10 Things You Didn’t Know About Sicily

If you thought Sicily was just another region of Italy, think again. This autonomous region has an enormously strong sense of identity and culture, quite separate from mainland Italy. It’s often viewed as a microcosm of Italy, a showcase for the country’s varied landscape, fascinating history and gastronomy, all packed into under 10,000 square miles.

On face value, it’s the ultimate holiday destination – sunshine, glorious beaches, culture and delicious food all wrapped up in one perfect package. But delve deeper and you’ll discover aspects to the island which may be quite different to what you were expecting.

Sicily Is the Largest Island in the Mediterranean

Separated from the mainland by just 1.5 miles of water, situated at the toe of Italy’s boot, Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean. Triangular shaped, and with several offshore islands, its landscape – comprising volcanoes, nature reserves and ancient Greek and Roman sites for starters – is incredibly varied. But, traditionally, it’s the coastline, comprising just over 900 miles of powder soft sands, rocky bays and glorious translucent water, that’s the ultimate magnet for holidaymakers.

Sicily Is Home to Europe’s Largest Active Volcano

Visiting Mount Etna is one of life’s big adventures. This is Europe’s largest active volcano, frequently emitting lava flows and ash plumes. In fact, it has shaped many of the towns of south east Sicily, with its most devastating eruption in 1669 resulting in the reconstruction of Catania and the eight UNESCO Baroque towns of the Val di Noto. Today, you can visit the volcano independently or join a thrilling jeep tour across its rugged terrain.

However, the volcanoes on Sicily’s offshore Aeolian Islands are equally dramatic. While the Aeolian island of Vulcano gave us the modern word ‘volcano’, on neighbouring Stromboli, small explosions and glowing ‘fireworks’ occur on an almost nightly basis.

Sicily’s Climate

Sicily’s climate is most definitely Mediterranean – no surprises there. Its southerly location means that you can expect higher temperatures than most of the rest of Italy, with plenty of sunshine from April to October and toasty sea temperatures right through September and October. And, as if to prove its proximity to Africa, some of the higher temperatures that sweep across the island are the result of the African sirocco wind blowing in from the Sahara.

Even more surprising perhaps is the fact that, despite the heat, you can ski in Sicily! Mount Etna is often topped with snow, and has ski resorts, and there is also occasional snowfall in the Madonie and Nebrodi mountain ranges.

Standout Sicilian Wine

If you thought that most Italian wine came from the northern Italian regions of Tuscany and Piedmont, think again. Winemaking on Sicily dates back to the Greeks and in terms of volume, the island is now one of Italy’s biggest wine-producing regions. Of course, this is partly due to the wonderful sunny, dry climate but the rich volcanic terroir also plays a part in yielding some standout Sicilian wines such as Nero d’Avola and Etna Bianco.

Ice Cream in Sicily

Yes, people really do eat ice cream for breakfast! The mere sight of gelato oozing out of a doughy brioche bun is temptation enough but one bite, accompanied by a strong espresso, and you’ll be hooked!

Classic flavours include pistachio, almond, lemon and mulberry. In fact, Sicilian gelato dates right back to the 9th century and is just one of the indicators of Arab influence on the island. The Arabs introduced sugarcane and citrus to the island, making what was known as ‘sherbet’ from snow stored in mountain caves. In time, fruit syrups were mixed with the snow, eventually evolving into sorbets and then gelato.

Sicilian Honey

Another legacy of the ancient Greeks and Arab was beekeeping. Wild thyme honey was greatly valued by the Greeks for its rare fragrance and therapeutic qualities. Today, the aromatic honey is still produced in the Iblei Mountains in eastern Sicily alongside other specialist honey created from the nectar of thistle flowers, wild carob trees, chestnut and orange blossom.

If you’re interested in beekeeping and honey production, stay on the slopes of Mount Etna and visit the town of Zafferana Etnea which is well known for its strong connection to the honey trade, with guided tours and honey tastings available.

Do Sicilians Eat Pizza?

Pizza is as popular in Sicily as elsewhere in Italy, but traditional Sicilian pizza is known as ‘sfincione’. Thicker and fluffier than the classic Neapolitan version, ‘sfincione’ is cut in a rectangular shape and more closely resembles focaccia. Other Sicilian dishes such as caponata, arancini, and cannoli have also become familiar sights around the world.

Why Are There So Many Greek Ruins in Sicily?

Sicily was known by the Greeks as Magna Graecia. The island was one of the principal centres of Greek culture outside of Greece, and cities such as Agrigento and Syracuse became as wealthy and powerful as mainland Greek cities. This explains the current presence of some of the best-preserved Greek temples. Myths around Greek gods also still exist – my favourite is the Greek belief that defeated giants and monsters were imprisoned in Mount Etna!

Sicily Is Home to Italy’s Largest Opera House

Anyone with an interest in opera will have heard of La Scala in Milan but you may be less familiar with the Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emmanuele, the Palermo Opera House. In fact, this is Italy’s largest opera house and, with a capacity of around 1300 seats, one of the largest in Europe.

The imposing neoclassical building was built after Italian unification, between 1875 and 1897, complete with grand Corinthian columns and a monumental staircase which was where the dramatic final scenes of The Godfather, Part III were filmed.

Over 80% of Sicily’s Landscape Is Made of Hills and Mountains

Encased by a dramatic coastline, much of Sicily is hilly or mountainous. Dramatic mountain ranges include the Madonie, the Nebrodi and Peloritani ranges and the east of the island, of course, is dominated by Mount Etna. As a result, large numbers of defensive towns and villages are perched on hilltops and cliffs: one of the most spectacular is the town of Ragusa Ibla which appears to almost tumble down the hillside.

Of course, this landscape also means that there are wonderful opportunities for hiking and for exploring off the beaten track villages where time seems to have stopped still.

Let’s Explore:

Have you ever been to Sicily? Which was your favourite place? Would you recommend staying in one place or touring round the island?