Other important rivers on the island are theBeliceandPlataniin the southwest.
Sicily has for the most part a typicalMediterranean climate(Köppen climate classification:Csa) with mild and wet winters and hot, dry summers with changeable intermediate seasons. On the coasts, especially in the southwest, the climate is affected by the African currents and summers can be hot.
Snow falls above 900 metres, but it can fall in the hills. The interior mountains, especiallyNebrodi,Madonie, andEtna, enjoy a mountain climate, with heavy snowfalls during winter. The summit of Mount Etna is usually snow-capped from October to May.
In the summer, thesirocco– the wind from the Sahara – can be felt. Rainfall is scarce, and in some provinces a water crisis can occur.
According to the Regional Agency for Waste and Water, on 10 August 1999, the weather station ofCatenanuova(EN) recorded an unofficial maximum temperature of 48.5 °C (119 °F).On 11 August 2021, a newhighest temperature recordforEuropewith a reading of 48.8 °C (119.8 °F) was set near the city ofSyracuse.Total precipitation is highly variable, generally increasing with elevation. In general, the southern and southeast coast receives the least rainfall (less than 50 cm (20 in)), and the northern and northeastern highlands the most (over 100 cm (39 in)).
Sicily is an often-quoted example of man-madedeforestation, which has occurred since Roman times when the island was turned into an agricultural region.This gradually dried the climate, leading to a decline in rainfall and the drying of rivers. The central and southwest provinces are practically devoid of forest.In Northern Sicily, there are three important forests; near Mount Etna, in theNebrodi Mountainsand in theBosco della FicuzzaNatural Reserve nearPalermo. The Nebrodi Mountains Regional Park, established on 4 August 1993 and covering 86,000 hectares (210,000 acres), is the largest protected natural area of Sicily; it contains the largest forest in Sicily, theCaronia. TheHundred Horse Chestnut(Castagno dei Cento Cavalli), inSant'Alfio, on the eastern slopes of Mount Etna, is the largest and oldest knownchestnuttree in the world at 2,000–4,000 years old.
Sicily has a wide variety of fauna. Species include theEuropean wildcat,red fox,least weasel,pine marten,fallow deer,wild boar,crested porcupine,European hedgehog,common toad,Vipera aspis,golden eagle,peregrine falcon,Eurasian hoopoeandblack-winged stilt.Roe deerwere driven to extinction on the island.TheSicilian wolf(Canis lupus cristaldii) was anendemicwolfsubspeciesthat was driven to extinction in the 20th century. During theLate Pleistocene, a species ofdwarf elephant,Palaeoloxodon mnaidriensisinhabited the island, with its latest records on Sicily dating to around 20,000 years ago.
TheRiserva naturale dello Zingaro(Zingaro Natural Reserve) is one of the best examples of unspoiled coastal wilderness in Sicily.
Marine Life of the Straits of Messinaincludes varieties of birds and marine life, including larger species such asgreater flamingoandfin whale.
The nameSiciliawas given to theRoman provincein 241 BC. It is named after theSicels, who inhabited the eastern part of the island during theIron Age. The ancient name of the island isTrinacria(GreekΤρινακρία"having three headlands") for its triangular shape, likely a re-interpretation of earlier (Homeric)Thrinacia. The Greek name was rendered asTrīnācrĭainclassical Latin(Virgil,Ovid).
Humans first colonized Sicily towards the end of theLate Pleistocene, around 16,000 years ago, by people associated with theEpigravettianculture.
Discoveries ofdolmenson the island (dating to the second half of the third millennium BC) seem to offer new insights into the culture of primitive Sicily.The impact of at least two influences is clear: the European one coming from the Northwest, and the Mediterranean influence of an eastern heritage.
The original classical-era inhabitants of Sicily comprised three defined groups of theancient peoples of Italy: theSicani, theElymiansand theSicels. The most prominent and by far the earliest of these were theSicani, who (Thucydideswrites) arrived from theIberian Peninsula(perhapsCatalonia).Some modern scholars, however, suggest classifying the Sicani as possibly anIllyriantribe.Important historical evidence has been discovered in the form of cave drawings by the Sicani, dated from the end of thePleistoceneepoch around 8000 BC.TheElymians, thought to have come from the area of theAegean Sea, became the next tribe to join the Sicanians on Sicily.
No evidence survives of warring between tribes, but the Sicanians moved eastwards when the Elymians settled in the northwest corner of the island. TheSicelsare thoughtto have originated inLiguria; they arrived from mainland Italy in 1200 BC and forced the Sicanians to move back across Sicily and to settle in the middle of the island.Other minorItalic groupswho settled in Sicily included theAusones(Aeolian Islands,Milazzo) and theMorgetesofMorgantina.
ThePhoeniciansettlements in the western part of the island predate the arrival ofGreekcolonists.From about 750 BC, the Greeks began to live in Sicily (Ancient Greek:Σικελία–Sikelia), establishing many significant settlements. The most important colony was inSyracuse; others grew up atAkragas,Selinunte,Gela,HimeraandZancle.The native Sicani and Sicel peoples becameabsorbedinto theHellenic culturewith relative ease, and the area became part ofMagna Graeciaalong with the coasts of thesouth of the Italian peninsula, which the Greeks had also colonised. Sicily had fertile soils, and the successful introduction ofolivesandgrape vinesfostered profitable trading.Greek culturesignificantly centered aroundGreek religion, and the settlers built manytemplesthroughout Sicily, including several in theValley of the TemplesatAgrigento.
Politics on the island became intertwined with those of Greece;Syracusebecame desired by theAthenianswho set out on theSicilian Expedition(415–413 BC) during thePeloponnesian War. Syracuse gainedSpartaandCorinthas allies and, as a result, defeated the Athenian expedition. The victors destroyed the Athenian army and their ships, selling most of the survivors intoslavery.
The Greek kingdom of Syracuse controlled most of eastern Sicily whileCarthagecontrolled the western side.The two cultures began to clash, leading to theGreek-Punic wars(between 580 and 265 BC). The Greek states had begun to make peace with theRoman Republicin 262 BC,before the Romans sought toannexSicily as their republic's firstprovince. Rome attacked Carthage's holdings in Sicily in theFirst Punic War(264 to 241 BC) and won, making Sicily–with the exception of Syracuse–the first Roman province outside of theItalian Peninsulaby 242 BC.
