Sicily, the largest of the Mediterranean islands, lies between southern Italy and North Africa. Hotels Lampedusa The island can be seen as a "stepping stone" between Europe and Africa. Cheap guesthouses Cefalu. A beautiful, mountainous island, Sicily has been occupied by a series of migrants and invaders. These include the Greeks, Cathaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Angevins and Spaniards. In 1861 Sicily became part of Italy when Garibaldi united the Kingdom of Italy and the island. Cheap guesthouses Cefalu Eighty-five years later Sicily achieved "relative independence". This means that although Sicily belongs to Italy it is responsible for much of its own local affairs. Cheap guesthouses Cefalu. The island is divided into nine provinces: Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Catania, Enna, Messina, Palermo, Ragusa, Siracusa and Trapani. Tourist attractions in Licata Throughout history islands have been invaded by foreign powers. Agritourism in Giarre However, Sicily's rugged terrain has provided its people with a degree of protection as many of its towns and villages are high in the mountains.  

As elsewhere in the Roman Empire, the Romans were replaced by the Vandals and the Ostrogoths, who demolished far more than they built (one rare example is the villa of Piazza Armerina) and were swept away by the Byzantines. Egadi Islands Map The Arabs who followed them moved the capitol from Siracusa to Palermo, renamed most of the existing towns, and planted the first carobs, date-palms, citrus trees, jasmines and melons. Cheap guesthouses Cefalu. The Normans took over in 1061. Cheap guesthouses Cefalu They tore down almost all signs of Arab culture. Cheap Acitrezza Hotels They brought the island to a new level of prosperity and planted a different kind of seed, still visible today in the blonde and red tresses of many Sicilians. Cheap guesthouses Cefalu. It is to the Normans that we owe the most spectacular of Sicily's architectural treasures. Cheap flats in Trapani From the cathedrals of Cefalù, Messina and Monreale to Palermo's Zisa and Cuba, the churches of San Giovanni degli Eremiti, San Cataldo and the Martorana. Under the realm of Frederick II, the Swabian king, Sicily became one of the centers of the Western world, and perhaps it is not surprising that the principal architectural endeavors of this era. These lasted only from 1220 to 1250, were of a military nature, such as the castles in Siracusa, Catania and Salemi. Cheap guesthouses Cefalu. When Frederick died in 1250, his successor Manfred was murdered by the ruthless Charles of Anjou, whose French allies streamed into the island and established a new aristocracy so despised that it led to the popular uprising called the Sicilian Vespers. Flats in Segesta Eventually, in 1302, the French gave way to the Aragonese (part of the same dynasty which sponsored Christopher Columbus), who dominated until 1734. Cheap guesthouses Cefalu. The aristocracy created during this realm left their magnificent homes, such as Palermo's Palazzo Sclafani and Palazzo Chiaramonte, scattered all over the island. Diving Centres Dive Sites and Schools Taormina The Aragonese clergy, while wielding the heavy arm of the Inquisition, effectively conspired to keep almost all artistic traces of the Renaissance out of the island.

Begin your Sicilian odyssey in its capital city - Palermo. Cheap guesthouses Cefalu Spectacularly situated along a wide sweep of bay at the foot of Monte Pellegrino, Palermo was the wealthiest and most magnificent city in Europe in the 12th century. Car Hire Solunto Today Palermo has an air of faded grandeur and an unrivalled display of Norman art and architecture and Baroque churches. Cheap guesthouses Cefalu. Stroll along the Via Roma and Via Maqueda in the heart of the old town and get a sense of what Palermo is all about. Erice Agriturismo Don’t miss the magnificent 12th century Norman cathedral at Monreale, 8 kilometres southwest of the city. Discount hotels Egadi Islands The inside of the cathedral is covered in breathtakingly glittering mosaics.

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