An undisputed Mediterranean beauty since the time of the ancients, the Italian island of Sicily shamelessly seduces anyone who so much as dips one little toe in its turquoise, gin-clear waters.
With 4.8 million inhabitants, including 1.3 million in and around the capital city of Palermo, Sicily is the most populous island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is named after the Sicels, who inhabited the eastern part of the island during the Iron Age. Sicily has a rich and unique culture in arts, music, literature, cuisine, and architecture. Its most prominent landmark is Mount Etna, the tallest active volcano in Europe, and one of the most active in the world. It is separated from Calabria by the Strait of Messina and is one of the five Italian autonomous regions.
The earliest archaeological record of human activity on the island date from around 14,000 BC. By around 750 BC, Sicily had three Phoenician and a dozen Greek colonies along its coasts, becoming one of the centres of Magna Graecia. The Roman province of Sicilia ended with the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. Sicily was ruled during the Early Middle Ages by the Vandals, the Ostrogoths, the Byzantine Empire, and the Emirate of Sicily.
The Norman conquest of southern Italy led to the creation of the County of Sicily in 1071, that was succeeded by Kingdom of Sicily, a state that existed from 1130 until 1816 under various dynasties, and in 1816 it was unified with the Kingdom of Naples into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. From 1282 until 1860 Sicily was ruled b Aragon and the Spain.
The island became part of the newly unified Italy in 1860 following the Expedition of the Thousand, an invasion led by Giuseppe Garibaldi, and was given special status as an autonomous administrative division in 1946.
Sicily and its surrounding small islands have some highly active volcanoes. This is due to Sicily being geographically on the northern edge of the African Plate. In Greek mythology, the deadly monster Typhon was trapped under the Mt Etna by Zeus and the mountain is regarded as a cultural symbol and icon of Sicily.
Rainfall is scarce, and in some provinces a water crisis can occur. Sicily is an often-quoted example of man-made deforestation, 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.
But look beyond the Sicilian coast and kitchen, and you find a kaleidoscope of places to visit – bursting with artistic masterpieces, cultural jewels or natural beauty in spades depending on which hilltop village, baroque town or rural retreat, be it a winery or lemon far, you pinpoint on the treasure map.
The earliest archaeological record of human activity on the island date from around 14,000 BC. By around 750 BC, Sicily had three Phoenician and a dozen Greek colonies along its coasts, becoming one of the centres of Magna Graecia. The Roman province of Sicilia ended with the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. Sicily was ruled during the Early Middle Ages by the Vandals, the Ostrogoths, the Byzantine Empire, and the Emirate of Sicily.
The Norman conquest of southern Italy led to the creation of the County of Sicily in 1071, that was succeeded by Kingdom of Sicily, a state that existed from 1130 until 1816 under various dynasties, and in 1816 it was unified with the Kingdom of Naples into the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. From 1282 until 1860 Sicily was ruled b Aragon and the Spain.
The island became part of the newly unified Italy in 1860 following the Expedition of the Thousand, an invasion led by Giuseppe Garibaldi, and was given special status as an autonomous administrative division in 1946.
Sicily and its surrounding small islands have some highly active volcanoes. This is due to Sicily being geographically on the northern edge of the African Plate. In Greek mythology, the deadly monster Typhon was trapped under the Mt Etna by Zeus and the mountain is regarded as a cultural symbol and icon of Sicily.
Rainfall is scarce, and in some provinces a water crisis can occur. Sicily is an often-quoted example of man-made deforestation, 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.
But look beyond the Sicilian coast and kitchen, and you find a kaleidoscope of places to visit – bursting with artistic masterpieces, cultural jewels or natural beauty in spades depending on which hilltop village, baroque town or rural retreat, be it a winery or lemon far, you pinpoint on the treasure map.
Palermo
Sicily’s capital assures urban adventure. Provocative street art, rough-cut food markets pulsating with local life, and pertinent multimedia Mafia-focused exhibitions provide up-to-minute commentary on this endlessly fascinating city. Art and architectural buffs meanwhile can swoon over a smorgasbord of treasures harking back centuries: Cappella Palatina in Palazzo dei Normanni; Chiesa e Monastero di Santa Caterina d’Alessandria with its speakeasy Pasticceria (bakery and cake shop) in a cloister; and courtyard-garden-clad Museo Archeologico Regionale Antonio Salinas are veteran favourites.