In theSecond Punic War(218 to 201 BC), the Carthaginians attempted to recapture Sicily. Some of the Greek cities on the island who were loyal to Rome switched sides to help the Carthaginians, prompting a Roman military response.Archimedes, who lived in Syracuse, helped defend his city from Roman invasion; Roman troops killed him after they captured Syracuse in 212 BC.The Carthaginian attempt failed, and Rome became more unrelenting in its annihilation of the invaders;Roman consulM. Valeriantold theRoman Senatein 210 BC that "no Carthaginian remains in Sicily".
As the Roman Republic'sgranary, Sicily ranked as an important province, divided into twoquaestorships: Syracuse to the east andLilybaeumto the west.Roman rule introduced theLatin languageto the island, which underwent a slow process oflatinisationbut Sicilian culture remained largely Greek and the Greek language did not become extinct on the island, facilitating itsre-hellenisationmuch later under the Byzantines.The prosperity of the island went into sharp decline during the governorship ofVerres(73 to 71 BC). In 70 BC, the noted statesmanCicerocondemned the misgovernment of Verres in his orationIn Verrem.
Various groups used the island as a power base at different times: slave insurgents occupied it during theFirst(135−132 BC) andSecond(104−100 BC)Servile Wars.Sextus Pompeyhad his headquarters there during theSicilian revoltof 44 to 36 BC. Christianity first appeared in Sicily during the years following AD 200; between this time and AD 313, when EmperorConstantine the Greatlifted the prohibition on Christianity, a significant number ofSicilianshad becomemartyrs, includingAgatha,Christina,Lucy, andEuplius.Christianity grew rapidly in Sicily over the next two centuries.Sicily remained a Roman province for around 700 years.
TheWestern Roman Empirebegan falling apart after the invasion ofVandals, Alans, and Suevesacross the Rhineon the last day of 406. Eventually the Vandals, after roaming about western and southernHispania(present-dayIberia) for 20 years, moved to North Africa in 429 and occupied Carthage in 439. The Franks moved south from present-day Belgium. The Visigoths moved west and eventually settled in Aquitaine in 418; the Burgundians settled in present-day Savoy in 443.
The Vandals found themselves in a position to threaten Sicily – only 100 miles away from their North African bases.After taking Carthage, the Vandals, personally led by KingGaiseric, laid siege to Palermo in 440 as the opening act in an attempt to wrest the island from Roman rule.The Vandals made another attempt to take the island one year after the 455 sack of Rome, at Agrigento, but were defeated decisively byRicimirin anaval victory off Corsicain 456.The island remained under Roman rule until 469. The Vandals lost possession of the island 8 years later in 477 to theEast Germanic tribeof theOstrogoths, who then controlled Italy and Dalmatia.The island was returned to the Ostrogoths by payment of tribute to their kingOdoacer. He ruled Italy from 476 to 488 in the name of theByzantine (Eastern Roman)Emperor. The Vandals kept a toehold inLilybaeum, a port on the west coast. They lost this in 491 after making one last attempt to conquer the island from this port.The Ostrogothic conquest of Sicily (and of Italy as a whole) underTheodoric the Greatbegan in 488. The Byzantine EmperorZenohad appointed Theodoric as a military commander in Italy. The Goths were Germanic, but Theodoric fostered Roman culture and government and allowed freedom of religion.In 461 from the age of seven or eight until 17 or 18 Theodoric had become a Byzantine hostage; he resided in the great palace of Constantinople, was favored by EmperorLeo I(r.457–474) and learned to read, write and do arithmetic.
After taking areas occupied by the Vandals in North Africa,Justinian Iretook Italy as an ambitious attempt to recover the lost provinces in the West. The re-conquests marked an end to over 150 years of accommodating policies with tribal invaders. His first target was Sicily, leading to theGothic War (535–554)between the Ostrogoths and the Eastern Roman Empire, also known as theByzantine Empire. Justinian's generalBelisariuswas assigned to the military task.Sicily was used as a base for the Byzantines to conquer the rest of Italy, includingNaples, Rome, andMilan. It took five years before the Ostrogoth capitalRavennafell in 540.However, the new Ostrogoth kingTotilacounterattacked, moving down the Italian peninsula, plundering and conquering Sicily in 550. Totila was defeated and killed in theBattle of Taginaeby Byzantine generalNarsesin 552 but Italy was in ruins.
At the time of the reconquest Greek was still the predominant language spoken on the island. Sicily was invaded by theArab forcesofCaliph Uthmanin 652, but the Arabs failed to make permanent gains. They returned to Syria with their booty.Raids seeking loot continued until the mid-8th century.
The Eastern Roman EmperorConstans IImoved fromConstantinopletoSyracusein 660. The following year he launched an assault from Sicily against theLombardDuchy of Benevento, which occupied most of southern Italy.Rumors that the capital of the empire was to be moved to Syracuse probably cost Constans his life, as he was assassinated in 668.His sonConstantine IVsucceeded him. A brief usurpation in Sicily byMezeziuswas quickly suppressed by this emperor. Contemporary accounts report that the Greek language was widely spoken on the island during this period.In 740 EmperorLeo III the Isauriantransferred Sicily from the jurisdiction of the church of Rome to that of Constantinople, placing the island within the eastern branch of the Church.
In 826Euphemius, the Byzantine commander in Sicily, having apparently killed his wife, forced a nun to marry him. EmperorMichael IIcaught wind of the matter and ordered general Constantine to 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.He offered the rule of Sicily toZiyadat Allah, theAghlabidEmir ofTunisia, in return for a position as a general and a place of safety. AMuslim armywas then sent to the island consisting ofArabs,Berbers,Cretans, andPersians.
TheMuslim conquest of Sicilywas a see-saw affair and met with fierce resistance. It took over a century for Byzantine Sicily to be conquered; the largest city, Syracuse, held out until 878 and the Greek city ofTaorminafell in 962. It was not until 965 that all of Sicily was conquered by theArabs.In the 11th-century Byzantine armies carried out a partial reconquest of the island underGeorge Maniakes, but it was theirNormanmercenaries who would eventually complete the island's reconquest at the end of the century.
The language spoken in Sicily under Arab rule wasSiculo-ArabicandArabic influenceis present in some Sicilian words today. Although long extinct in Sicily, the language has developed into what is now theMaltese languageon the islands ofMaltatoday.
