Italy's biggest island, Sicily, not only offers breathtaking coasts, but also a number of mountain ranges for the enjoyment of tourists. Among the most prominent ones are Mount Etna, Madonie Mountains, Nebrodi Mountains and Hyblaean Mountains. Each range offers its own unique attraction. For example, Mount Etna, Sicily's highest peak at an estimate of 3,350 metres, offers the view of an active stratovolcano and unique kaleidoscope of flora and fauna colours. Watch the golden eagle take flight, foxes, hedgehogs and other small animals scurry past on Mountain Sicily. A bit further away in the town of Taormina lies a hilltop castle, Castelmola that provides a breathtaking view of the sea. For those who love hiking, don't miss visiting Nebrodi Mountains, a part from various hiking trails, Nebrodi also offers a National Park. Endangered flora like the manna ash and Sicilian Fir can be found on Madonie Mountains. For a view of the canyon, Cavagrande Cassibile and unique square limestone necropolis, Pantalica, go to Hyblaean Mountains. While you are there, do visit Modica to sample the dark, granular structured Modica chocolate, which is pure and made in typical Aztec style.
With the Christmas just around the corner, many families are preparing themselves on how and where to spend their Christmas festivities. Here in Sicily we are ready to give you the atmosphere that will make your Christmas intriguing.Being the largest island in Mediterranean coupled with its strategic location, the holiday spend in Sicily is indeed one in a lifetime event. Here in Sicily Christmas starts from 24 December (Christmas Eve) throughout to 6th January (Epiphany). The most fascinating thing about spending your Christmas in Sicily is the nativity scene. The "Presepe Vivente" is one of the most fascinating nativity scenes in this region.The religious ceremonies of the Sicilians people especially on Christmas times bring a relaxing and monotony breaking atmosphere in the region. The folkloristic celebrations, shows, fireworks, decorations and mesmerizing brands of music makes a tourist feel at home. The friendly nature of the Sicily people is incomparable, they are ready to let you learn their culture, social life and other things you might be interested. The Christmas celebrations usually start unofficially on late November.Tradition Sicilians are famed with their tradition which has been there since ancient times. The decoration of the Christmas tree and their homes marks the peak of the Christmas celebrations here. "Ceppo and Presepi" are the traditional decorations in this region. Ceppo (tree of light), a wooden frame is covered with sweets, fruits, pendants, candles and gifts while Presepi is a famous custom in Sicily. Being a nativity scene, Presepe is placed as a focal point in most churches, homes and other gathering places. Presepe Vivente is one of famous and best in Sicily Island.The Sicilians devote their Christmas day and Christmas Eve to family and food. In Sicily, meat is not allowed to be taken due to their staunch religious beliefs. However, fish is there in plenty especially at Christmas times. Another intriguing aspect of the Sicilian tradition is that children write letters to their parents to show how much they love them instead of asking presents from Santa by writing the letters. The letters are usually placed beneath their father’s plates and read once the Christmas Eve dinner is over. After Christmas Eve dinner, the presents are opened. Each member of the family pulls out from a large bowl a wrapped gift. All the presents are supposed to be distributed until the ornamental bowl is empty. After all the above aforementioned traditions are done, the Sicilians head to church to mark the day and time when Christ was born. This is characterized with praise songs and marks the peak of the celebrations.Christmas markets of SicilyTaormina is one of the famous Christmas markets in Sicily. The magical and thrilling atmosphere in the area has enchanted tourists who come here during Christmas year after year. The market is located at the hill of Monte Tauro. In this market you will not only be doing shopping but also you will be exposed to the most breathtaking, memorable and dramatic view of the Mediterranean Sea. The market has a wide variety of activities apart from the usual shopping. You will enjoy water sports like sailing, wind-surfing, fishing and among others. The market gives you a variety of things to shop plus the conducive environment. This is just one among the most fascinating and intriguing markets of Sicily.Why spend your Christmas in SicilyThe rich social and cultural diversity of the city is incomparable. The natural wonders found in Sicily are compellingly attractive coupled by the mild climate in the area. Spending your Christmas in Sicily will add an extra spice to your holiday and believe me you will never forget about it. The traditions and the foods are not only delicious but have a traditional touch which distinguishes it from the rest of the world. In fact a holiday spend in Sicily is sometimes said it’s a holiday spend on a different planet.
