Agrigento Tourist Attractions: 10 Top Places to Visit
Planning to visit Agrigento? Check out our Agrigento Travel Guide video and see top most Tourist Attractions in Agrigento.
Top Places to visit in Agrigento:
Tempio della Concordia, Tempio di Giunone, Scala dei Turchi, Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Greci, Tempio di Ercole, Riserva Naturale Orientata Torre Salsa, Piazza Angelo Scandaliato, Tempio dei Dioscuri, Tempio di Giove Olimpico, Il Giardino della Kolymbetra
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BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN ITALY is a project for italian tourism promotion. In this video you will discover Cattolica, a little town in the province of Rimini on the Adriatic Coast of Romagna.
In this project we used the formula of time-lapse: a sequence of images taken consecutively at different times, showing what you normally can't see, giving to the viewer a magical atmosphere made of places and people almost surreal.
The subject of this video is the sunset filmed from the harbor of Cattolica. Seen in hot summer days, thanks to the warmth of the earth and the warm sea , the atmosphere like a painting, because Cattolica loves to paint! Experienced into the water or into the sea, it is something that words can not describe.
BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN ITALY è un progetto per la promozione turistica italiana. In questo video scopriremo Cattolica, cittadina in provincia di Rimini della riviera romagnola.
In questo progetto abbiamo adottato la formula del time lapse: una sequenza di immagini realizzate consecutivamente in diverse ore che mostrano quello che normalmente non possiamo vedere, donando allo spettatore un' atmosfera magica e quasi surreale dei luoghi e delle persone.
Il soggetto di questo video è il tramonto ripreso dal porto di Cattolica. Osservato nelle giornate calde estive, grazie al calore della terra e al mare tiepido, l'atmosfera pare un dipinto, perchè la Regina ama dipingere ! Vissuto in acqua o in riva al mare, è qualcosa che a parole non si può descrivere.
Idea: Giuseppe Giovannini, Andrea Giovagnoli
Copywriter: Mariangela Lecci
Photographer: Giuseppe Giovannini
Compositing Video: Andrea Giovagnoli, Giuseppe Giovannini
Creative Commons Music: JoshWoodward - After glow
Ragusa - Sicily Italy Travel
Ragusa - Sicily Italy Travel
Set amidst the rocky peaks northwest of Modica, Ragusa is a town of two faces. Sitting on the top of the hill is Ragusa Superiore, a busy workaday town with sensible grid-pattern streets and all the trappings of a modern provincial capital, while etched into the hillside further down is Ragusa Ibla.
This sloping area of tangled alleyways, grey stone houses and baroque palazzi is effectively Ragusa's historic centre and it's quite magnificent.
Like every other town in the region, Ragusa Ibla (the old town) collapsed after the 1693 earthquake and a new town, Ragusa Superiore, was built on a high plateau above. But the old aristocracy was loath to leave the tottering palazzi and rebuilt Ragusa Ibla on exactly the same spot. The two towns were merged in 1927.
Enjoy Your Ragusa - Sicily Italy Travel!
Sensational Sicily
Sicily is directly adjacent to the region of Calabria via the Strait of Messina to the east. The early Roman name for Sicily was Trinacria, alluding to its triangular shape. The Sensational Sicily Project is a collaboration with the Region of Sicily, The Italian Chamber of Commerce, Alessandro Sorbello Productions and New Realm Media
The volcano Etna, situated close to Catania, is 3,320 m (10,900 ft) high, making it the tallest active volcano in Europe. It is also one of the world's most active volcanoes.
The Aeolian islands to the north are administratively a part of Sicily, as are the Aegadian Islands and Pantelleria Island to the west, Ustica Island to the north-west, and the Pelagian Islands to the south-west.
Sicily has been noted for two millennia as a grain-producing territory. Oranges, lemons, olives, olive oil, almonds, and wine are among its other agricultural products. The mines of the Enna and Caltanissetta district became a leading sulfur-producing area in the 19th century but have declined since the 1950s.
Sicily is divided into nine provinces: Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Catania, Enna, Messina, Palermo, Ragusa, Syracuse (Siracusa), Trapani
History
The original inhabitants of Sicily, long absorbed into the population, were tribes known to Greek writers as the Elymians, the Sicani and the Siculi or Sicels. Of these, the last were clearly the latest to arrive on this land and were related to other Italic peoples of southern Italy, such as the Italoi of Calabria, the Oenotrians, Chones, and Leuterni (or Leutarni), the Opicans, and the Ausones. It's possible, however, that the Sicani were originally an Iberian tribe. The Elymi, too, may have distant origins outside of Italy, in the Aegean Sea area.
Phoenicians/Carthaginians, Greeks & Romans
Sicily was colonized by Phoenicians, Punic settlers from Carthage, and by Greeks, starting in the 8th Century BC. The most important colony was established at Syracuse in 734 BC. Other important Greek colonies were Gela, Acragas, Selinunte, Himera, and Zancle or Messene (modern-day Messina, not to be confused with the ancient city of Messene in Messenia, Greece). These city states were an important part of classical Greek civilization, which included Sicily as part of Magna Graecia - both Empedocles and Archimedes were from Sicily. Sicilian politics was intertwined with politics in Greece itself, leading Athens, for example, to mount the disastrous Sicilian Expedition during the Peloponnesian War.
The Greeks came into conflict with the Punic trading communities with ties to Carthage, which was on the African mainland, not far from the southwest corner of the region, and had its own colonies on Sicily. Palermo was a Carthaginian city, founded in the 8th century BC, named Zis or Sis (Panormos to the Greeks). Hundreds of Phoenician and Carthaginian grave sites have been found in necropoli over a large area of Palermo, now built over, south of the Norman palace, where the Norman kings had a vast park. In the far west, Lilybaeum (now Marsala) never was thoroughly Hellenized. In the First and Second Sicilian Wars, Carthage was in control of all but the eastern part of Sicily, which was dominated by Syracuse. In 415 BC, Syracuse became an object of Athenian imperialism as exemplified in the disastrous events of the Sicilian Expedition, which reignited the cooling Peloponnesian War.
In the 3rd century BC the Messanan Crisis motivated the intervention of the Roman Republic into Sicilian affairs, and led to the First Punic War between Rome and Carthage. By the end of war (242 BC) all Sicily was in Roman hands, becoming Rome's first province outside of the Italian peninsula.
The initial success of the Carthaginians during the Second Punic War encouraged many of the Sicilian cities to revolt against Roman rule. Rome sent troops to put down the rebellions (it was during the siege of Syracuse that Archimedes was killed). Carthage briefly took control of parts of Sicily, but in the end was driven off. Many Carthaginian sympathizers were killed— in 210 BC the Roman consul M. Valerian told the Roman Senate that no Carthaginian remains in Sicily.
For the next 6 centuries, Sicily was a province of the Roman Empire. It was something of a rural backwater, important chiefly for its grainfields, which were a mainstay of the food supply of the city of Rome. The empire did not make much effort to Romanize the region, which remained largely Greek. The most notable event of this period was the notorious misgovernment of Verres, as recorded by Cicero in 70 BC, in his oration, In Verrem.
Byzantines
In 440 AD Sicily fell to the Vandal king Geiseric. A few decades later, it came into Ostrogothic hands, where it remained until it was conquered by the Byzantine general Belisarius in 535. But a new Ostrogothic king, Totila, drove down the Italian peninsula and then plundered and conquered Sicily in 550. Totila, in turn, was defeated and killed by the Byzantine general, Narses, in 552. For a brief period (662-668), during Byzantine rule, Syracuse was the imperial capital, until Constans II was assassinated. Sicily was then ruled by the Byzantine Empire until the Arab conquest of 827-902. It is reported in contemporary accounts that Sicilians spoke Greek or Italo-Greek dialects until at least the 10th century, and in some regions for several more centuries.