A description ofPalermowas given byIbn Hawqal, anArab merchantwho visited Sicily in 950. A walled suburb, called the Al-Kasr (the palace), is the centre of Palermo to this day, with the great Friday mosque on the site of the later Roman cathedral. The suburb of al-Khalisa (modernKalsa) contained theSultan's palace, baths, a mosque, government offices, and a private prison.Ibn Hawqalestimated there were 7,000 butchers trading in 150 shops. The Muslim rule introduced lemons, oranges and sugar cane, as well as cotton and mulberries for sericulture, and introduced theQanatto improve irrigation systems for agriculture.Around 1050, the western half of Sicily was ethnically and culturally distinct from central and eastern Sicily. During this time, there was also a small Jewish presence in Sicily, evidence seen in the catacombs discovered on the island.
Palermo was initially ruled by theAghlabids; later it was the centre of the Emirate of Sicily, which was under the nominal suzerainty of theFatimid Caliphate.During the reign of this dynasty revolts by Byzantine Sicilians continuously occurred especially in the east where Greek-speaking Christians predominated. Parts of the island were re-occupied before revolts were quashed. Under the Arab rule the island was divided inthree administrative regions, or "vals", roughly corresponding to the three "points" of Sicily:Val di Mazarain the west;Val Demonein the northeast; andVal di Notoin the southeast. Asdhimmis, that is as members of a protected class of approved monotheists, theEastern Orthodox Christianswere allowedfreedom of religion, but had to pay a tax, thejizya(in lieu of the obligatory alms tax, thezakat, paid by Muslims), and were restricted from active participation in public affairs. By the 11th century, theEmirate of Sicilybegan to fragment as intra-dynastic quarreling fractured the Muslim government.
In 1038, seventy years after losing their last cities in Sicily, the Byzantines under the Greek generalGeorge Maniakesinvaded the island together with theirVarangianandNormanmercenaries. Maniakes was killed in a Byzantine civil war in 1043 before completing a reconquest and the Byzantines withdrew. Later the Normans invaded in 1061 and after takingApuliaandCalabria,Roger IoccupiedMessinawith an army of 700 knights.In 1068, Roger I was victorious atMisilmeri. Most crucial was the siege of Palermo, whose fall in 1071 eventually resulted in all Sicily coming under Norman control.The conquest was completed in 1091 when they capturedNotothe last Arab stronghold. Palermo continued to be the capital under theNormans. The Normans formed a small but violent ruling class. They destroyed many of the Arab towns in Sicily, and very few physical remains survive from the Arab era.
The NormanHauteville familyappreciated and admired the rich and layered culture in which they now found themselves. They also introduced into Sicily their own culture, customs, and politics fromNormandy. Many Normans in Sicily adopted the habits and comportment of Muslim rulers and their Byzantine subjects in dress, language, literature, even to the extent of having palaceeunuchsand, according to some accounts, a harem.
While Roger I died in 1101, his wifeAdelaideruled until 1112 when their sonRoger II of Sicilycame of age.Having succeeded his brotherSimonas Count of Sicily, Roger II was ultimately able to raise the status of the island to a kingdom in 1130, along with his other holdings, which included theMaltese Islandsand the Duchies ofApuliaandCalabria.
Roger II appointed the powerful GreekGeorge of Antiochto be his "emir of emirs" and continued the syncretism of his father. 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 theKingdom of England.
The court of Roger II became the most luminous centre of culture in the Mediterranean, both from Europe and the Middle East, like the multi-ethnicCaliphate of Córdoba, then only just eclipsed. This attracted scholars, scientists, poets, artists, and artisans of all kinds. Laws were issued in the language of the community to whom they were addressed in Norman Sicily, at the time when the culture was still heavily Arab and Greek.Governance was by rule of law which promoted justice. Muslims, Jews,Byzantine Greeks, Lombards, and Normans worked together fairly amicably. During this time many extraordinary buildings were constructed.
However this situation changed as the Normans imported immigrants fromNormandy,England, Lombardy, Piedmont, Provence andCampaniato secure the island. Linguistically, the island shifted from being one-third Greek- and two-thirds Arabic-speaking at the time of the Norman conquest to becoming fullyLatinised.In terms of religion the island became completely Roman Catholic (bearing in mind that until 1054 the Churches owing allegiance to the Pope and the Patriarch of Constantinople belonged to one Church); Sicily before the Norman conquest was under the Eastern Orthodox Patriarch.After Pope Innocent III made him Papal Legate in 1098, Roger I created several Catholic bishoprics while still allowing the construction of 12 Greek-speaking monasteries (the Greek language, monasteries, and 1500 parishes continued to exist until the adherents of the Greek Rite were forced in 1585 to convert to Catholicism or leave; a small pocket of Greek-speakers still live in Messina).
After a century, the NormanHautevilledynasty died out; the last direct descendant and heir of Roger II,Constance, marriedEmperor Henry VI.This eventually led to the crown of Sicily being passed to theHohenstaufendynasty, who were Germans fromSwabia. The last of the Hohenstaufens,Frederick II, the only son ofConstance, was one of the greatest and most cultured men of the Middle Ages. His mother's will had askedPope Innocent IIIto undertake the guardianship of her son.  Frederick was four when atPalermo, he was crownedKing of Sicilyin 1198. Frederick received no systematic education and was allowed to run free in the streets ofPalermo. There he picked up the many languages he heard spoken, such as Arabic and Greek, and learned some of the lore of the Jewish community. At age twelve, he dismissed Innocent's deputy regent and took over the government; at fifteen he marriedConstance of Aragon, and began his reclamation of the imperial crown. Subsequently, due to Muslim rebellions, Frederick II destroyed the remaining Muslim presence in Sicily, estimated at 60,000 people, moving all to the city of Lucera in Apulia between 1221 and 1226.
Conflict between the Hohenstaufen house and thePapacyled, in 1266, toPope Innocent IVcrowning theFrench princeCharles,count of AnjouandProvence, as the king of both Sicily and Naples.
Strong opposition to French officialdom due to mistreatment and taxation saw the local peoples of Sicily rise up, leading in 1282 to aninsurrectionknown as theWar of the Sicilian Vespers, which eventually saw almost the entire French population on the island killed.During the war, the Sicilians turned toPeter 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, who, however, retained control of theKingdom of Naples. A crusade was launched in August 1283 against Peter III and the Crown of Aragon byPope Martin IV(a pope fromÎle-de-France), but it failed. The wars continued until thepeace of Caltabellottain 1302, which saw Peter's sonFrederick IIIrecognized as the king of the Isle of Sicily, whileCharles IIwas recognized as the king of Naples byPope Boniface VIII.Sicily was ruled as an independent kingdom by relatives of the kings of Aragon until 1409 and then as part of theCrown of Aragon.