Sicily is a mere tiny island on the verge of Italy from its coast. The island happens to have captured attention of many visitors and tourists from Italy and the rest of the world. In Italy, it is also referred to as Sicilia. Sicily is one of the lands that have beautiful scenery and fascinating landmarks that attract many tourists. Visit it and you will enjoy the piece of your coin. Actually the countryside of Sicily is a mere paradise to new ones as visitors to it.Just looking at the appearance of physical landmarks, flora and fauna, breeze, and escalating slopes and hills many feel adding themselves. The rocks and stones blend well with reflecting water from the sea and the natural green color of the natural flora of the fertile island. Special features about Sicily Mount Etna is one of the volcanoes that many people wish to see by their bear eyes. Experiencing Mediterranean type of climate, Region Sicilia is well conversed to Mount Etna as its largest mark on land. It has a shape similar to that of a triangular object. This shape let to its nickname Trinacria that emanated from Greek duo: treis (three) and akra (promontory). The vineyards form another special feature of attraction. There are several farms with vines. The vineyards boost the work of green plants and forests by beautifying Sicily to the extent that aerial view may depict the meaning of green land. While moving in the rural areas of this country, you will realize that there are mining activities that go on here. One of them is sulphur. It is mined on the slopes of the mountains especially Etna. Limestone is the other mineral under the same process. You may visit mining areas to learn the process of mining. The voids created after these processes create depressions that form features of attraction. The region is in the center of the sea. This directly implies that it exhibits a Mediterranean climate. It is characterized by harsh and mild winters that are wet and misty. The summers are the reverse; they are hot and extremely dry. Region Sicilia hosts numerous rivers that serve their purpose of nature. The rivers drain the land and offers water for other basic use. They include rivers such as Simeto, Salso, Platani, Belice, Dittaino, Gornalunga, Gela, Salso Cimarosa and Torto.The rivers and hills form one of the basic attractions of the eye. They consume a big share of the total land. However, this does not hinder it from other essential productions. Most places are cultivated. Crucial places to visit There are several points that one may pick upon during formulation of the objectives of the trip. There are many fascinating features that both domestic and international visitors may consider touring during their visit to the island. Here is a list of the points that you have much to see when you tour the region: Palermo This is one of the most interesting places tourists have visited. In a year, the region receives about 2 million visitors. From these, a half of them land in Palermo first before proceeding to other destinations. The area is barely surrounded by gardens full of orange and lemon yards of the so called Conca D’Oro. It is a city of its kind characterized by the polychromatic marble on the designed buildings, domes of Arabic nature, and the famous Vucciria market.Erice and SelinutePerched on a mountain is another point of attraction called Erice. It is well known in its provisions of history on military elements of the island. At this place, you will be able to view the Punic walls that form part of evidence of military actions that were taken to defend the territory. It is great to go to the Cathedral of Erice and see the Gothic portal adorned. Missing to visit Erice should not discourage your passion for the tour. To meet your expectations, you may take on Selinunte as a special substitute for the same. It lies in the bank of River Belice. At this province, one will come across ruins of Tophet, Greek temples, Mothis isle, and Whitaker Museum of Archeology. Syracuse, Enna, Ragusa, and Catania are the other places you may decide to visit provided you have more time. There you will observe various crops and features formed after volcanic emissions. These prove that there is much to cover when you decide to take a tour on this island. What one requires to do is to pick upon the favorite places and provinces bearing in mind the mode of transport to apply and expenses to incur. Otherwise it is one of the best choices to make and fulfill your art of acquiring knowledge and fun.