First Arab invasion of Sicily
In 535, Emperor Justinian I made Sicily a Byzantine province, and for the second time in Sicilian history, the Greek language became a familiar sound across the island. As the power of the Byzantine Empire waned, Sicily was invaded by the Arabs in 652 AD. However, this was a short lived invasion and the Arabs left soon after.
Arab control from Tunisia and Egypt
In around 700, the island of Pantelleria was captured by the Arabs, and it was only discord among the Arabs that prevented Sicily being next. Instead, trading arrangements were agreed and Arab merchants established themselves in Sicilian ports. Then, in 827 a failed Sicilian coup against an unpopular Byzantine governor. Euphemius, a wealthy landowner, who overcame the imperial garrison in Siracusa, declared himself Emperor and invited the Aghlabid Emir of Tunisia to help him. The response was a fleet of 100 ships and 10,000 troops under the command of Asad ibn al-Furat, which consisted largely of Arab Berbers from North Africa and Spain. After resistance at Siracusa, the Arabs gained a foothold in Mazara del Vallo. Palermo fell after a long siege in 831, but Siracusa held out until 878. From 842 to 859 the Arabs captured Messina, Modica, Ragusa and Enna. In 902 Taormina, the last Byzantine stronghold also fell to Arabs and by 965 all of Sicily was under Arab control and Palermo became one of the largest cities in the world.
Emirate of Sicily
Sicily was ruled by the Sunni Aghlabid dynasty in Tunisia and the Shiite Fatimids in Egypt. The Byzantines took advantage of temporary discord to occupy the eastern end of the island for several years. After suppressing a revolt the Fatimid caliph appointed Hassan al-Kalbi (948-964) as Emir of Sicily. He successfully managed to control the Byzantines and founded the Kalbid dynasty. Raids into southern Italy continued under the Kalbids into the 11th century, and in 982 a German army under Otto II was defeated near Crotone in Calabria. With Emir Yusuf al-Kalbi (990-998) a period of steady decline began. Under al-Akhal (1017-1037) the dynastic conflict intensified, with factions within the ruling family allying themselves variously with Byzantium and the Zirids. By the time of Emir Hasan as-Samsam (1040-1053) the island had fragmented into several small fiefdoms. As a virtually an independent emirate, Sicily played a privileged role as bridge between Africa and Europe. Trade flourished and taxes were low. The tolerant regime allowed subjects to abide by their own laws. Despite freedom of worship, Christians freely converted to Islam and there were soon hundreds of mosques in Palermo alone.
The Arabs initiated land reforms which in turn, increased productivity and encouraged the growth of smallholdings, a dent to the dominance of the landed estates. The Arabs further improved irrigation systems. A description of Palermo was given by Ibn Hawqual, a Baghdad merchant who visited Sicily in 950. A walled suburb called the Kasr (the palace) is the center of Palermo until today, with the great Friday mosque on the site of the later Roman cathedral. The suburb of Al-Khalisa (Kalsa) contained the Sultan's palace, baths, a mosque, government offices and a private prison. Ibn Hawqual reckoned 7,000 individual butchers trading in 150 shops.
The Cathedral of Palermo.In addition to Andalusian Arabs and other Arabs, there were Berbers, Persians, Greeks, Jews, Slavs and Lombards. Western Sicily particularly prospered with Berbers settling in the Agrigento area coupled with Bedouin, Syrians and Egyptian Arabs in Palermo.
Muslim rule in Sicily slowly came to an end following an invitation by the Emirs of Catania and Siracusa for a Norman invasion. The Normans, under Count Roger de Hauteville (Altavilla) attacked Sicily in 1061, beginning a thirty year struggle against the Arabs. In 1068, Roger and his men defeated the Arabs at Misilmeri but the most crucial battle was the siege of Palermo in 1072, and the conquest of Sicily was completed by 1091 with the defeat of the last Emir in Noto.
Arab-Norman period (1091-1224)
Following the Norman conquest, Arab influence continued to persist creating a hybrid culture on the island that has contributed much to the character of modern Sicily. The cultural diversity and religious tolerance of the period of Muslim rule under the Kalbid dynasty made Palermo the capital city of the Emirate of Sicily. This continued under the Normans who conquered Sicily in 1060-1090 (raising its status to that of a kingdom in 1130). During this period, Sicily became one of the wealthiest states in Europe, and according to historian John Julius Norwich, Palermo under the Normans became wealthier than the England of its day. After only a century, however, the Norman Hauteville dynasty died out and the south German (Swabian) Hohenstaufen dynasty ruled starting in 1194, adopting Palermo as its principal seat from 1220. But local Christian-Muslim conflicts fueled by the Crusades were escalating during this later period, and in 1224, Frederick II, grandson of Roger II, expelled the last remaining Muslims from Sicily, temporarily relocating many to a colony in Lucera on the southern mainland, while the rest fled to North Africa.
Conflict between the Hohenstaufen house and the Papacy led in 1266 to Sicily's conquest by Charles I, duke of Anjou: opposition to French officialdom and taxation led in 1282 to insurrection (the Sicilian Vespers) and successful invasion by king Peter III of Aragón. The resulting War of the Sicilian Vespers lasted until the peace of Caltabellotta in 1302. Sicily was ruled as an independent kingdom by relatives of the kings of Aragon until 1409 and then as part of the Crown of Aragon.
Spanish control
Ruled from 1479 by the kings of Spain, Sicily suffered a ferocious outbreak of plague (1656), followed by a damaging earthquake in the east of the region (1693). Sicily was frequently attacked by Barbary pirates from North Africa. Bad periods of rule by the crown of Savoy (1713-1720) and then the Austrian Habsburgs gave way to union (1734) with the Bourbon-ruled kingdom of Naples, first as independent kingdom under personal union, then (1816) as part of the kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
Sicily was the scene of major revolutionary movements in 1820 and 1848 against Bourbon denial of constitutional government, even though the main request was recognition of an independent status from Naples. The 1848 revolution resulted in a sixteen month period of independence from the Bourbons before its armed forces took back control of the island on 15 May 1849.
In late 1852, Prince Emanuele Realmuto had set up power in North Central Sicily. Highly educated, the prince established a political system set to bring Sicily's economy to the highest levels in all of Italy. The Prince's life however was shortened by an assassination in 1857. To this day some of his work is still present in the Italian parliament.
Italian unification
Sicily was joined with the other Italian regions in 1860 following the invasion of irregular troops led by Giuseppe Garibaldi and the resultant so-called Risorgimento.
The new Italian state was a strongly centralized nation, and it did not take long before, in 1866, Palermo revolted against Italy. The city was soon bombed by the Italian navy, which disembarked on September 22 under the command of Raffaele Cadorna. Italian soldiers summarily executed the civilian insurgents, and took possession once again of the island.
A long extensive guerrilla campaign against the unionists (1861-1871) took place throughout southern Italy, and in Sicily, inducing the Italian governments to a ferocious military repression. Ruled under martial law for many years Sicily (and southern Italy) was ravaged by the Italian army that summarily executed thousands of people, made tens of thousands prisoners, destroyed villages, and deported people. The Sicilian economy collapsed, leading to an unprecedented wave of emigration. In 1894 labour agitation through the radical Fasci Siciliani led again to the imposition of martial law.