Mount Etna
There’s no age limit to getting up high on Sicily’s emblematic active volcano, Europe’s largest. Three-and-a-half centuries after burying neighbouring Catania in volcanic ash, Mt Etna still broods over the city. A combo of cable car (up to 2500m/8200ft from Rifugio Sapienza), 4WD vehicle and volcanological mountain guides makes light work of scaling this fiery beauty that still erupts, spangling the night sky with lava fountains and magma bubbles. If you’re with active teens, skip the cable car for a more challenging hike on Etna’s quieter northern slopes or bike up with a mountain bike guide.
Sicily’s capital assures urban adventure. Provocative street art, rough-cut food markets pulsating with local life, and pertinent multimedia Mafia-focused exhibitions provide up-to-minute commentary on this endlessly fascinating city. Art and architectural buffs meanwhile can swoon over a smorgasbord of treasures harking back centuries: Cappella Palatina in Palazzo dei Normanni; Chiesa e Monastero di Santa Caterina d’Alessandria with its speakeasy Pasticceria (bakery and cake shop) in a cloister; and courtyard-garden-clad Museo Archeologico Regionale Antonio Salinas are veteran favourites.
Mount Etna
There’s no age limit to getting up high on Sicily’s emblematic active volcano, Europe’s largest. Three-and-a-half centuries after burying neighbouring Catania in volcanic ash, Mt Etna still broods over the city. A combo of cable car (up to 2500m/8200ft from Rifugio Sapienza), 4WD vehicle and volcanological mountain guides makes light work of scaling this fiery beauty that still erupts, spangling the night sky with lava fountains and magma bubbles. If you’re with active teens, skip the cable car for a more challenging hike on Etna’s quieter northern slopes or bike up with a mountain bike guide.
Ragusa Ibla
It needed an earthquake in 1693 to usher in Sicily’s glorious golden age. In the island’s southeast, lose yourself in the baroque labyrinth of nooks and lanes in Ragusa Ibla, awash with the decorative masks and chubby-cheeked putti (cherubs) sculpted in stone, that rose from the ashes.
Don’t miss the Duomo, designed by superstar architect Rosario Gagliardi, and an intimate tour by a family member around aristocratic Palazzo Arezzo di Trifiletti from the same era. Refuel over fig, pistachio or sweet Passito di Noto wine gelato at Gelati DiVini.
It needed an earthquake in 1693 to usher in Sicily’s glorious golden age. In the island’s southeast, lose yourself in the baroque labyrinth of nooks and lanes in Ragusa Ibla, awash with the decorative masks and chubby-cheeked putti (cherubs) sculpted in stone, that rose from the ashes.
Don’t miss the Duomo, designed by superstar architect Rosario Gagliardi, and an intimate tour by a family member around aristocratic Palazzo Arezzo di Trifiletti from the same era. Refuel over fig, pistachio or sweet Passito di Noto wine gelato at Gelati DiVini.
Reserva Naturale della Zingaro
Straddling the grand sweep of western Sicily’s Golfo di Castellammare, the island’s oldest nature reserve is a thing of beauty. Don comfy shoes and a daypack with water, a swim kit and a lunchtime picnic, and stride out along its sublime walking trails beaded with pristine coves and exhibitions in trailside huts celebrating local flora, fauna and traditional tuna fishing. If snorkelling rocks your boat, bring a mask, flippers and tuba – the crystalline waters here have some of the island’s finest snorkelling and diving.
Straddling the grand sweep of western Sicily’s Golfo di Castellammare, the island’s oldest nature reserve is a thing of beauty. Don comfy shoes and a daypack with water, a swim kit and a lunchtime picnic, and stride out along its sublime walking trails beaded with pristine coves and exhibitions in trailside huts celebrating local flora, fauna and traditional tuna fishing. If snorkelling rocks your boat, bring a mask, flippers and tuba – the crystalline waters here have some of the island’s finest snorkelling and diving.
Caltagirone
From decorative grave vases spun in clay to accompany the dead, to lifelike marionettes, coral jewellery and elaborate 18th-century maiolica statuettes, Sicily’s arts and crafts heritage is immense. In central Sicily, roll up your sleeves in Caltagirone where ceramic production has been the town’s lifeblood since the Middle Ages. An abundance of wood from surrounding forests has always kept the kiln fires burning, and Scalinata di Santa Maria del Monte, the town’s monumental staircase, zig-zagging from old town to new since the 17th century razzle-dazzles with 142 steps paved in hand-painted majolica. Learn the backstory in the Museo della Ceramica, shop for ceramics and try your hand at throwing a pot of your own.