The intriguing island of Sicily is Mediterranean’s largest island as well as the southern part of Italy. This island is best known for Mount Etna which is the largest active volcano in the entire region of Europe. Sicily being one of the pearls of southern Italy and can well be discovered, experienced and understood through a series of tours to not only to areas of nature but also to those of history and the island’s immense traditions and scrumptious delicacies. A visit to the Sicily you will not fail to notice the captivating nature’s endowment in the island ranging from hills, mountains and the sea with incredible colors and crystal clear waters. The great volcanoes and the other Mediterranean islands offer unique intense scenarios engulfing the vicinity with flavors and scents of uncontaminated nature. Sicily is home to a vivacious culinary tradition that mixes its local delicious produce with the cooking styles drawn from many foreign rulers ranging from Arabs to Byzantines, from Spanish to Normans who have ruled Sicily earlier. The delicious produce are products from the fertile plains and rolling hills of Sicily which seem to produce unlimited quantities of nut, vegetables, fresh fruits with the livestock in the region producing sweet cheeses and meat. The surrounding fishing grounds add to this wealth by providing a variety or marine delicacies which in no doubt can make just anyone to salivate. To round this up, Sicily is credited with producing some of the highly regarded new wines across Europe supplementing it long-renowned fruit drinks, ices and other digestives. If you intend to give Sicily’s great delicacies a taste, your tour should start from Palermo which is surrounded by oranges of lemon groves of the Conca D’Oro. This city is a site by itself owing to its polychromatic marble of its buildings. Other attractions include the richly decorated churches and archeological sites but while on this don’t fail to visit the vibrant and colorful Vucciria which is one of the famous markets in Palermo. Food is in plenty here ranging from fried fish everywhere with amazing ricotta-filled pastries among other delicacies which you wouldn’t possibly exhaust in a day’s visit. Starting with the setteveli, a seven layer cake that will leave you yearning for more are other foods such as the ricotta-filled cornetti, frittola, a sandwich made with meat bits and mostly covered in baskets and sold at the street corners. Have a taste of stigghiola which are calf or lamb intestines charcoal grilled at night on Palermo streets starting from 5 pm. Pane con Panelle, Pane ca’ Meusa, street fish which can be prepared as you watch and whole lot of other delicacies is what Palermo has to offer. A further visit to Agrigento which is also one of the beautiful cities in Sicily is a place that will overwhelm you with not only its spectacular views but also another experience of charming delicacies. These range from both land and sea foods including olives, salted anchovies, sun-dried potatoes, oil preserved vegetables, artichoke, peas and other fanciful appetizers which you will enjoy before getting to the main course meals available here. The renowned pasta dishes in this region are a good start for you not excluding cavatelli with eggplants and tomatoes or the bread beans with ricotta cottage cheese. While enjoying this Agrigento has on its menu baked goat, grilled sausages that are flavored with wild fennel, rabbit with seasonal vegetables flavors on the side as well as pork. Try the various fish based courses as you take the Sicilian pastries for dessert, these are great in both taste and color. Moving on to Messina you will enjoy its magical appearance under a limped sky and blue sea forming its background. Messina is surrounded by numerous islands with volcanic origins each with individual historical identity and while you enjoy the scenery you can taste the great local gastronomy majorly made from fish though prepared in different ways. Have a sword fish that is so delicious and can be prepared in a thousand different and equally appetizing ways. With this comes crustaceans and mussels’ sumptuous soup which you can alternatively take with spaghetti. Delicious grilled goat meat is always available and you could also have a taste of the local pastries, dairy products and cheese that is processed according to ancient tradition. Along the Nebrodi territory you will find honey, olive oil, berries, hazelnut and other delicacies and supplement all these with wine from Etna’s DOC wines, the Malvasia di Lipari and other distinctive citrus liqueurs. Other provinces in Sicily including Enna, Trapani and Ragusa are equally rich in a range of delicacies that will leave you with a memorable taste of these meals. For those interested in a purely wine drive then Sicily will definitely make you wish come true. You can visit different wineries where you will enjoy high quality wine beyond your expectations. Made from grapes and other constituents, you can watch the wine be processed as you enjoy a glass of the superb wine.
Sicily Island has given the world much to adore. It is the heart of Italian culture since the Greek colonization to the present days. The island endowed with diverse cultural, artistic, and monumental features attracts millions and millions of people across the globe to come and witness this amazing varied nature. Sicily has been Island rocked by political upheavals, struggle for power, and exulted in great splendidness and liberties. Its inhabitants, landscape, culture, and Sicily Art represent the impalpable spirit of Sicily Island The Top Ten Artistical and monumental attractions in Sicily:Greek Theater Syracuse Its design and architect makes the tourists marvel. It is one of the monuments, which the Greeks and Romans built. The monument was exclusively used for classic dramas during the ancient times. The wild animals slaughtered criminals and slaves here and most gladiatorial fights contested here. Syracuse is the top man-made structure on the Sicily island and can hold up to 15,000 people together with a good number of Roman amphitheatre. Its location and the surrounding makes it not only one of the greatest historical sites but also the outstanding monument in Sicily. Roman Art and