Map of the Allied landings in Sicily on 10 July 1943.The organised crime networks commonly known as the mafia extended their influence in the late 19th century (and many of its operatives also emigrated to other countries, particularly the United States); partly suppressed under the Fascist regime beginning in the 1920s, they recovered as a side effect of the massive World War II Allied invasion of Sicily on the night of July 10, 1943 when an allied armada of 2,590 vessels freed the then-Fascist Sicily. Mafia was the only organization present in Sicily to be a proved enemy of the Fascist regime and able to offer the Allied occupants a steady grip on the island. The invasion of Sicily was one of the causes of the July 25 crisis.
An autonomous region from 1946, Sicily benefited to some extent from the partial Italian land reform of 1950-1962 and special funding from the Cassa per il Mezzogiorno, the Italian government's indemnification Fund for the South (1950-1984). Sicily returned to the headlines in 1992, however, when the assassination of two anti-mafia magistrates, Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino triggered a general upheaval in Italian political life.
Transport
Main article: Transport in Sicily
Automobile Most of Sicily's motorways (autostrade) run through the northern portion of the island. The most important ones are A19 Palermo-Catania, A20 Palermo-Messina, A29 Palermo-Mazara del Vallo and the toll road A18 Messina-Catania. Much of the motorway network is elevated by columns due to the mountainous terrain.
The road network in the south of the country consists largely of well-maintained secondary roads.
Railways Sicily is connected to the Italian peninsula by the national railway company, Trenitalia, though trains are loaded onto ferries for the crossing from the mainland. Officially, the Stretto di Messina, S.p. A. was scheduled to commence construction of the world's longest suspension bridge, the Strait of Messina Bridge, in the second half of 2006. When completed, it would have marked the first time in human history that Sicily was connected by a land link to Italy. In October of 2006 the Italian Parliament scrapped the plan due to lack of popular support, particularly amongst Sicilians.[2].
Air Sicily is served by national and international flights, mostly to European locations, to and from Palermo International Airport and the substantially busier Catania-Fontanarossa Airport. There are also minor national airports in Trapani and on the small islands of Pantelleria and Lampedusa.
Metro The city of Palermo has an urban metropolitan service, handled by Trenitalia, with eleven stations, including an airport stop. Catania also has an underground rail system, which completes the circuit on the circumetnea narrow gauge railway.
Towns and cities
Sicily's principal cities include the regional capital Palermo, together with the other provincial capitals Catania, Messina, Syracuse (Siracusa in Italian), Trapani, Enna, Caltanissetta, Agrigento, Ragusa. Other Sicilian towns include Acireale, Taormina, Giardini Naxos, Piazza Armerina, Bagheria, Partinico, Carini, Alcamo, Vittoria, Caltagirone, Cefalù, Bronte, Adrano, Marsala, Corleone, Castellammare del Golfo, Calatafimi, Gela, Termini Imerese, Francavilla di Sicilia, Ferla, Sciacca, and Abacaenum (now Tripi).
The regional flag of Sicily, recognized since January 2000[3], is also the historical one of the island since 1282. It is divided diagonally yellow over red, with the trinacria symbol in the center. Trinacria literally means 3 points and it most probably is a solar symbol even though lately, it has been considered representative of the three points of the island. The head shown on the Sicilian trinacria is the face of Medusa. The trinacria symbol is used also by other regions like the Isle of Man.
Arts
Palermo is the regional capital of Sicily. Landscape with temple ruins on Sicily, Jacob Philipp Hackert, 1778Sicily is well known as a region of art: many poets and writers were born here, starting from the Sicilian School in the early 13th century, which inspired much subsequent Italian poetry and created the first Italian standard. The most famous, however, are Luigi Pirandello, Giovanni Verga, Salvatore Quasimodo, Gesualdo Bufalino. Other Sicilian artists include the composers Sigismondo d'India, Girolamo Arrigo, Salvatore Sciarrino, Giovanni Sollima (from Palermo), Alessandro Scarlatti (from Trapani or Palermo), Vincenzo Bellini, Giovanni Pacini, Francesco Paolo Frontini, Alfredo Sangiorgi, Aldo Clementi, Roberto Carnevale (from Catania).
Noto, Ragusa and particularly Acireale contain some of Italy's best examples of Baroque architecture, carved in the local red sandstone. Caltagirone is renowned for its decorative ceramics. Palermo is also a major center of Italian opera. Its Teatro Massimo is the largest opera house in Italy and the third largest in the world, seating 1,400.
Sicily is also home to two prominent folk art traditions, both of which draw heavily on the island's Norman influence. A Sicilian wood cart, or Carretto Siciliano, is painted with intricate decorations of scenes from the Norman romantic poems, such as The Song of Roland. The same tales are told in traditional puppet theatres which feature hand-made wooden marionettes, especially in Acireale, the capital of Sicilian puppets.
Sicily is the setting for many classic Italian films such as Visconti's La Terra Trema (1948)and Il Gattopardo (1963), Rosi's Salvatore Giuliano(1962) and Antonioni's L'avventura (1960).
The 1988 movie Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, was about life in a Sicilian town following the Second World War. It is also the setting for Michael Radford's Il Postino (1994) starring Massimo Troisi.
People
The position of Sicily as a stepping stone of sorts in the center of the Mediterranean Basin has lent it strategic importance throughout history, resulting in an endless procession of settlers and conquerors. Modern methods of genetic testing enable us to see which have had the greatest demographic impact. Several studies show strong ties between Sicily, mainland southern Italy and Greece, suggesting that the Siculi, Elymi and Greek colonizations were the most important.
It has been proposed that a genetic boundary divides Sicily into two regions, reflecting the distribution of Siculi and Greek settlements in the east, and Sicani/Elymi, Phoenician/Arab and Norman settlements in the west.[10][11][12] However, other research has failed to detect any such division.[13][7] No data exists on the contribution of Normans, but a number of studies hint that North African and Middle Eastern gene flow was limited by the physical barrier of the Mediterranean Sea and resulting cultural differentiation.[6][14][15][16][17][18]
Sicily's population is approximately 5 million, and there are an additional 10 million people of Sicilian descent around the world, mostly in the United States, Argentina, Canada, Australia and the EU countries. The island today, like all of western Europe, is home to growing communities of immigrants, including Tunisians, Moroccans, Nigerians, Indians, Romanians, Russians, Chinese and Gypsies from the Balkans.
Language
Main article: Sicilian language,. Many Sicilians are bilingual in both Italian and Sicilian, a separate Romance language, with Greek, Arabic, Catalan and Spanish influence. It is important to note that Sicilian is not a derivative of Italian. Although thought by some to be a dialect, Sicilianu is a distinct language, with a rich history and a sizeable vocabulary (at least 250,000 words), due to the influence of the different conquerors of, and settlers to, this land.
The Sicilian language was an early influence in the development of the first Italian standard, although its use remained confined to an intellectual élite. This was a literary language in Sicily created under the auspices of Frederick II and his court of notaries, or Magna Curia, which, headed by Giacomo da Lentini also gave birth to the Scuola Siciliana, widely inspired by troubadour literature. Its linguistic and poetic heritage was later assimilated into the Florentine by Dante Alighieri, the father of modern Italian who, in his De Vulgari Eloquentia (DVE claims that In effect this vernacular seems to deserve a higher praise than the others, since all the poetry written by Italians can be called Sicilian (DVE, I, xii). It is in this language that appeared the first sonnet, whose invention is attributed to Giacomo da Lentini himself.
