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Titled: Sicily - Italys Southern Region
Sicily - Italys Southern Region
Article Summary: Information on Sicily - Italys Southern Region
When considering European vacation destinations you should strongly consider the island of Sicily. Depending on what interests you this beautiful area of Italy can be an ideal spot for a vacation. You can easily obtain traditional Italian food, and wash it down with the finest local wines. You'll also be delighted to find that parts of Sicily haven’t yet been discovered by the hordes of tourists.
The capital city of Sicily is Palermo. It is also the largest city boasting a population of more than 700,000. Sicily was founded in the 8th Century by the Phoenicians who at the time were most interested in taking full advantage of its natural harbor. Throughout history this strategically situated city has been conquered over and over. For example, it was once a Muslim city with two or three hundred Mosques. The period of the Norman occupation starting in 1072 and lasting for well over one hundred years was considered Palermo’s golden age. These conquests continued almost unabated and Palermo was eventually heavily destroyed during World War II. Some say to certain extent Palermo is still in the hands of a conqueror, the Mafia.
A good place to start any tour of Sicily would be with the Cathedral, built in 1185 on the site of a Byzantine basilica and was later transformed into a mosque by the Saracens in the 9th Century. Construction was continued for centuries, with each addition or renovation done in the style of the times. This building contains a solar observatory, built in 1690, which served to coordinate Palermo time with St. Peters in Rome, and to ascertain the correct day to celebrate Easter. As is the case with many historical buildings in Sicily, lava was an occasional construction material.
Among the dozen or so historic churches worth visiting are San Giovanni dei Lebbrosi (St. John of Lebbrosi) dating from 1072, San Giovanni degli Eremiti (St. John the Hermit) whose style includes multiple Arabic influences, the Greek Orthodox church La Martorana and is also known as Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio (Saint Mary of the Admiral), and San Cataldo (St. Cataldo), with its red Saracen domes.
The latter two churches overlook the Piazza Bellini behind City Hall. The nuns of Martorana were famous for their fruit and vegetable shaped marzipan which they used to decorate barren fruit trees. While the convent no longer exists, this candy is still being made, however you won’t find it in trees. Many of these historic churches and buildings are situated in or near some of the most beautiful parks in the world.
Of course one cannot consider any Italian region without considering it's wine. While Sicilians drink considerably less wine than the residents of any other part of Italy, Sicily does rank first among the 20 Italian regions for both acreage devoted to wine grapes and for total annual wine production. If Sicily were an independent country, it would be the world’s seventh largest wine producer.
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About the Author:
Clyde Lee Dennis
http://my.lifeinitaly.com
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