monumentsDue to their little interest on Sicily, Roman arts are not as many as the Greek ones. During Diocletian reign, the Roman aristocracy acquired large pieces of land. The Romans with their magnificent art and architectural skills on how to use cement elected vaults, columns, and walls. This resulted to superb stone walls which are in fact one of the attractive sites in the island. The Roman villa such as Del Casale in Piazza Armerina remains an important place to view up to the present.Valley of the temples (Valle dei Templi) It is found on the southern parts of the Sicily near Agrigento town. It is located on a plateau near the Mediterranean Sea. Valley of temples is an extensive amalgamation of Greek ruins (valle dei Templi). The monuments and temples here are well-maintained and have extensive grounds, which are characterized by massive columns. The walking trail is the most fascinating feature. One can extensively tour the valley of temples on foot as long as you wear good shoes that are meant for walking. Visitors are however advised to come with a sun protection and a hat to protect them from the intense sunlight during the warmer periods due to limited shades in the area. With numerous temples in the area, one cannot get tired to experience the touch of extraordinary art combined with exclusive architectural skills to make this gorgeous temples. The main road that joins the temples act as the most convenient place one can walk on foot as he or she experiences the sight of valley of temples. Among the temples include; temple of Hercules (which makes the oldest temple). Temple of Hercules gives the sight of ruins, which were done during the ancient times and gets one wondering how life was during that time. Next is the temple of Hera (dates 450 BC), Temple of Concord, Temple of Jove, and Temple of Castor and Pollux. Palace of the Normans Palace of the Normans is heart and pinnacle of the Palermo city. Palace of the Normans is the top sights; the palace is a gigantic building built in the 11th century. The tourists who allowed in are restricted to some small sections. Palantine Chapel makes the Palace of Normans famous. The chapel was built by Roger II and represents the architectural skills of Normans, Byzantine, and Arabs. Though small, the chapel stands out as exceedingly beautiful. The royal apartments permit tourists/visitors to be guided in groups. The palace of Normans built on Phoenician settlements. Tourists with limited amount of time can take approximately one and a half hours to tour around the palace of the Normans. The palace is presently used as the seat of the Regional Assembly of the Sicilian. The Torre Gioaria (one of the two towers of the palace) is said to be the most exciting portion of the building. Dating back to 8th century, the Punic Foundations is recognized for being one of the ancient part of the structure. The feeling and experience of touring the Palace of the Normans is unimaginable and unexplainable and therefore one cannot accurately describe it accurately due to the gorgeous and memorable sites in this area. Imperial Roman Villa (Roman imperial) These Roman villas are endowed with attractive mosaic floors, making it exceedingly beautiful museum in the region. The spectacular mosaics are the most preserved and impressive in the world. Nobody can accurately describe the encounter one has to experience and therefore personal experience is the best. Make a tour to this place and you will discover the amazing adventures you have missed. Monreale Cathedral (Cattedrale Monreale) It makes one of the magnificent monuments in Palermo. The Monreale was built in 1172 by King William II. With Moorish-Norman art, the building is one to marvel at. Though the exterior part is attractive, the splendour within is unimaginable. The Romanesque bronze doors conspicuous and one can easily notice them while touring the area. Mirto Palace (Palazzo Mirto) It is located on Piazza Marina (Palermo). The style and architecture of the building provides one with breath-taking feeling. The lavish style around the area adds more splendour to the beautiful building. One can hardly avoid taking a snap while strolling around the area. Taormina Amphitheatre The Ancient Greeks built the Taormina AmphitheatreThe atmosphere in Taormina gives one a memorable,dramatic and breathtaking experience. The breeze alone is enough to make one think of not leaving the place. La cuba The building was build on 1180 and originally used as a leper’s hospital.its actual intention as to why it was built is however not clearly known. Parete dei Saraghi in PantelletriaIt's ideal for the newbies: they descend up to 24 meters deep and over in the company of bream and lobster admiring the thousand forms of sponges and the different types of nudibranchs.Other important attractions are; Pirandello’s House, Regional Archaelogical Museum "A. Salinas" among others.
Owing to its location, Sicily has always enjoyed a role as a meeting place between the European west and the Arabic east, and this long history of diversity is reflected in its cultural and artistic heritage which features Doric temples, Roman mosaics, and numerous Baroque and Renaissance palaces and chapels. A fine example of the Roman history of the island is the Piazza Amerina close to Syracuse, where you can find a lavish Roman villa with perfectly restored mosaics across the floors. Architecturally and historically, Sicily is perhaps most famous for its Greek temples such as the one in Syracuse, a town which can trace its history right back to the Greek mathematician Archimedes whose tomb can be found in the Grotticelli Necropolis. Syracuse also hosts dozens of other Greek and Christian monuments, with surviving frescoes and paintings by the likes of Caravaggio and his acolyte Minniti. The special light and dramatic scenery found in Sicily made the island a magnet for artists throughout the ages, and it is nowadays home to many great galleries. The Galleria Regionale di Palazzo Bellomo, also in Syracuse, dates back to the 13th century and is home to a diverse collection of medieval and modern pieces of both painting and sculpture, while the Francesco Pantaleone Arte Contemporanea is a must-see gallery for fans of more contemporary work.