Sicilian dialects are also spoken in the southern and central sections of the Italian regions Calabria (Calabrese) and Puglia (Salentino); and had a significant influence on the Maltese Language. Malta was a part of the Kingdom of Sicily (in its various forms) until the late 18th century. With the predominance of Italian in Italian schools, the media, etc., Sicilian is no longer the first language of many Sicilians. Indeed, in urban centers in particular, one is more likely to hear standard Italian spoken rather than Sicilian, especially among the young.
Sicilian generally uses the word ending [u] for singular masculine nouns and adjectives, and [a] for feminine. The plural is usually [i] for both masculine and feminine. By contrast, in Italian masculine nouns and adjectives that end in [o] in the singular pass to [i] in the plural, while the feminine counterparts pass from [a] to [e].
The -LL- sound (in words of Latin origin, for example) manifests itself in Sicilian as a voiced retroflex plosive with the tip of the tongue curled up and back, a sound which is not part of Standard Italian. In Sicilian, this sound is written simply as -dd- although the sound itself is not [d] but rather [ɖ]. For example, the Italian word bello is beddu in Sicilian.
In numerous villages, the Arbëreshë dialect of the Albanian language has been spoken since a wave of refugees settled there in the 15th century. While it is spoken within the household, Italian is the official language and modern Greek is chanted in the local Byzantine liturgy. There are also several areas where dialects of the Lombard language of the Gallo-Italic family are spoken. Much of this population is also tri-lingual, being able to also speak one of the Sicilian dialects as well.
Sicily - Palermo, Cefalu, Castelbuono, Erice, Segesta & Monte Pispisa
OAT Tour Of Sicily - Part 1 of 4
October 2015
Sicily Nature, Parks & Enviroment
Natural enviroment in Sicily Italy.
Sicily maintains numerous nature reserves and green areas. These, scattered throughout the nine provinces, have remarkably increased in number in the last half century.
The Botanic Garden in Palermo, stretching over an area of 10 hectares, is a real green lung and an important sanctuary for various plant species. It also contains busts dedicated to historical figures.
The Entella Grotto Nature Reserve, in the Palermo area, offers a splendid environment that includes a man-made lake. It is close to archaeological-historical cities Elima and Entellina and provides a critical habitat for a rich wildlife, among which is the falco peregrinus.
On a small island some 15km off the Palermo coast, is the Isola delle Femmine (Island of Women) Nature Reserve with its lush vegetation and a natural patrimony represented by leguminosae, graminaceous and composite species; varieties of flowers like nigella, reeds, romulea and Iris; numerous animal communities such as the mediterranean gull, the crested lark and the heron. Remnants of Punic and Roman amphoras were unearthed on the island.
The Sugherata Reserve, stretching over an area of 3,000 hectares in the territory of Niscemi, Caltanissetta, is mostly composed of holm-oaks, evergreens and shrubs.
The Monte Pellegrino Oriented Nature Reserve, in the Palermo province, now entrusted to the Associazione Nazionale Rangers D'Italia, is home to over a thousand plant and wildlife communities, the latter also including a reptile group. The Favorita Park, within the reserve boundries, was used as a royal hunting lodge at the time of Ferdinand III of Bourbon. Many amazing sites can be found there, such as the Valle del Porco, largely covered with rock-plants and holm-oaks. The local fauna mainly consists of raptors like the buzzard, the falco peregrinus and the stone-chat.
In the Gela area, is the Nature Reserve of the Bievere Lake, housing a variety of submerged and sheltering plants, such as orchids, the rare white-broom and the corn-flower. This is most recommended for nature lovers and birdwatchers, it being home to duck species like the porchard and the widgeon, and to many migrators. Several mammal species also inhabit the reserve such as the fox and the weasel, and raptors like the duck-hawk and the marsh-herrier.
The Grotta Conza Reserve, in the territory of Palermo, extends over an area of 4 hectares largely populated by the Mediterranean bush. The presence of limestone carbonate rocks gives this grotto-reserve a geological importance.
The LIPU oasis of the Montallegro Lake, Agrigento, covering an area of 500,000 sqm, is a crucial stopping place for migratory birds. Its scanty vegetation enhances birdwatching.
The Reserve of Platani and Capo Bianco rivers, in the Agrigento area, stretches on a rocky promontory with long beaches. The promontory, once home to greek colonies -- among which was Heraclea Minoa -- is an interesting archaeological park most characterized by fine wooded stretches inhabited by foxes, weasels and duck-hawks.
The Regional Nature Reserve Torre Salsa, in the Stella Mount district, east of Siculiana Marittima, comprises the mouth of the Salso river and a small sandy beach. Its pristine coastal environment is a major attraction for ecotourists.
The Etna Park offers a wide choice of spots; among these is the Valle del Bove (Oxen Valley), a sunken area (hence called valley) with great crevasses and chasms. Photography and nature lovers can enjoy amazing sites and landscapes, such as Bocca Nuova, Monte Zuccolaro or the Grotta delle Vannette. The Etna volcano has always been regarded as a major symbol of Sicily. Today rising over 3,000m, it began to form about 500,000 years ago. Its vegetation varies according to altitude, ranging from pistachio and holm-oaks on the western side, to bay-oaks, oaks, black hornbeams and chestnut woods on the eastern side. Higher up are the remnants of ancient woods which have been largely replaced by pastures and endemic plants.
The Bosco di Santo Pietro, in the proximity of Caltagirone, in the southern side of the Erei Mountains, has a richest flora composed of over 300 species, among which cork- and holm-oaks dominate. The fauna is mostly represented by winged animals and migrators. Such spots as the Cava Cannizzolo, the Cava Vaccarizzo and the Cava Imboscata are a must-see.
The area between Trapani and Paceco houses a fine nature reserve with splendid naturalistic attractions and major stopping place for migratory birds. Especially renowned are its salt pans, re-thriving of late, after a period of decline.
The Valle del Sosio, Agrigento, is particularly interesting, with numerous fine spots and large areas of holm-oaks, walnuts, strawberry-trees. Many fossils, today preserved at the Museum Geologico Gemellaro in Palermo, were recovered across its territory.
Along the coast south of Siracusa is the beautiful Vendicari nature reserve, a major rest place for the migratory avifauna. The Southernmost of all Italian reserves, it is comprised of three large marshy areas with several outlets to the sea. The site known as Calamosche, covering its northern stretch, provides with a beautiful environment with a richest marine wildlife and unspoilt sea floors. A variety of flora inhabited the reserve, dominated by the mediterranean bush and other plants such as the sea-fennel and the spiny chicory. The local fauna includes the water-hen and several communities of migratory birds. The site boasts an important history, having been a Phoenician port and still housing such interesting archaeological specimens as a necropolis and a church from the Byzantine age. A Swabian watch-tower, referred to as the Castello di Vendicari, is situated there near a tuna-fishery.
In the Belice's lower valley there is a gorgeous green area, alas not protected by environmental laws; the site is known as the Riserva del Castello della Pietra, deriving its name from a ruined Norman fortification there located. Covered with a short vegetation, natural bonsai species, capers and dwarf fan palms, it also houses remnants from the Greek, Arab, Roman and Norman epochs.
In the Messina province is the Valle degli Eremiti (the valley of the hermits), a naturalistic site deriving its name from a neighboring hill, once a refuge for hermits. A monastery, now reduced to ruins, was erected here by the Carmelitani Friars in the 1500s. The valley provides impressing spots for excursions on foot.
