Why Sicily?
With active volcanoes, stunning beaches, a spectacular climate and dramatic gorges and mountains, Sicily is a fascinating and beautiful island. It is also the largest island in the Mediterranean and, thanks to its strategically vital position and fertile land, its history is one of an endless series of invaders and colonizers, each of which has left its trace in the architecture, in the food, in its traditions, and in the character of its people.
“ Sicily has a history and outlook derived not from its modern parent but from its erstwhile foreign rulers from the Greeks who first settled the east coast in the eighth century BC, through a dazzling array of Romans, Arabs, Normans, French and Spanish, to the Bourbons seen off by Garibaldi in 1860. Substantial relics of these ages remain temples, theatres and churches scattered about the whole island. But there are other, more immediate hints of Sicily’s unique past. A hybrid Sicilian language, for a start, is still widely spoken in the countryside; the food is noticeably different, spicier and with more emphasis on fish and vegetables; even the flora echoes the change of temperament– oranges, lemons, olives, prickly pear cacti and palms are ubiquitous. Add to this some tremendous beaches and a dozen or so fascinating offshore islands, and you have enough to keep you busy for a lifetime, let alone a holiday…
Questo articolo è stato pubblicato il martedì, 7 luglio 2009 alle 13:58 e classificato in sicily. È possibile seguire tutte le repliche a questo articolo tramite il feed RSS 2.0. Puoi lasciare un commento, oppure fare il trackback dal tuo sito.