'To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is not having seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the key to everything.' So said Goethe. Self catering accommodation Enna. Tuscany might want a look in, and Rome might beg to differ, but Sicily, with a history of foreign occupation across the centuries, is certainly fascinating, with a real pot-pourri of culture, cuisine and architecture. Plus the odd volcano. Self catering accommodation Milazzo 

Sicily was chosen by the Gods of Olympus as the scene of their stories of love and hatred, of passion and revenge, of sudden wrath and deep compassion. Tourist Information office centre Catania And today it's still a land of fire and passion. Self catering accommodation Enna. It's also a land of great beauty and contrast, not least the contrast between what the local politicians say they'll do with the money, and what eventually ends up getting built/maintained/improved. Self catering accommodation Enna. In ancient times, Sicily was covered with extremely rich farmland, whose copious wheat harvests fed virtually the entire western part of the Roman Empire. Self catering accommodation Enna Its thick forests were renowned, but the Romans plundered them to build their great naval fleets and the myriad wooden homes that fueled Nero's infamous fire. Last minute accommodation Noto Like much of southern Italy, Sicily has been the ground upon which the boots of Western civilization have trod. Hotel Reservations Solunto

Sicily, the largest of the Mediterranean islands, lies between southern Italy and North Africa. Cheap flats in Messina The island can be seen as a "stepping stone" between Europe and Africa. Self catering accommodation Enna. 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. Self catering accommodation Enna 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. Self catering accommodation Enna. The island is divided into nine provinces: Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Catania, Enna, Messina, Palermo, Ragusa, Siracusa and Trapani. Self catering accommodation Sciacca Throughout history islands have been invaded by foreign powers. Calendar of events in Pozzallo 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.

Self catering accommodation Enna