The Parco Minerario Floristella Grottacalda, in the Enna province, was an important mining area providing a livelyhood for thousands of workers. Today, it represents a fine specimen of industrial archaeology, combined with naturalistic spots, where visitors can still smell the acrid scent of sulphur. The highly injured Palazzo Pennisi, at Floristella, once the residence of the owners and the headquarter of the mining business, is supposed to be soon restored to house a Labour Museum.
The Sambughetti-Campanito Oriented Nature Reserve, Enna, covers a large area of mediterranean bush. Oaks, holm- and bay-oaks dominate the landscape. The reserve includes the Sambughetti Mount (1508m), with remains of an ancient beech-wood, and several small lakes.
The Altesina Mount Oriented Nature Reserve, Enna, is a major tourism attraction. Populated by pines, eucalyptuses and beech-woods, it is home to a richest wildlife. A fine archaeological site and the Nicoletti Park further enriches the Reserve.
Between Vittoria and Camarina, Ragusa, the Aleppo Pine Oriented Reserve is a sanctuary for some of the last remaining specimens of kermes oaks. The local fauna includes such species as the owl and the jay.
The Oriented Nature Reserve of the Irminio River's mouth, Ragusa, offers a rich vegetation composed of a great variety of communities such as the prickly juniper and the lentisk; on the riverside are marsh-reeds, tamerisks and reeds. The fauna includes, among the others, the marsh turtle, the coleopter and the nightingale.
A most interesting and noted naturalistic area stretches from the Lauro Mount to the Sicily Channel, still in the Ragusa district. This provides a critical habitat for a variety of animals and plants. It is divided into three large zones: the Dirillo riverside, the Cava di Bocampello and the Cava Biddieni.
The district of the Alcantara river is a major tourism resort, designated a reserve as to preserve its precious resources and environment. Rose in the Nebrodi mountains, the Alcantara river -- one of the four main rivers in Sicily -- flows into the Ionian Sea, after bathing several cities between Messina and Catania. First just a little creek, it grows in size as it approaches the Etna volcano. Its gradual erosion has created spectacular gorges, today most crowded by tourists. The flora is mostly composed of citrus grove, vineyard, oak wood, varieties of flowers, corn poppy and myrtle. A richest wildlife, including communities of raptors and migratory birds, inhabits the area.
The Madonie Park comprises a range of impressing naturalistic places.
Tracts of rich Mediterranean bush stretches in the vicinity of Polizzi Generosa, near Palermo. The area is scattered with farmhouses and cave-dwellings where innumerable relics have been discovered. Nearby is a fine site known as Padella, with splendid landscapes and spots including a botanic garden.
A site of high naturalistic and archaeological value is that bordered by the San Calogero Mount and the valleys of the Torto and San Leonardo rivers. Here stood the ancient Himera. A dam on the San Leonardo river is today a major attraction for tourists.
The Oriented Nature Reserve of Favara and Granza woods is a vast land covered with trees like cork-oaks, holm-oaks and shrubs. It is home to a rich fauna including the fox, the marten, reptiles, amphibians and birds.
The vast area of the Sicani Mountains, in the Palermo province, offers as much appreciated sites as those in the Nebrodi. With several lakes -- that of Prizzi is particularly interesting -- and naturalistic sites, it provides an ideal habitat for migratory birds and other communities.
The nature reserves of Monte Carcaci, a paradise of endemic plants, and Monte Genuardo, covered by woods and a dense undergrowth inhabited by rare raptors and mammals are also worth-mentioning. Here also stands an Abbey, dedicated to Santa Maria del Bosco, dating from the late 1500s.
The Oriented Nature Reserve Bagni di Cefalà Diana e Pizzo Chiaristella is especially noted for its Arab thermal baths.
The Nature Reserve Pizzo Cane, Pizzo Trigna and Grotta Mazzamuto, one of the largest in the province, features a mostly inaccessible territory comprised of densest woods. It protect rare raptors such as the royal eagle and the red kite.
Palermo's reserve of Serre di Ciminna, with its uncontaminated landscapes, is of high geological value, dating from the Miocene.
The Integral Nature Reserve Grotta di Carburangeli is characterized by interesting karst phenomenons. Rare specimens of stalagmites and stalactites were created throughout the centuries by the constant dripping of the water. A rare group of bats inhabits the Reserve, what contributed to enhance its scientific importance.
The Oriented Nature Reserve Capo Rama stretches on the coast facing the Golfo di Castellammare and Terrasini. It provides with a striking sea landscape with rocky strips, grassy vegetation, shrubs, dwarf fan palms and other species.
The Integral Natural Geological Reserve of Contrada Scaleri, in the province of Caltanissetta, is splitted into two areas. Of high scientific value for geomorfologic researches, this is the first reserve being destined for mostly scientific research.
Of geoligical value is also the Integral Nature Reserve Lago Sfondato thanks to the presence of sulphur and gypsum rocks and karst phenomenons. The landscape sees a predominance of orchids and grassy vegetation. The lake, on the slopes of the Monte Pestichino, has a karstic origin, formed by the collapse of gypsum deposits.
The Nebrodi Mountains, stretching along the thyrrenian coast of Sicily, are characterized by densely wooded areas. The twenty-one municipalities comprised in the territory retain much of their historical heritage, with precious specimens of old fortifications and constructions. Amazing lakes, valleys and peaks dominate the landscape; the richest flora and fauna has been protected since the establishment of the outstanding Parco Naturale Regionale dei Nebrodi. Here live the tortois, the porcupin, the ousel, the hawk, the falcos peregrinus, the owl, horses and many other animal communities. Several villages in this area go back to the period of the Greek decline in Sicily, founded by refugees who evaquated their threatened cities and moved inland up the course of the main rivers. Relics of fortified cities and hamlets contribute to the tourism importance of the Park. Especially worth-seeing are the small cities of Ficarra, San Fratello, Montalbano Elicona, S. Marco D'Alunzio, Mistretta, Roccella Valdemone.
The Pergusa Lake district, in the Enna province, stretched, in ancient times, over a vast territory populated by richest fauna, today rarer and rarer. The decline, started under the Roman domination responsible for a massive deforastation, continued throughout the centuries notably due to the establishment of the landowning system. The situation has only recently improved thanks to environmental measures and restrictions (hunting was forbidden several years ago). Remains of a necropolis and other relics were recovered from the Monte Cozzo Matrice, one of the tallest peaks in the district.
Near Sperlinga, amidst a densely wooded area flows the Salso river, salted, since it crosses some salt works on its course, and surrounded by oaks and a rich fauna.
The Altesina Mount, the tallest in the Erei Mountains, is home to archaeologic relics and to an uncontaminated environment where bay-oaks, holm-oaks, pines, eucalyptuses, poplars and mediterranean bush dominate the landscape. A natural habitat for apennine fauna is here provided.
Worth-mentioning is the area known as Vallone di Piano della Corte, with abundant precipitations throughout the year and impressing gorges.
The mouth of the Belice River, declared as a Nature Reserve in 1984, protects an endangered African landscape, with plenty of sandy dunes and water courses. This area, running between Marinella di Selinunte and Porto Palo, includes two fine coastal strips with aquatic and marshy vegetation. It is a highly windy area with a sub-tropical climate, covered by bushes and abundant grassy vegetation. Wildlife includes the heron, the kingfisher, reptiles, the marine turtle and other communities.
The Gorgo Lake area, near Montallegro, is one of several green oasises scattered around the Agrigento province. Albeit not largest, it is considered a real ornithologic paradise. Interventions by both WWF and LIPU have helped protect the area from poachers and pollution.
