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. Piazza Armerina Tours and Excursions And today it's still a land of fire and passion. Taormina Agriturismo. 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. Taormina Agriturismo. In ancient times, Sicily was covered with extremely rich farmland, whose copious wheat harvests fed virtually the entire western part of the Roman Empire. Taormina Agriturismo 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. Cefalu Bed and Breakfast Like much of southern Italy, Sicily has been the ground upon which the boots of Western civilization have trod. Calendar of events in Piazza Armerina  

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. Self catering accommodation Erice 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. Taormina Agriturismo. The Normans took over in 1061. Taormina Agriturismo They tore down almost all signs of Arab culture. Calendar of events in Milazzo 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. Taormina Agriturismo. It is to the Normans that we owe the most spectacular of Sicily's architectural treasures. Ragusa Bed and Breakfast 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. Taormina 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. Capo D Orlando Villa Rentals Eventually, in 1302, the French gave way to the Aragonese (part of the same dynasty which sponsored Christopher Columbus), who dominated until 1734. Taormina 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. Hostels in Acitrezza 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.

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

Taormina Agriturismo