In October 1347, in Messina, Sicily, theBlack Deathfirst arrived in Europe.
Between the 15th and 18th centuries, waves ofGreeksfrom thePeloponnese(such as theManiots) andArvanitesmigrated to Sicily in large numbers to escape persecution after theOttoman conquest of the Peloponnese. They brought with themEastern Orthodoxyas well as theGreekandArvanitikalanguages, once again adding onto the extensiveByzantine/Greekinfluence.
The onset of theSpanish Inquisitionin 1492 led toFerdinand IIdecreeing the expulsion of all Jews from Sicily.The eastern part of the island was hit by destructive earthquakes in 1542 and 1693. Just a few years before the latter earthquake, the island was struck by aplague.Theearthquake in 1693took an estimated 60,000 lives.There were revolts during the 17th century, but these were quelled with force, especially the revolts of Palermo and Messina.North Africanslave raidsdiscouraged settlement along the coast until the 19th century.TheTreaty of Utrechtin 1713 saw Sicily assigned to theHouse of Savoy; however, this period of rule lasted only seven years, as it was exchanged for the island ofSardiniawithEmperor Charles VIof the AustrianHabsburg Dynasty.
While the Austrians were concerned with theWar of the Polish Succession, aBourbonprince,Charlesfrom Spain was able to conquer Sicily and Naples.At first Sicily was able to remain as an independent kingdom underpersonal union, while the Bourbons ruled over both from Naples. However, the advent ofNapoleon'sFirst French Empiresaw Naples taken at theBattle of Campo Teneseand BonapartistKing of Napleswas installed.Ferdinand III, the Bourbon, was forced to retreat to Sicily which he was still in control of with the help ofBritish navalprotection.
Following this, Sicily joined theNapoleonic Wars, and subsequently the British underLord William Bentinckestablished a military and diplomatic presence on the island to protect against a French invasion. Sicilian volunteers joined the British military to form theRoyal Sicilian Regiment, which saw action at theBattle of Maidaand then transferred toIberia. After the wars were won, Sicily and Naples formally merged as theTwo Siciliesunder the Bourbons. Majorrevolutionarymovements occurred in 1820 and 1848 against the Bourbon government with Sicily seeking independence; the second of which, the1848 revolutionresulted in a short period of independence for Sicily. However, in 1849 the Bourbons retook control of the island and dominated it until 1860.
TheExpedition of the Thousandled byGiuseppe Garibaldicaptured Sicily in 1860, as part of theRisorgimento.The conquest started atMarsala, and native Sicilians joined him in the capture of the southern Italian peninsula. Garibaldi's march was completed with thesiege of Gaeta, where the finalBourbonswere expelled and Garibaldi announced his dictatorship in the name ofVictor Emmanuel IIofKingdom of Sardinia.Sicily became part of the Kingdom of Sardinia after a referendum in which more than 75% of Sicily voted in favour of the annexation on 21 October 1860 (although not everyone was allowed to vote). As a result of theproclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, Sicily became part of the kingdom on 17 March 1861.
The Sicilian economy (and the widermezzogiornoeconomy) remained relatively underdeveloped after theItalian unification, in spite of the strong investments made by theKingdom of Italyin terms of modern infrastructure, and this caused an unprecedentedwave of emigration.In 1894, organisations of workers and peasants known as theFasci Sicilianiprotested against the bad social and economic conditions of the island, but they were suppressed in a few days.
This period was also characterized by the first contact between theSicilian Mafia(the crime syndicate also known as Cosa Nostra) and the Italian government. The Mafia's origins are still uncertain, but it is generally accepted that it emerged in the 18th century initially in the role of private enforcers hired to protect the property of landowners and merchants from the groups ofbrigantiwho frequently pillaged the countryside and towns. The battle against the Mafia made by the Kingdom of Italy was controversial and ambiguous. TheCarabinieri(the military police of Italy) and sometimes theRoyal Italian Armywere often involved in fights against the mafia members, but their efforts were frequently useless because of the weakness of the Italian judicial system and cooperation between the mafia and local governments.
TheMessina earthquakeof 28 December 1908 killed more than 80,000 people.
In the 1920s, theFascistregime began taking stronger military action, led byCesare Mori(nicknamed the "IronPrefect" for his iron-fisted campaigns), against the Sicilian Mafia, the first that ended with considerable success.There was anAllied invasion of Sicilyduring World War II starting on 10 July 1943. In preparation for the invasion, the Alliesrevitalisedthe Mafia to aid them. The invasion of Sicily contributed to the25 July crisis; in general, the Allied victors were warmly embraced by Sicily.
In the aftermath of World War II, Italybecame a Republicin 1946. Under theConstitution of Italy, Sicily is one of fiveregionswithautonomy.Both the partial Italianland reformand special funding from the Italian government'sCassa per il Mezzogiorno(Fund for the South) from 1950 to 1984 helped the Sicilian economy. During this period, the economic and social condition of the island was generally improved due to investments in infrastructure (such asmotorwaysandairports) and the creation of industrial and commercial areas.In the 1980s, the Mafia was weakened by another campaign led by magistratesGiovanni FalconeandPaolo Borsellino.Between 1990 and 2005, theunemployment ratefell from about 23% to 11%.
The Cosa Nostra has traditionally been the most powerful group in Sicily, especially around Palermo.A police investigation in summer 2019 also confirmed strong links between the Palermo areaSicilian Mafiaand American organized crime, particularly theGambino crime family.According toLa Repubblica, "Off they go, through the streets of Passo di Rigano, Boccadifalco, Torretta and at the same time, Brooklyn, Staten Island, [and] New Jersey. Because from Sicily to the US, the old mafia has returned."
As of 2024, 4.75 million people live in Sicily, making it thefourth most populated region in Italy. In the first century after theItalian unification, Sicily had one of the most negativenet migration ratesamong the regions of Italy because of the emigration of millions of people to Northern Italy, other European countries, North America, South America and Australia. Like the South of Italy and Sardinia, immigration to the island is very low compared to other regions of Italy because workers tend to head toNorthern Italyinstead, due to better employment and industrial opportunities. According toISTATfigures from 2017,show around 175,000 immigrants out of the total 5,029,615 population;Romanianswith more than 50,000 make up the most immigrants, followed byTunisians,Moroccans,Sri Lankans,Albanians, and others mostly from Eastern Europe.As of 31 December 2020, there were 186,195 foreigners resident in the region.As in the rest of Italy, the official language is Italian and the primary religion isRoman Catholicism.