Parco Naturale Regionale delle Madonie
Sicily doesn’t get wilder or more remote. Motor south from the beach-busy Tyrrhenian Coast into the folds of the rugged Monti Madonie. Ramble around medieval hilltop villages, where the lifestyle is overwhelmingly traditional, the sense of history palpable, and the mountain cuisine exceptional. Overnight in an agriturismo (farm stay) such as Casale Drinzi, where kitchens burst with wild forest mushrooms, suino nero (pork from local black pigs) and ricotta cheese fresh from the sheep. Take your foot off the gas, slow right down and detox.
From decorative grave vases spun in clay to accompany the dead, to lifelike marionettes, coral jewellery and elaborate 18th-century maiolica statuettes, Sicily’s arts and crafts heritage is immense. In central Sicily, roll up your sleeves in Caltagirone where ceramic production has been the town’s lifeblood since the Middle Ages. An abundance of wood from surrounding forests has always kept the kiln fires burning, and Scalinata di Santa Maria del Monte, the town’s monumental staircase, zig-zagging from old town to new since the 17th century razzle-dazzles with 142 steps paved in hand-painted majolica. Learn the backstory in the Museo della Ceramica, shop for ceramics and try your hand at throwing a pot of your own.
Parco Naturale Regionale delle Madonie
Sicily doesn’t get wilder or more remote. Motor south from the beach-busy Tyrrhenian Coast into the folds of the rugged Monti Madonie. Ramble around medieval hilltop villages, where the lifestyle is overwhelmingly traditional, the sense of history palpable, and the mountain cuisine exceptional. Overnight in an agriturismo (farm stay) such as Casale Drinzi, where kitchens burst with wild forest mushrooms, suino nero (pork from local black pigs) and ricotta cheese fresh from the sheep. Take your foot off the gas, slow right down and detox.
Catania
Its prized location between the big blue sea of the Ionian Coast and the smoking hulk of Mt Etna makes Sicily’s second-largest city a great base for exploring the eastern part of the island. Catania’s striking architecture reads like a potted history of Sicily: many of its distinctive, black-and-white palazzi (mansions) and churches are built from the very volcanic rock that Etna rained down on Catania in 1669.
Wraparound views from its church rooftops (Chiesa della Badia di Sant’Agata and Chiesa di San Nicolò l’Arena in Piazza Dante’s Benedictine monastery complex are the best) are spectacular. For foodies, one address stands out: the raucous fresh-fish market La Pescheria, swimming with swordfish, sardines, tuna, octopus, all sorts.
Its prized location between the big blue sea of the Ionian Coast and the smoking hulk of Mt Etna makes Sicily’s second-largest city a great base for exploring the eastern part of the island. Catania’s striking architecture reads like a potted history of Sicily: many of its distinctive, black-and-white palazzi (mansions) and churches are built from the very volcanic rock that Etna rained down on Catania in 1669.
Wraparound views from its church rooftops (Chiesa della Badia di Sant’Agata and Chiesa di San Nicolò l’Arena in Piazza Dante’s Benedictine monastery complex are the best) are spectacular. For foodies, one address stands out: the raucous fresh-fish market La Pescheria, swimming with swordfish, sardines, tuna, octopus, all sorts.
Valley of the Temples
That UNESCO’s temple logo is a mirror of star-turn Tempio della Concordia at Agrigento's breathtaking Valley of the Temples says it all: don’t miss Sicily’s most spectacular archaeological site, strung along a rocky promontory by the Med where the ancient Greeks erected Doric temples, tombs and sanctuaries 2500 years ago.
Vestiges of subsequent 12km-long city walls and gates built around Akragas, by then the fourth-largest city in the ancient world, are equally evocative.
That UNESCO’s temple logo is a mirror of star-turn Tempio della Concordia at Agrigento's breathtaking Valley of the Temples says it all: don’t miss Sicily’s most spectacular archaeological site, strung along a rocky promontory by the Med where the ancient Greeks erected Doric temples, tombs and sanctuaries 2500 years ago.
Vestiges of subsequent 12km-long city walls and gates built around Akragas, by then the fourth-largest city in the ancient world, are equally evocative.
