Sicily 101, All Things Sicily
Everything about Sicily, size, population, language, Sicilian people and things to do. "To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is not to have seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the clue to everything." Said Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Being the crossroad/biggest island in Mediterranean ocean, it has always held a very important position. Many groups left their influences and culture on the island, the rich history and the perfect weather make Sicily one of the top vacation spots. Let’s learn a thing or two about Sicily.
Here
are some quick questions on Sicily:
Where? The southern tip of Italy.
How big? 25,711 km²
(Some references: Taiwan is 36,193 km²; Switzerland
is 41,285 km²; Tuvalu is 26 km²)
Capital? Palermo
Language? Sicilian. (More on this below.)
Ruled by? Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans,
Catalans before.
Population? 5 Million
What’s
Sicily’s historic background?
For centuries it was a nation unto itself. Sicily
was taken over by many different people, and back in the days, many different
ancient colonies co-existed as well. Greek ruled during 750 BC-242 BC and left strong
marks on Sicily, Roman ruled during 242BC -AD 440. Fast forward to Mordern
times, Italian captured Sicily in 1860, and from then on, Sicily became part of
the Kingdom of Italy, and now Italian Republic.
What
language do Sicilians speak?
Sicilian it is! While it seems like every
local speak perfect fluent Italian, some of the elderly might don’t. The
Sicilian language and its dialectal derivations extend back beyond ancient
Greek times. About 30% of that Sicilian vocabulary originates from the Arabic
language. Now, there are approximately 5,000,000 Sicilian speakers in the
world.
Best
of the best in Sicily
Must-visit
in Sicily
* Temple of Concord in Agrigento
Needless to say, it’s such a must-visit
because this ancient Greek Doric temple is super well-preserved, built in 440–430
BC(!) and of course it’s on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
* food markets in Palermo
Palermo, the capital of Sicily
* Mount Etna, Sicily’s eastern edge
It’s one of Europe’s highest active
volcanoes, and certainly one of the many wonders of Sicily.
* Ortygia
A small island that is kind of attached to
Sicily by a narrow channel. It contains many historical landmarks.
Must-eat
in Sicily
* cannoli
Originated in Sicily. Outside is a fried
wrap, and inside is ricotta cheese.
* Sfincione
That’s pizza made with Sicilian manner!
* Granita
Fresh fruity icy! Granita comes with many flavors,
lemon is the most popular. Perfect summer drink it is!
* Caponata
It’s a Sicilian eggplant dish, and the
levels of sweet and sour in caponata vary from household to household.
Must-do
in Sicily
* Sailing
Start from Taormina or Palermo, see the
beautiful island from the sea
*wine-tasting
Sicilian wineries def worth your visit
Mafia!
Mafia! Mafia!
It sure is the one thing that pops in your
head when Sicily is mentioned, thanks to the legendary “Godfather.” The word
“mafia” literally means “swagger” or “boldness”. They had been active since the
19th century, the roots can be traced back to the Middle Ages, they
still exist; drug dealing, loan-sharking, strip clubs running and protection
rackets are still there, but the story is a lot different now. Mafia is hereditary,
a family thing, and will forever add more drama, mysteriousness to Sicilian
culture.
Best
time to go visit Sicily
The best time to visit Sicily is from May
to June or September to October.
July and August are the hottest, the
average temperature is 29 degrees Celsius (84 degrees Fahrenheit) The inviting
climate in Sicily attracts lots of visitors from all over the world.
Mommy’s
boy in Sicily
Italian mothers serve the family way too
well, laundry, house chores, cooking, cleaning and all. It’s common for Italian
men to live at home, has a close relationship with his mom and mom still does
the laundry even the man has moved out. In Italian, these men are called “Mammoni”,
they don’t mind being labeled as such though, just cultural difference.
The
mystifying symbol, Trinacria
Curiosity sure rises when seeing the flag
of Sicily. This three-legs-one-head symbol can be seen everywhere in Sicily.
So, what is this symbol, what does it mean? The mythology goes: three nymphs danced
around the world and threw all the best fruits and goodies into the sea and
made Sicily. The triangle shape of the island’s three sides is one of each nymphs’
one leg. Beautiful, huh? The formal use of the symbol of the Trinacria can go
way back in the 13th century.
The tip of the toe of Italy has so much to
offer, mountains, beaches, wine-sipping, FOOD, historic sights. Make sure you
bring a WiFi router with you to ensure smooth instagramming about your fabulous
Sicilian trip.
