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 | Abruzzo Basilicata Calabria Campania Emilia Romagna Friuli Venezia Giulia Lazio Liguria Lombardia Le Marche Molise Piemonte Puglia Sardinia Sicily Agrigento Caltanissetta Catania Enna Messina Palermo Ragusa Syracuse Trapani Tuscany Trentino Alto Adige Umbria Valle D Aosta Veneto | | SicilyItaly > Sicily Sicily (Sicilia in Italian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,700 sq. km and 5 million inhabitants. The volcano Etna, is situated close to Catania. Etna is 3,320 m (10,900 ft) high, making it the tallest volcano in Europe. It is also one of the world's most active volcanos. The Aeolian islands to the north are administratively a part of Sicily, as are the Egadi Islands to the west, Ustica Island to the north-west, and the Pelagian Islands to the south-west. Sicily has been long known as a "melting pot" of ancient cultures and peoples, and highly valued for its location. The inhabitants of the island are therefore descended from numerous peoples, mainly Greeks, Italians, Phoenicians, Saracen Arabs and the pre-colonial indigenous peoples known as Sicans/Sicani (generally residing in the west of Sicily and possibly an Iberian tribe), the Elymi, and the Sicels/Siculi (residing mostly in the eastern portion of the island and probably an Italic tribe). There is also the presence of Norman, Lombard, Provençal, Catalan and Spanish blood in some Sicilians, due to either conquest of, or migration to, the island. Sicilians residing in the east, southeast, and northeast portions of the island are primarily of Greek (and probably Sicel) descent. Cities such as Syracuse (Sirakousa), Messina (Zankle), Agrigento (Akragas), and Taormina/Giardini-Naxos, were originally Greek settlements. In the southwest, west, and northwest of the island, the inhabitants are primarily of Phoenician/Arab and Sican descent. Cities such as Trapani and Palermo were Phoenician settlements. The few Sicilians with Norman or Spanish blood are found mostly in the large northern cities such as Palermo and Cefalu. Sicilians of Lombard descent are to be found primarily in the centre and central-east of Sicily, in towns such as Piazza Amerina, Nicosia and Aidone, where a Gallic-Italic dialect is spoken to this day. There were also significant Lombard settlements in Randazzo and Paternó in the middle ages. San Fratello, in the Province of Messina, was the destination of a large contingent of mercenaries from Provence in the middle ages, and to this day, the San Fratellans speak a unique Provençal-Sicilian dialect. Many Sicilians are bilingual in both Italian and Sicilian, a separate Romance language, descended from Vulgar Latin, with Greek, Arabic, French, Provençal, German, Catalan and Spanish influences. It is important to note that Sicilian is not a derivative of Italian. Although thought by some to be a dialect, many believe Sicilianu to be a distinct langauge, with a rich history and an extremely large vocabulary (250,000 or more words), due to the influence of the many different rulers of the island. Sicilian is also spoken around Reggio di Calabria and in southern Puglia in Italy. Sicilian also had a significant influence on the Maltese Language, which 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. Pages referring to SicilyHere are links to a selection of pages that mention Sicily within this website: Agrigento, Calabria, Caltanissetta, Catania, Cefalu, Enna, Marsala, Messina, Palermo, Ragusa, Reggio Calabria, Syracuse, Taormina, Trapani Content Referred to by This ArticleFind out more about the information contained in this article by clicking one of the links listed below. Catania Snippets of Articles Relating to SicilyItaly > Sicily > Trapani Trapani is the name of a city in the western part of the Italian island of Sicily, of 68,346 inhabitants (2001). It is the capital of the province of Trapani. Italy > Sicily > Syracuse Syracuse (Siracusa in Italian) is a city on the eastern coast of Sicily, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Syracuse. Syracuse today has about 125,000 inhabitants and numerous attractions for the visitor interested in historical sites (such as the Ear of Dionysius). Nearby places of note include Catania, Noto, Modica and Ragusa. Italy > Sicily > Caltanissetta Caltanissetta is located on the western interior of Sicily, an area of rolling hills with small villages and towns. Caltanissetta was originally a Saracen settlement but was captured by the Normans in 1086. A charter was granted to the town in accordance with Count Roger's vat plan for the urbanisation of Sicily and the urban plan that is still in evidence today was laid out. Caltanissetta is the hub of public transport in the area. | |
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