Begin your Sicilian odyssey in its capital city - Palermo. Cheap hostels in 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. Tourist attractions in Campo Bello di Mazara Today Palermo has an air of faded grandeur and an unrivalled display of Norman art and architecture and Baroque churches. Cheap hostels in 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. Calendar of events in Cefalu Don’t miss the magnificent 12th century Norman cathedral at Monreale, 8 kilometres southwest of the city. Lampedusa Car Hire The inside of the cathedral is covered in breathtakingly glittering mosaics.  

Sicily, the largest of the Mediterranean islands, lies between southern Italy and North Africa. Campo Bello di Mazara Hotels The island can be seen as a "stepping stone" between Europe and Africa. Cheap hostels in 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 hostels in 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 hostels in Cefalu. The island is divided into nine provinces: Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Catania, Enna, Messina, Palermo, Ragusa, Siracusa and Trapani. Nebrodi Hotels Throughout history islands have been invaded by foreign powers. Catania Accommodation 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.

Over the centuries the Sicilians have valued a close family life with all its responsibilities. Cheap hostels in Cefalu. In turn the Sicilian people have looked to themselves in the face of foreign occupation and imposed government. Capo D Orlando Map Partly in response to invasion and colonisation a purely Sicilian hierarchy emerged. Cheap hostels in Cefalu This became known as the Sicilian Mafia organised upon what can roughly be translated as "respect", "dignity" and "silence".

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