Sicilian emigration started shortly after theItalian unificationand has not stopped ever since.
The aforementioned factors, along with a failed land reform, resulted in a never-before-seen wave of Sicilians emigrating, first to theUnited Statesbetween the 1880s and the 1920s, later to Northern Italy, and from the 1960s onwards also toBelgium,France,Germany,Switzerland, as well asAustraliaandSouth America.
Today, Sicily is the Italian region with the highest number ofexpatriates: as of 2017, 750,000 Sicilians, 14.4% of the island's population, lived abroad.For lack of employment, every year many Sicilians, especially young graduates, still leave the island to seek jobs abroad.Today, an estimated 10 million people of Sicilian origin live around the world.
These are the ten largest cities of Sicily:
As in most Italian regions,Roman Catholicismis the predominant religious denomination in Sicily, and the church still plays an important role in the lives of most people. There is also a notable small minority of Eastern-riteByzantine Catholicswhich has a mixed congregation of ethnicAlbanians; it is operated by theItalo-Albanian Catholic Church. Most people still attend church weekly or at least for religious festivals, and many people get married in churches. There was a wide presence of Jews in Sicily 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 theAshkenazi Jews.However, much of the Jewish community faded away when they wereexpelled from the islandin 1492.Islamwas present during theEmirate of Sicily, although Muslims were also expelled. Today, mostly due to immigration to the island, there are also several religious minorities, such as Jehovah's Witnesses,Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, andSikhism. There are also a someEvangelical Christianswho live on the island. As of 2020, there are approximately 4,989,921 Roman Catholics in Sicily constituting about 99.2% of the island's population. Additionally there are also about 23,120 members of theItalo-Albanian Catholic Churchalso living in Sicily constituting roughly 0.5% of the population.
The politics of Sicily takes place in a framework of apresidentialrepresentative democracy, whereby the President of Regional Government is thehead of government, and of a pluriformmulti-party system.Executive poweris exercised by the Regional Government.Legislative poweris vested in both the government and theSicilian Regional Assembly. The capital of Sicily isPalermo.
Traditionally, Sicily votes for centre-right parties during elections.From 1943 to 1951, there was also aseparatistpolitical party calledSicilian Independence Movement(Movimento Indipendentista Siciliano, MIS). Their most successful result was at the1946 general election, when MIS obtained 0.7% of national votes (8.8% of votes in Sicily), and four seats. However, the movement lost all their seats following the1948 general electionand the 1951 regional election. Even though it has never been formally disbanded, today the movement is no longer part of thepolitics of Sicily. AfterWorld War II, Sicily became a stronghold of theChristian Democracy. Sicily is now governed by a centre-right coalition.Renato Schifaniis the current President and has served since 2022.
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: theAeolian Islands(Messina), isle ofUstica(Palermo),Aegadian Islands(Trapani), isle ofPantelleria(Trapani) andPelagian Islands(Agrigento).
Thanks to regular growth in recent years, Sicily is the eighth largest regional economy of Italy in terms of total GDP (seeList of Italian regions by GDP). A series of reforms and investments in agriculture, such as the introduction of modern irrigation systems, has made this important industry competitive.In the 1970s, some factories were opened, resulting in growth in theindustrial sector.In recent years theservice industryhas become more important due to the opening of several shopping malls and some modest growth in financial and telecommunication activities.Tourism is an important source of income for the island, which attracts visitors due to its rich natural and historical heritage. Today Sicily is investing a large amount of money into the development of itshospitality industry, to attract even more tourism.However, Sicily continues to have a GDP per capita below the Italian average, and higher unemployment than the rest of Italy.
Sicily has long been noted for its fertile soil, which is the result of past volcanic eruptions. The local agriculture is also helped by the pleasant climate of the island. The main agricultural products are wheat,citrons, oranges(Arancia Rossa di Sicilia IGP), lemons, tomatoes(Pomodoro di Pachino IGP),olives,olive oil,artichokes,prickly pear(Fico d'India dell'EtnaDOP),almonds,grapes,pistachios(Pistacchio diBronteDOP)and wine. Cattle and sheep are raised. The production of cheese is particularly important thanks to theRagusano DOPand thePecorino Siciliano DOP.Ragusais noted for itshoney(Miele Ibleo) and chocolate (Cioccolato di ModicaIGP) products.
Sicily is the third largest wine producer in Italy, afterVenetoandEmilia Romagna(and Italy is the world's largest wine producer).The region is known mainly for fortifiedMarsala wines. In recent decades the wine industry has improved, new winemakers are experimenting with less-well-known native varieties, and Sicilian wines have become better known.The best known local variety isNero d'Avolanamed afterAvola, a town not far fromSyracuse. Other important native varieties are:Nerello Mascalese, used to make theEtna Rosso DOC wine;Frappato, a component of theCerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG wine;Moscato di Pantelleria(also known asZibibbo), which is used to make differentPantelleriawines;Malvasia di Lipari, used for theMalvasia di Lipari DOC wine; andCatarratto, mostly used to make a white wine,Alcamo DOC. Furthermore, in Sicily, high-quality wines are also produced using non-native varieties likeSyrah,ChardonnayandMerlot.
Sicily is also known for its liqueurs, such asAmaro Averna, produced inCaltanissetta, and the locallimoncello.
Fishing is another fundamental resource for Sicily. It has importanttuna,sardine,swordfishandEuropean anchovyfisheries.Mazara del Vallois the largest fishing centre in Sicily and one of the most important in Italy.
Improvements in Sicily's road system have helped to promote industrial development. The region has three importantindustrial districts:
InPalermothere are importantshipyards(such asFincantieri),mechanicalfactories of famous Italian companies asAnsaldo Breda, publishing and textile industries.Chemical industriesare also in theProvince of Messina(Milazzo) and in theProvince of Caltanissetta(Gela).There are petroleum, natural gas andasphaltfields in the Southeast (mostly nearRagusa) and massive deposits ofhalitein Central Sicily.TheProvince of Trapaniis one of the largestsea saltproducers in Italy.
