From early times Sicily has been coveted for its fertile land and today Sicily still has a largely agricultural based economy. Pozzallo Agriturismo. Its main products include wheat (hard wheat from Enna for bread and pasta), barley, corn, peppers, tomatoes, aubergines, courgettes, potatoes, grapes, figs, pears, peaches, La Ficurinnia or the fig of India (from the West Indies) and citrus fruits and almonds (introduced by the Arabs). Pozzallo Agriturismo A sweet liquid called "manna" is produced in Castelbuono and Pollina. Agritourism in Giarre This is collected from a species of Ash tree. It solidifies and is used in cakes and sweets. Pozzallo Agriturismo. Dairy produce includes a number of cheeses such as Ricotta, Pecorino Siciliano and Caciocavallo Ragusano. Hotels Siracusa Syracuse The Sicilian fishing industry provides tuna, swordfish, sea bream, sardines, octopus, squid, prawns and mussels. Other industries include wine (for example, Donna Fugata, Regaleali, Malvasia and sweet Marsala), balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey, bottled water (from Geraci), salt and other food processing. Discount hotels Caltanissetta Sulphur mines in Caltanissetta have traditionally played a part in the Sicilian economy. Today chemicals and refined petroleum are modern Sicilian industries. Pozzallo Agriturismo. The growth of transport companies and the modernisation of Sicily's road system have been essential to Sicily's industrial development. Cheap hostels in Capo D Orlando Chief Sicilian ports are Catania, Messina and Palermo.  

Tourism is an important earner of foreign currency. Pozzallo Agriturismo. There are many castles and churches in Sicily to attract the tourist and important towns such as Taormina and Cefalu thrive on the tourist industry. Eolie Aeolian Islands Holiday Accommodation Tours are available to visit Sicily's active volcanoes: Mount Etna, Europe's tallest volcano, and Stromboli, one of the Aeolian Islands. Cheap Ragusa Hotels Other places of interest are Madonie National Park, the Baroque towns of south-eastern Sicily, the Cathedral of Monreale, the Dorian Temple and Theatre at Segesta, the ancient Greek Theatre of Taormina, the ancient town of Syracuse and the archaeological area of Agrigento. Cheap Milazzo Hotels

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. Erice Holiday Accommodation 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. Pozzallo Agriturismo. The Normans took over in 1061. Pozzallo Agriturismo They tore down almost all signs of Arab culture. Discount accommodation Piazza Armerina 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. Pozzallo Agriturismo. It is to the Normans that we owe the most spectacular of Sicily's architectural treasures. Flats in Lipari 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. Pozzallo Agriturismo. 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. Farmhouses in Licata Eventually, in 1302, the French gave way to the Aragonese (part of the same dynasty which sponsored Christopher Columbus), who dominated until 1734. Pozzallo Agriturismo. The aristocracy created during this realm left their magnificent homes, such as Palermo's Palazzo Sclafani and Palazzo Chiaramonte, scattered all over the island. Discount hotels Messina 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.

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