In the Enna province are the Bosco di Rossomanno, between Aidone and Piazza Armerina, well-endowed with natural resources and a rich flora, the Bosco della Baronessa, which is a state property, and the Vallone Strazzavertole, with abundant vegetation mostly composed of oaks and holm-oaks.
The Grotte della Gulfa, at a few distance from Alia, Palermo, is a complex of caves and grottoes dug into a cliff, once used as a storehouse by local peasants. Very characteristic is the Tholos, a wide circular space of uncertain origin, inside the grotto, believed to date from before the this was dug.
The Montagna Grande Natural Park is a cherished jewel on Pantelleria island, mostly covered with pines, holm-oaks and shrubs like the prickly pear cactus, the wild broom, the lentisk and graminaceous species.
SICILY'S STATE FOREST PROPERTIES
The tour through Sicily's naturalistic riches comprises several of what are referred to as Aree Attrezzate, several equipped state forests and areas.
PALERMO
In the Palermo province are: Casaboli, covered by pines, aleppo pines, holm-oaks and bushes, and protecting a fauna composed by the wild rabbit, sparrow communities and more; Renda-Aglisotto, reafforested with Mediterranean, Canarian and black pines, cypresses, holm-oaks and maples; the Gradara Mount, in a mountainous landscape dominated by woods of pines and cypresses; the Montagna Longa-Santa Venera; Santa Caterina, a wood at some 900m above sea level providing with a beautiful panorama; the Piano Zucchi, in the heart of the Madonie mountains, with a profusion of black pines, holm-oaks, cypresses and maples.
TRAPANI
The Trapani province includes a number of state forest areas: Erice Vetta, in the proximity of Erice, a natural area mostly covered with holm-oaks and bay-oaks; the Monte Erice, with mediterranean pines and eucalyptuses, and a man-made lake inhabited by ducks and gooses; the Finestrelle, with an interesting Agri-Forestry museum accessible with authorization by the local forest office; the Inici, highly damaged by a fire but still offering a breathtaking coastal view between Castellammare and Balestrate,
AGRIGENTO
The Cammarata Mount, comprising a densely wooded area of conifers; Monte Sara, a 4 hectares wooded area of mediterranean pines and dwarf fan palms; the Arancio Lake, rich in pines and eucalyptuses.
CALTANISSETTA
The province of Caltanissetta comprises four equipped areas: The Parco Attrezzato Comunelli, covered with eucalyptuses and Mediterranean pines, and comprising the Comunelli dam; Alzacuda and Raffo Rosso, both rich in eucaliptyses and picturesque trails; Mustogarufi, with fine trails most frequented by tourists.
CATANIA
Over 48,000 hectares of woods, mostly composed of conifers, surround the Etna volcano.
Monte Boiardo, a wooded area with a predominance of poplars, maples and pines; the Camisa, falling in Demanio Forestale Flascio (State property), covered with plopars, cypresses, pines, bay-oaks and with a dense undergrowth. Motorized vehicles are not allowed here. Nature lovers can enjoy hikes along many beautiful trails; the Demanio Granvilla, a state property with plenty of pines, cypresses, eucalyptuses and a dense undergrowth; the Di Ganzaria district, a wood that offers opportunity for amazing excursions and walks amidst mediterranean pines, bay-oaks, cypresses, eucalyptuses, cork-oaks and a rich undergrowth.
ENNA
The Enna territory comprises: The Ronza, covered with pines, eucalyptuses, false acacias, hosting a rich fauna including birds, fallow-deers and wild-boars. Provided with developed accommodation facilities, this is much frequented by tourists; Selsa Perugina, accessible not far from the Pergusa Lake; the Casale, covered by chestnut and cherry trees.
MESSINA
The state forests in the province of Messina are mainly scattered in the Nebrodi and Peloritani Mountains. The vegetation here is that typical of the mountainside spanning beeches, turkey-oaks, pines, chestnut-trees. Several well-equipped areas have grown to remarkable tourism resorts frequented all the year round; the Piano Margi, covered with mediterranean pines and chestnuts, and home to an artificial hilly lake and a towering rock called the Castello di Margi.
Then there are: the Madonnuzza, deriving its name from a church dedicated to the Virgin of Camaro, largely composed by bay-oaks, pines and chestnuts; the Crupi, with a nice pine-wood and accommodation facilities; the Pantano, covered with pines and eucalyptuses, and only accessible on foot; the Camaro, in the Peloritani Mountains, consisting of an ancient forest in a highly panoramic position, dominated by pines and acacias; the Erbe Verdi, with mediterranean and black pines.
Finally is the Demanio Forestale Savoca, also known as Cavagna. This, accessible through a wood of oaks and chestnuts, offers dramatic views of the Misitano creek and the Etna volcano and is particularly renowned for its delicious porcini mushrooms.
RAGUSA
The Ragusa province also counts a quantity of woods and forests often alternating with fields zig-zagged by the typical dry-stone walls:
Calaforno, covered with mediterranean pines and oriental planes, and inhabited by deers and wild-boars; the Bosco Arcibressi, accessible by a mountainous densely wooded tract, with accommodation facilities, a fauna including fallow-deers, tibetan goats and birds, and a lake inhabited by gooses and ducks; the Canalazzo, a wood of most oaks, holm oaks and bay-oaks.
TRAPANI
The Monte Cofano, in the Trapani province, with its rich flora of most endemic plants and dwarf fan palms closes the list.
Winter in Sicily -The Madonie Region
A collection of winter scenes in the Madionie region of Sicily
Top 5 Chinese Foods You MUST Try | Best Food Of The Year!
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Chinese food. Chinese street food. I love you. The cuisine I sampled in the last year living in China was unreal. I've combined my top 5 Chinese food picks into one video. I mostly eat Sichuan food, so there may be some bias, but believe me, the food I ate this year, whether Chinese street food or Chinese market food or eating at nice Chinese restaurants, I've narrowed down into 5 delicious picks for you!
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Number 5:
On the paper fish - 纸上烤鱼 Zhi shang kaoyu
This is a grilled fish on the paper, so that there is no charring of any ingredients and all the flavours of the spicy and garlicky broth are soaked into the fish. You also order additional ingredients, like eggs, lotus root, tofu, potato, cilantro, and greens. I ate this one in Chengdu. It's a great Chengdu food to try.
Number 4 - Leshan duck - 甜皮鸭 Tian pi ya
This is the famous Leshan sweet skinned duck. It's stewed in ginger, onions, sugar, salt, star anise, Sichuan peppercorn, cinnamon, fennel, cloves, and cardamom. It's super easy and this is one of my favourite ducks in all of China.
Number 3 - Firewood Chicken - 柴火鸡 Chaihuoji
This was truly a magical experience. A whole chicken is chopped up and put into a wok heated by wood fire. It's boiled in a wok full of Sichuan broad bean paste and dried chilies, making it super spicy, juicy, and salty. The wok is full of other vegetable ingredients that you personally order. I ordered potatoes to keep it classic. The best part of the whole meal is when they take a dough and place it on the side of the wok and put the lid over it, making these gooey and sticky and crispy on the outside. So satisfying. Another great Sichuan food to try in Chengdu.
Number 2 -Xinjiang food
Xinjiang food is a huge culinary world that I can't say I've fully sampled. But what I did try in Urumqi was amazing. I had a meal at a traditional Xinjiang restaurant that was 3 main Xinjiang foods: Pumpkin and Lamb steamed buns, Xinjiang Lamb Kebabs, and A lamb and onion and black pepper rounang stuffed bread.