Sicily's GDP (nominal and per capita) growth between 2000 and 2008 was as follows:
Sectors of the Sicilian economy in 2006:
The unemployment rate was 21.5% in 2018 and was one of the highest in Italy and Europe.
Highways have been built and expanded in the last four decades. The most prominent Sicilian roads are the motorways (known asautostrade) in the north of the island. Much of the motorway network is elevated on pillars due to the island's mountainous terrain.Other main roads in Sicily are theStrade Statali, such as the SS.113 that connectsTrapanito Messina (via Palermo), the SS.114 Messina-Syracuse(via Catania) and the SS.115 Syracuse-Trapani (viaRagusa,GelaandAgrigento).
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 byTrenitalia. Of the 1,378 km (856 mi) of railway tracks in use, over 60% has beenelectrifiedwhilst the remaining 583 km (362 mi) are serviced bydieselengines. 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), which are the main lines of this region. Of thenarrow-gauge railwaystheFerrovia Circumetneais the only one that still operates, going roundMount Etna. From the major cities of Sicily, there are services toNaples,RomeandMilan; this is achieved by the trains being loaded ontoferrieswhich cross the Strait.
InCataniathere is anunderground railwayservice (metropolitana di Catania); inPalermothe national railway operatorTrenitaliaoperates acommuter rail(Palermo metropolitan railway service), the Sicilian Capital is also served by 4 AMAT (Comunal Public Transport Operator) tramlines;Messinais served by atramline.
Sicily has several airports that serve numerous Italian and European destinations and some extra-European.
By sea, Sicily is served by several ferry routes and cargo ports, and in all major cities, cruise ships dock on a regular basis.
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 longestsuspension bridge, theStrait of Messina Bridge. Planning for the project has experienced several false starts over the past few decades. On 6 March 2009,Silvio Berlusconi's government declared that the construction works for the Messina Bridge would begin on 23 December 2009, and announced a pledge of €1.3 billion as a contribution to the bridge's total cost, estimated at €6.1 billion.The plan has been criticized by environmental associations and some local Sicilians and Calabrians, concerned with its environmental impact, economic sustainability and even possible infiltrations by organized crime.
Sicily's sunny, dry climate, scenery, cuisine, history, and architecture attract many tourists from the rest of  Italy and abroad. The tourist season peaks in the summer months, although people visit the island all year round.Mount Etna, the beaches, the archaeological sites, and major cities such asPalermo,Catania,SyracuseandRagusaare the favourite tourist destinations, but the old town ofTaorminaand the neighbouring seaside resort ofGiardini Naxosdraw visitors from all over the world, as do theAeolian Islands,Erice,Terrasini,Castellammare del Golfo,Cefalù,Agrigento, thePelagie IslandsandCapo d'Orlando. The last 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.
Some scenes of several Hollywood andCinecittàfilms were shot in Sicily. This increased the attraction of Sicily as a tourist destination.
There are sevenUNESCO World Heritage Siteson Sicily. By the order of inscription:
Because many different cultures settled, dominated or invaded the island, Sicily has a huge variety ofarchaeological sites. Also, some of the most notable and best preserved temples and other structures of the Greek world are located in Sicily.Here is a short list of the major archaeological sites:
The excavation and restoration of one of Sicily's best known archaeological sites, theValley of the Templesin Agrigento, was at the direction of the archaeologistDomenico Antonio Lo Faso Pietrasanta, Fifth Duke ofSerradifalco, known in archaeological circles simply as"Serradifalco". He also oversaw the restoration of ancient sites atSegesta,Selinunte,SiracusaandTaormina.
In Sicily there are hundreds of castles, the most relevant are:
The Coastal towers in Sicily (Torri costiere della Sicilia) are 218 oldwatchtowersalong the coast. In Sicily, the first coastal towers date back to the late Norman period. From 1360 the threat came from the south, fromNorth AfricatoMaghreb, mainly toBarbary piratesand corsairs ofBarbary Coast. In 1516, the Turks settled inAlgiers, and from 1520, the corsairHayreddin Barbarossaunder the command ofOttoman Empire, operated from that harbour.
Most existing towers were built on architectural designs of the Florentine architectCamillo Camillianifrom [1583] to 1584 and involved the coastal periple of Sicily. The typology changed completely in '800, because of the new higher fire volumes of cannon vessels, the towers were built on the type ofMartello towersthat the British built in the UK and elsewhere in the British Empire. The decline of Mediterranean piracy caused by theSecond Barbary Warled to a smaller number of coastal towers built during the 19th century.
Sicily has many small and picturesque villages; 24 of them have been selected byI Borghi più belli d'Italia(English:The most beautiful Villages of Italy),a non-profit private association of small Italian towns of strong historical and artistic interest,that was founded on the initiative of the Tourism Council of the National Association of Italian Municipalities.
Sicily has long been associated withthe arts; many poets, writers,philosophers, intellectuals, architects and painters have roots on the island. Among the earliest illuminaries there areGorgiasandEmpedocles, two highly noted Sicilian-Greek philosophers, while the Syracusan-GreekEpicharmusis held to be the inventor of comedy.One of the most famous intellectuals in Greek antiquity wasArchimedes, aSyracusenative who is recognized as one of the greatest mathematicians of all time.
Baglio are traditional living structures in Western Sicily.
Terracottaceramicsfrom the island are well known, the art of ceramics on Sicily goes back to the original ancient peoples named theSicanians, it was then perfected during the period of Greek colonisation and is still prominent and distinct to this day.Nowadays,Caltagironeis one of the most important centres in Sicily for the artistic production of ceramics and terra-cotta sculptures. Famous painters includeRenaissanceartistAntonello da Messina,Pietro Novelli,Bruno Caruso,Renato Guttusoand Greek bornGiorgio de Chiricowho is commonly dubbed the "father ofSurrealist art" and founder of themetaphysical artmovement.The most noted architects areFilippo Juvarra(one of the most important figures of the ItalianBaroque) andErnesto Basile.
TheSicilian Baroquehas a unique architectural identity.Noto,Caltagirone,Catania,Ragusa,Modica,Scicliand particularlyAcirealecontain some of Italy's best examples ofBaroque architecture, carved in the local redsandstone. 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, andpalazzibuilt as private residences for the Sicilian aristocracy.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, andNaples. 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 has a unique freedom of design that is difficult to characterize in words.
