About Italy - Sicily
Sicily consists of 8 main cities.
The three largest in order are Palermo (population 660,000), Catania (pop. 400,000), and Messina (pop. 260,000).
Palermo is both the main and historical capital of Sicily. You will find Arabic influences on the island and this region once had nearly 300 mosques. There are also signs of the Normans, Spaniards and also the Greeks being in Sicily.
The Mafia: Many people have misunderstadings about the Mafia presence. The Mafia does exist, but only as a silent secret society. Tourists only need to worry about possible mafia involvement with the Caribineiri (Police) who could be looking for those who violate taxation laws. When shopping, always keep your receipts.
One famous site or landmark, is Mt. Etna. This is Europe's biggest and most active volcano. It usually erupts around every 3 years.
Taormina, considered to be the one of the most romantic places in the world. From here you can also visit the world's most dramatically situated theatre which was built by the Greeks. It overlooks the whole island of Sicily, from high up in the mountains and it is also overlooking the sea.
A few basic facts about Sicily:
Sicliy is the largest island in the Mediterranean.
Sicily is only 2 miles from the mainland of Italy.
Sicily is divided into 7 provinces / 9 Regions.
The daily summer temperatures in Sicily can sometimes rise to 95 degrees F.
Agriculture is the main export of Sicily,lots of olives but mainly grapes, for some of Italy's finest wines.
Approximately 5 million people live on the island of Sicily
History shows that over the last 3000 years, Sicily has been ruled by the Greeks, Arabs, French, Spaniards, and Romans.
There are 9 Regions of Sicily: Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Catania, Enna, Messina, Palermo (Capital), Ragusa, Siracusa, Trapani.
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Activities
All types of water sports, including: wind-surfing, scuba-diving, fishing and sailing are available as an activity to enjoy in Sicily.
Mount Etna volcano also provides winterThere are far reaching views out to sea when skiing on the piste of a 'black' ski run. This is where the ash has turned the snow black!
Cycling and hiking are a favourite also for holidaymakers in some parts of Sicily along with horse-riding. Look out for Scillian football clubs too.
Currency
The Currency is the same for Sicily as for mainland Italy:
Euro (EUR) note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions within the member countries .
Monetary unit: 1 euro = 100 cents
Language
In Sicily, almost the entire population speaks Italian. Some residents though still speak Sicilian, but even though Sicily is trying to increase its tourism and the revenue from it, English is still not very often spoken or understood. Some English is now gradually becoming more used in Hotels and for holiday rental accommodation in Sicily.
Weather
General Weather Conditions for Sicily differ slightly from Mainland Italy. Being an island, Sicily benefits from slightly windier conditions which help with cooling on hot summer days and humid nights:
The weather in summer can be extremely warm with daily temps of up to 28C from June through to Septaember, and the nights being at around 12C with little or no rain.
The weather in Winter can be warm or mild, but with average daily temps of around 15C and approx 10C at night. Moderate rainfall only is expected.
Wine
Due to the very hot climate and volcanic soil in Sicily, there are numerous vineyards in Sicily and many of these vineyards produce simple, easy to drink, wines for the local inhabitants to enjoy.
One particular wine is called Marsala, which is mainly a dessert wine, that has both a rich red and slightly orange base colour. Lord Nelson was an connoisseur of fine wines and encouraged the production of large quantites of Marsala, which has been of huge benefit to the islanders over time.