Number 1 - Tibetan food- Xizang cai
I tried this food at the four girls mountain range in Western Sichuan. This meal was so so satisfying and really rich and heavy. It consisted of spicy yak meat, fresh local potatoes, fresh local first growth forest hand picked greens fried up in a wok with yak butter, fresh tibetan butter tea, and blood sausage. Yet the best part of this meal was eating with the local people of the area. They were so welcoming and friendly and it really felt like a once in a lifetime experience to just sit down and chat with them in their little living room heated by a wood stove in the coldest part of the winter. What a try experience!
Was there something that you think I should have put in this list? What would you like to try most? What are your thoughts about this video? Leave me a comment below about anything, I love hearing from you!
ABOUT THE FOOD RANGER
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My name is Trevor James and I'm a hungry traveler and Mandarin learner that's currently living in Chengdu, Szechuan, China, eating up as much delicious .
I enjoy tasting and documenting as many dishes as I can and I'm going to make videos for YOU along the way! Over the next few years, I'm going to travel around the world and document as much food as I can for you! I love delicious food! This channel will show you real Chinese food and real local food, not that stuff they serve in the Buzzfeed challenge.
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Sicilian Food, Wine and Cooking
If you are looking for fine Italian wine and food, consider the Sicily region of southern Italy.
Sicily is an island in the Mediterranean Sea located off the southwest tip of Italy. Sicily was first inhabited about ten thousand years ago. Agriculture and animal raising date back well over four thousand years. Its rulers have included the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Germans, and Spaniards, among others. This mountainous region is prone to volcanoes and earthquakes; in 1908 an earthquake and subsequent tidal wave killed eighty thousand people in the coastal city of Messina. Sicily's population is about five million, with an additional ten million people of Sicilian descent around the world.
Agricultural products include wheat, barley, corn, olives, citrus fruit, almonds, and, of course, grapes. Tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers are prominent in local cuisine. Sicily is Italy's second region for organic food. Many think that the Arabs introduced pasta to Sicily, which subsequently introduced it to the rest of Italy. Cattle, mules, donkeys, and sheep are raised. Sicily claims to have invented meatballs, The seas surrounding Sicily are bountiful, favorites include sardines, tuna, and swordfish. Sicily is famous for desserts, including frozen treats made with snow from Mount Etna.
Sicilian heavy industry includes petro-chemicals, chemicals, mining, and electronics. Tourism is a major factor in the Sicilian economy. Did you know that the Valle dei Templi in Agrigento on the Mediterranean Sea has some of the finest Greek ruins on earth?
Palermo, arguably the world's most conquered city, is Sicily's capital with a population of a little under seven hundred thousand. It is a definite tourist destination, with its numerous historical churches, museums, theaters, and Italy's largest botanical garden. Another urban tourist destination is Syracuse, dating back to Ancient Greece. The Greek writer Cicero described it as The greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all. Both earthquakes and World War II caused heavy damage, but many of the most interesting sites have been reconstructed.
Sicily devotes about a third of a million acres to grapevines, it ranks first among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is about 213 million gallons, also giving it first place If Sicily were an independent country, it would rank seventh in the world for wine production. About 54% of its wine production is red or rosé (only a bit of rosé), leaving 46% for white. The region produces 19 DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine. Only a little more than 2% of Sicilian wine carries the DOC designation. Sicily is home to over three dozen major and secondary grape varieties, with more white than red varieties.
Widely grown international white grape varieties include Malvasia and to a lesser extent, Chardonnay. The best-known strictly Italian white varieties are Catarratto, Grecanico, Inzolia, and Grillo. The first three of these varieties are blended in the wine reviewed below.
Widely grown international red grape varieties include Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. The best-known strictly Italian red varieties are Nero d'Avola, Frappato, and Nerello Mascalese.
Sicily - Food and Wines - Wines
Contrasts are not the least of those things in which Sicily abounds. So perhaps it is not surprising that this ancient island boasts one of Italy's most modern wine industries of that a region noted chiefly in the past for strong and often sweet amber Marsala and Moscato has rapicly switched the emphasis toward lighter, dryer wines - whites and reds.
Sicily, the largest Mediterranean island, has more vineyards for wine than any other region. Production in recent years has reached awesome levels - frequently the greatest in volume among the regions. The westernmost province of Trapani alone turns out more wine than the entire regions of Tuscany or Piedmont or such wine nations as Hungary, Austria or Chile. But the proportion of DOC wine in Sicily's total is a mere 2.5 per cent and a major share of that is Marsala, which with some 22 million litres a year ranks among Italy's top ten DOCs in volume.
Marsala, which was devised by English merchant traders nearly two centuries ago, has remained Sicily's proudest wine despite decades of degradation when it was flavoured with various syrups and sweeteners. Recently it has enjoyed a comeback with connoisseurs, who favour the dry Marsala Vergine and Superiore Riserva with their warmly complex flavours that rank them with the finest fortified wines of Europe.
The only other DOC wine made in significant quantity in Sicily (about 2.5 million litres a year) is the pale white, bone dry Bianco d'Alcamo. Moscato di Pantelleria, from the remote isle off the coast of Tunisia, is among the richest and most esteemed of Italian sweet wines in the Naturale and Passito Extra versions. Malvasia delle Lipari, from the volcanic Aeolian isles,is a dessert wine as exquisite as it is rare.
The dry white and red wines of Etna, whose vines are draped over the lower slopes of the volcano, can show notable class, as can the pale red but potent Cerasuolo di Vittoria. Production of the others DOCs - the dry, red Faro and the sweet Moscatos of Noto and Siracusa - has been virtually nonexistent in recent times.
By contrast, a number of unclassivied vini da tavola are thriving. Increasingly prominent are the pale, faintly scented, delicately fruity whites which derive largely from native grapes such as Inzolia, Catarratto, Grecanico and Verdello. Such outsiders as Sauvignon and Chardonnay have also proved promising. Certain reds have achieved prominence, too, mainly those from such admired native varieties as Nero d'Avola (or Calabrese) and Nerello Mascalese and Perricone (or Pignatello).
The most admired brands in Sicilian tables wines - Corvo-Duca di Salaparuta and Regaleali - do not qualify under any DOC. Yet Corvo's consistent quality in dry whites and reds from grapes selected throughout the island has made them prizewinners at home and abroad. Regaleali from the Tasca d'Almerita family estate high in the island's central hills, has been producing white, rose' and reds that have won international acclaim.
The Region of Sicily distinguishes wines of consistent quality - whether DOC or not - with a Q, which appears on labels as a seal of approval.
Sicilian wine has not enjoyed universal success, however. In an era of dwindling consumption world-wide, much of the island's production is either shipped away as blending wine or designated for distillation into industrial alcohol.
The region's wine production - four-fifths of which is centred in cooperatives - has been gradually reduced as new emphasis has been given to premium quality. New methods of viticulture in the sunny, temperate hills are helping to realise wines of real character and individuality. Sicily has taken the lead in winemaking in the modern south as producers seem increasingly determined to live up to the promise that was so well known to the ancient Greeks.
Sicily - Wine Regions
Regional capital: Palermo. Provinces: Agrigento, Caltanisetta, Catania, Enna, Messina, Palermo, Ragusa, Siracusa, Trapani
Sicily is Italy's largest region (25,708 square kilometres) and ranks fourth in population (5,084,000).