Palermohosts theTeatro Massimowhich is the largestopera housein Italy and the third largest in all of Europe.InCataniathere is another importantopera house, theTeatro Massimo Belliniwith 1,200 seats, which is considered one of the best Europeanopera housesfor its acoustics. Sicily's composers vary fromVincenzo Bellini,Sigismondo d'India,Giovanni PaciniandAlessandro Scarlatti, to contemporary composers such asSalvatore SciarrinoandSilvio Amato.
Many films of Italian cinema have been filmed in Sicily, amongst the most noted of which are:Visconti's"La Terra Trema"and"Il Gattopardo",Pietro Germi's"Divorzio all'Italiana" and"Sedotta e Abbandonata",Tornatore's"Cinema Paradiso".
The annualTaormina Film Festtakes places inTaormina.
The golden age of Sicilian poetry began in the early 13th century with theSicilian SchoolofGiacomo da Lentini, which was highly influential onItalian literature. Some of the most noted figures among writers and poets areLuigi Pirandello(Nobel laureate, 1934),Salvatore Quasimodo(Nobel laureate, 1959),Giovanni Verga(the father of theItalianVerismo),Domenico Tempio,Giovanni Meli,Luigi Capuana,Mario Rapisardi,Federico de Roberto,Leonardo Sciascia,Vitaliano Brancati,Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa,Elio Vittorini,Vincenzo ConsoloandAndrea Camilleri(noted for his novels and short stories with the fictional characterInspector Salvo Montalbanoas protagonist). On the political side notable philosophers includeGaetano MoscaandGiovanni Gentilewho wroteThe Doctrine of Fascism.
Today, in Sicily, most people are bilingual and speak bothItalianandSicilian, aRomance languagedistinct from Italian. SomeSicilianwords areloanwordsfromGreek,Catalan,Norman, French,Arabic, Spanish and other languages.Varieties related to Sicilian are also spoken inCalabriaandSalento.Nowadays, the use ofSicilianis limited to informal contexts (mostly in family) and in a majority of cases it is replaced by the so-calledregional Italianof Sicily, a variety of Italian that is influenced by Sicilian.Sicilian had a significant influence on theMaltese language.
Sicilian 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 ofFrederick IIand his court of notaries, orMagna Curia, which, headed byGiacomo da Lentini, also gave birth to theSicilian School, widely inspired bytroubadourliterature. Its linguistic and poetic heritage was later assimilated into the literary Florentine dialect use byDante Alighieri, the father of modern Italian. Dante, in hisDe vulgari eloquentia, claims that "In effect, this vernacular seems to deserve higher praise than the others since all the poetry written by Italians can be called Sicilian".It is in this language that appeared the firstsonnet, whose invention is attributed to Giacomo da Lentini himself.
Other languages are spoken in Sicily. Within theprovince of Palermo, four towns are home to speakers ofArbëreshvarieties.Arbëresh is the name given to varieties ofAlbanianspoken in Italy. In the eastern part of the island, there areGallo-Italicvarieties known asGallo-Italic of Sicily,which are related to the other Gallo-Italic languages spoken in most of northern Italy and in other isolated pockets of southern Italy.
Cataniahas one of the four laboratories of theIstituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare(National Institute for Nuclear Physics) in which there is acyclotronthat usesprotonsboth fornuclear physicsexperiments and for particle therapy to treat cancer (proton therapy).Notohas one of the largestradio telescopesin Italy that performs geodetic and astronomical observations.There areobservatoriesinPalermoand Catania, managed by theIstituto Nazionale di Astrofisica(National Institute for Astrophysics). In theObservatory of Palermothe astronomerGiuseppe Piazzidiscovered the first and the largestasteroidto be identifiedCeres(today considered adwarf planet) on 1 January 1801;Catania has two observatories, one of which is situated onMount Etnaat 1,800 metres (5,900feet).
Syracuseis also an experimental centre for solar technologies through the creation of the projectArchimede solar power plantthat is the firstconcentrated solar power plantto usemolten saltfor heat transfer and storage which is integrated with acombined-cyclegas facility. All the plant is owned and operated byEnel.The touristic town ofEriceis also an important science place thanks to theEttore Majorana Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culturewhich
embraces 123 schools from all over the world, covering all branches of science, offering courses, seminars, workshops, and annual meetings. It was founded by the physicistAntonino Zichichiin honour of another scientist of the island,Ettore Majoranaknown for theMajorana equationandMajorana fermions.Sicily's famous scientists also includeStanislao Cannizzaro(chemist),Giovanni Battista HodiernaandNiccolò Cacciatore(astronomers).
Sicily has four universities:
The island has a long history of producing a variety of noted cuisines and wines, to the extent that Sicily is sometimes nicknamedGod's Kitchenbecause of this.Every part of Sicily has its speciality (e.g. Cassata is typical of Palermo although available everywhere in Sicily, as is Granita). The ingredients are typically rich in taste while remaining affordable to the general public.The savoury dishes of Sicily are viewed to behealthy, using fresh vegetables and fruits, such as tomatoes,artichokes,olives(includingolive oil),citrus,apricots,aubergines, onions,beans,raisinscommonly coupled with seafood, freshly caught from the surrounding coastlines, includingtuna,sea bream,sea bass,cuttlefish,swordfish,sardines, and others.
The most well-known part of Sicilian cuisine is the rich sweet dishes includingice creamsandpastries.Cannoli(singular:cannolo), a tube-shaped shell of fried pastry dough filled with a sweet filling usually containingricotta, is strongly associated with Sicily worldwide.Biancomangiare, biscotti ennesi (cookies native toEnna), braccilatte (a Sicilian version ofdoughnuts),buccellato,ciarduna,pignoli,Biscotti Regina,giurgiulena,frutta martorana,cassata,pignolata,granita,cuccidati(a variety of fig cookie; also known as buccellati) andcuccìaare some notable sweet dishes.
Like the cuisine of the rest of southern Italy, pasta plays an important part in Sicilian cuisine, as does rice; for example witharancini.As well as using some other cheeses, Sicily has spawned some of its own, using both cow's and sheep's milk, such aspecorinoandcaciocavallo.Spices used includesaffron,nutmeg,clove,pepper, andcinnamon, which were introduced by the Arabs.Parsleyis used abundantly in many dishes. Although Sicilian cuisine is commonly associated with sea food, meat dishes, includinggoose,lamb, goat, rabbit, andturkey, are also found in Sicily. It was theNormansandSwabianswho first introduced a fondness for meat dishes to the island.Some varieties of wine are produced from vines that are relatively unique to the island, such as theNero d'Avolamade near the baroque town ofNoto.