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Vineyards cover 164,500 hectares (First) of which registered DOC plots total 21,000 hectares (Fifth).
Annual wine production of 11,000,000 hectolitres (Second to Apulia) includes 1.5 per cent or 277,000 hectolitre DOC (Eleventh), of which more than 95 per cent is white.
DOC AREAS
Alcamo Or Bianco D'alcamo
Cerasuolo Di Vittoria
Etna
Faro R-Dr,
Malvasia Delle Lipari
Marsala
Moscato Dinoto
Moscato Di Pantelleria Naturale
Passito
Moscato Di Siracusa
OTHER WINES OF NOTE
Cellaro
Cerde`se
Duca Enrico
Libecchio
Menfi Rosso Nerello Siciliano
Rapitala` Rosso
Regaleali Rosso del Conte
Rubillo
Terre d'Agala
W-Dr Bianca di Valguarnera
Cellaro Bianco
Cerde`se Bianco
Corvo Colomba Platino
Corvo Prima Goccia
Donnafugata Vigna di Gabri Libecchio
Menfi Bianco
Regaleali Nozze d'Oro
Rincione
Terre di Ginestra
Verdello Siciliano
Others
Conti d'Almerita Brut
Inzolia di Samperi
Stravecchio Siciliano, Vecchio Samperi,
Villa Fontane Sollicchiato Bianco
Sicily is rightly famed for its food and drink, and the island's cuisine reflects the different cultural influences which have shaped Sicily over the centuries.
Sicily's rich desserts and pastries are famed far and wide. Cannoli, sweet tubes of ricotta, can be found all over Italy but those in Sicily are the original and the best. Arab influences show in the popular brightly-coloured sweets made of marzipan, and in the sinfully rich cassata, which comes in both ice cream and cake varieties, made from ricotta with bits of candied fruit and chocolate. Ice cream, gelato is another speciality, to be enjoyed during a leisurely evening passeggiata.
Sicily's home-grown products make for a rich and varied spread, ranging from bright oranges and lemons to tasty cheeses like pecorino. Seafood is another staple of the diet, particularly around the coastal towns. Pasta with sardines (con le sarde) is local favourite. Around Catania you will find pasta or pizza alla Norma (named after Catania boy Bellini's opera), with tomato, ricotta and aubergine. Couscous, eaten particularly in the west of the island, is another example of Sicily's mixed food heritage.
One of the treats of a hot day is a good granita. This refreshing slush of fruit and ice comes served with both a spoon and a straw, and is a delicious way to cool down in the sunshine. The most zingy flavours are fresh local lemons or the Sicilian oranges which can also be enjoyed as a freshly-squeezed juice (a spremuta).
Sicily's most renowned wine is Marsala, a dessert wine, but there are several good reds and whites from different parts of the island, including Etna, where grapes are grown on the fertile slopes of the volcano. Restaurants invariably offer a house wine, white or red, which is generally cheap, local and of reasonable quality. A speciality of the eastern coast is vino alla mandorla, made with almonds.
As well as all the local culinary specialities, you'll also find all the normal Italian foods like pizza and pasta in every variety. Cheap and tasty hot snacks can be bought from a tavola calda, rosticceria or a bar, where they'll heat sandwiches for you. You can stock up on picnic food at supermarkets or general stores, where they may make up rolls for you. Desserts sometimes seem like an afterthought in Italian restaurants; you can usually find a more inspiring (and economical) choice at one of the islands many pastry shops (pasticcerie).
The cuisine of Sicily is uniquely different from any other Italian region, strongly influenced by it's many conquerors. From the Greeks, to the Romans, the Arabs, the Normans, the French and the Spanish, each conqueror and wayfarer have strongly left their influence on the foods of Sicily. Not only have these foreign civilizations converged on Sicily throughout it's history with conquest in mind, but they usually brought with them new ingredients, customs and food traditions that remained long after they had left. Blend these foreign techniques with simple peasant ingredients, including the fresh catch of the sea, and pick of the garden, and Sicilian cuisine was born.
The basic ingredients used most commonly in Sicilian cuisine are those similar to other southern Italian regions, including olive oil, pasta, seafood, fresh fruits and vegetables, including of course the beloved tomato. The philosophy of Sicilian cooking can be found throughout Italy, where one cooks with what has on hand, or what can be found fresh at the market or in the garden, rather than starting with a recipe first, and then looking for the needed ingredients.
The range of dishes found in the cuisine of Sicily is extensive, making it quite difficult to categorize it easily. A favorite Sicilian appetizer might be the traditional Caponata, which is a hearty, full bodied mixture of eggplant and other mediterranean ingredients that is delicious served with crusty bread. Another favorite eggplant appetizer is Eggplant Sandwiches, which consists of breaded slices of eggplant sandwiched a slice of cheese in between, which is then fried a golden brown. Arancini, or small oranges, consist of fried rice balls stuffed with meat and cheese, and are another Sicilian delicacy which are served as an antipasto.
A first course in Sicily may be a simple Pasta con le Sarde, or Pasta with Sardines, considered by many to be the national dish, or Pasta with Cauliflower. A vibrant, tasty tomato based pasta made with fried eggplant which is topped with ricotta salata cheese is also commonly served, called Pasta alla Norma.
Soups may include beans, lentils, rice, fresh vegetables and many combinations of these ingredients. A Rice Timbale, or a baked casserole of rice, meats, eggs and cheese is another commonly served first course. Couscous, introduced to the Sicilians by the Arabs, can also be found on many Sicilian tables.
Meat is not as popular as seafood, since Sicily is an island and has an abundance of fresh catch available. Veal however is enjoyed, such as in the recipe for Veal Marsala. Beef, when used, is commonly ground and used for meatballs or meatloaf, which are served after the pasta, as a second course. The seafood available is extensive, but swordfish and tuna are very popular. Grilled Swordfish with Orange Sauce, might be something you would find, combining both the popular fish with citrus fruit which is found across the island. Tuna With White Beans would be a recipe that typifies Sicilian cooking at it's best. Sardines are prevalent, and are used as an appetizer, first course, or even a main course. Baccala, or dried salted cod, is another seafood specialty found in Sicily.
There is a vast selection of fresh vegetables and fruit available in Sicily, producing a stupendous range of dishes put together for flavor, as well as for appearance and aroma. Sicilians have perfected the art of food presentation, where even the most simple dish becomes a work of art. Favorite vegetables consist of fennel, such as in the recipe for Baked Fennel, fava beans, which might be served as Fave con Pecorino, onions, cauliflower, and artichokes which can be found prepared in a myriad of ways.
Sicily exceeds all other Italian regions in it's choices of sweets, fruits and ice creams. Marzipan, or sweetened almond paste is shaped into many forms and artistically colored. Cannoli, are tubular crusts filled with sweetened ricotta. The filling is flavored with candies fruits and nuts or chocolate. A Cassata, is a rich cake filled with a similar filling to the cannoli. Granita and ice creams or every imaginable flavor can be found at shops on every corner.
Cucina Siciliana: Authentic Recipes and Culinary Secrets from Sicily
Other recipes
Sicilian granite recipes
Sicilian cannoli recipe
Sicilian arancini recipe
Sicilian Cassata recipe
Caponata
Polpette of Nunnata
Sardinians a beccafico
Falsomagro
Pasta with Sardinians
Pasta alla Norm
Modica (RG) Sicily Italy Travel Slideshow
A very nice town in the province of Ragusa on the southeastern coast of Sicily Italy. This town is listed as world heritage on UNESCO.
Pablo Bisquera.