The most popular sport in Sicily isfootball, which came to the fore in the late 19th century under the influence of the English. Some of the oldest football clubs in Italy are from Sicily: the three most successful arePalermo,Catania, andMessina, which have played 29, 17 and 5 seasons in theSerie Arespectively. No club from Sicily has ever won Serie A, but football is still deeply embedded in local culture and all over Sicily most towns have a representative team.
Palermo and Catania have a heated rivalry and compete in theSicilian derbytogether. Palermo is the only team in Sicily to have played on the European stage, in theUEFA Cup. In the island, the most noted footballer isSalvatore Schillaci, who won theGolden Bootat the1990 FIFA World CupwithItaly.Other noted players includeGiuseppe Furino,Pietro Anastasi,Francesco Coco,Christian Riganò, andRoberto Galia.There have also been some noted managers from the island, such asCarmelo Di BellaandFranco Scoglio.
Although football is the most popular sport in Sicily, the island also has participants in other fields.Amatori Cataniahave competed in the top Italian nationalrugby unionleague calledNational Championship of Excellence. They have even participated at the European level in theEuropean Challenge Cup. Competing in the basketball variation ofSerie AisOrlandina BasketfromCapo d'Orlandoin theprovince of Messina, where the sport has a reasonable following. Various other sports that are played to some extent include volleyball,handball, andwater polo. Previously, inmotorsport, Sicily held the prominentTarga Floriosports car race that took place in the Madonie Mountains, with the start-finish line inCerda.The event was started in 1906 by Sicilian industrialist and automobile enthusiastVincenzo Florio, and ran until it was canceled due to safety concerns in 1977.
From 28 September to 9 October 2005Trapaniwas the location of Acts 8 and 9 of theLouis Vuitton Cup. This sailing race featured, among other entrants, all boats that took part in the 2007America's Cup.
Each town and city has its own patron saint, and thefeast daysare marked by colourful processions through the streets with marching bands and displays of fireworks.
Sicilian religious festivals also include thepresepe vivente(livingnativity 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 onEpiphany, often highlighted by the arrival of themagion 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 orpiazzawhere live music and dancing are performed on stage, and food fairs orsagreare 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 notedsagrais theSagra del CarciofoorArtichokeFestival, which is held annually inRamaccain April. The most important traditional event in Sicily is thecarnival. Famous carnivals are inAcireale,Misterbianco,Regalbuto,Paternò,Sciacca,Termini Imerese.
TheOpera dei Pupi(Opera of the Puppets;Sicilian: Òpira dî pupi) is amarionettetheatrical representation of Frankish romantic poems such as theSong of RolandorOrlando furiosothat is one of the characteristic cultural traditions of Sicily. The sides of donkey carts are decorated with intricate, painted scenes; these same tales are enacted in traditionalpuppet theatresfeaturing hand-made marionettes of wood. The opera of the puppets and the Sicilian tradition ofcantastorî(singers of tales) are rooted in the Provençaltroubadourtradition in Sicily during the reign ofFrederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, in the first half of the 13th century. A great place to see this marionette art is the puppet theatres ofPalermo. The Sicilian marionette theatre Opera dei Pupi was proclaimed in 2001 and inscribed in 2008 in theUNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.
Today, there are only a few troupes that maintain the tradition. They often perform for tourists. However, there are no longer the great historical families of marionettists, such as the Greco ofPalermo; theCaninoofPartinicoandAlcamo; Crimi, Trombetta and Napoli ofCatania, Pennisi and Macri ofAcireale, Profeta ofLicata, Gargano and Grasso ofAgrigento. One can, however, admire the richest collection of marionettes at the Museo Internazionale delle Marionette Antonio Pasqualino and at theMuseo Etnografico Siciliano Giuseppe Pitrèin Palermo. Other elaborate marionettes are on display at the Museo Civico Vagliasindi inRandazzo.
TheSicilian cartis an ornate, colourful style of a horse- or donkey-drawn cart native to Sicily. Sicilian woodcarverGeorge Petraliastates 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.The cart has two wheels and is primarily handmade out of wood with iron components.
The Siciliancoppolais a traditional kind offlat captypically worn by men in Sicily. First used by English nobles during the late 18th century, thetascubegan being used in Sicily in the early 20th century as adriving cap, usually worn by car drivers. Thecoppolais usually made intweed. Today it is widely regarded as a definitive symbol of Sicilian heritage.
TheFlag of Sicily, regarded as a regional icon, was first adopted in 1282, after theSicilian VespersofPalermo.It is characterised by the presence of thetriskelesin the middle, depicting the head ofMedusaand three wheat ears representing the extreme fertility of the land of Sicily. In early mythology, when Medusa was slain and beheaded by Perseus, the Medusa head was placed in the centre of Athena's shield.
Palermo and Corleone were the first two cities to found a confederation against theAngevinrule. The triskeles symbol came to be on the Sicilian flag in 1943 duringWorld War IIwhenAndrea Finocchiaro Aprileled an independence movement, in collaboration with the allies. Their plan was to help Sicily become independent and form a free republic. The colours, likewise introduced in the 1940s, respectively represent the cities ofPalermoandCorleone. The separatist behind the movement used a yellow and red flag with the Trinacria in the centre of it. WhenWorld War IIended, Sicily was recognized as an autonomous region in the Italian Republic.
The flag became the official public flag of theRegione Sicilianain January 2000, after the passing of an apposite regional law which advocates its use on public buildings, schools and city halls along with the nationalItalian flagand theEuropeanone.
Familiar as an ancient symbol of the region, theTriskelionis also featured on Greek coins ofSyracuse, such as coins ofAgathocles(317–289 BC).The symbol dates back to when Sicily was part ofMagna Graecia, the colonial extension ofGreecebeyond theAegean.The triskelion was revived, as aneoclassic– and non-Bourbon– emblem for the new Napoleonic Kingdom of theTwo Sicilies, byJoachim Muratin 1808. In the case of Sicily, the triskelion symbol is said to represent the threecapes(headlandsorpromontoriesof the island of Sicily, namely:Pelorus(Peloro, Tip of Faro, Messina: North-East);Pachynus(Passero, Syracuse: South); andLilybæum(Lilibeo, Cape Boeo, Marsala: West), which form three points of a triangle.