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Vacations Sicily  -  Sicily Vacations.

Provinces in Sicily : Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Catania, Enna, Messina, Palermo, Ragusa, Siracusa and Trapani

Sicily's principal cities : Palermo, and the provincial capitals Catania, Messina, Syracuse, Trapani, Enna, Caltanissetta, Agrigento, Ragusa.

Other famous Sicilian towns include Cefalù, Taormina, Bronte, Marsala, Corleone, Castellammare del Golfo Francavilla di Sicilia, and Abacaenum / Tripi.

Sicily is separated from the Italian peninsula by the Strait of Messina. Around it there are three archipelagoes of minor islands, the Aeolian Islands, the Egadi and the Pelagie, and two other equally well-known islands, Ustica to the north and Pantelleria to the south, and a few other little groups of smaller islands such as those in the Stagnone di Marsala, which include the Punic isle of Mozia.

Because of its triangular shape, the ancient Greek name for Sicily was Trinacria (meaning three cornered). Later it was called Sicania and Sicilia. The last name was applied in mediaval times also to southern Italy. Since the Arab domination the island was divided for various centuries into three departements: the Val Demone including Messina province and part of Palermo one, Val di Noto including all the south-east part of Sicily, Val di Mazara from Trapani to Palermo.

National Capital Sicily : Palermo


campings, car hire, hostels, hotels, rental homes, tour operators, travel guides, transportation / traveling to sicily

links


Camping and Caravanning

 Eurocampings  -  ACSI Camping Guide

 Camping.it  -  Camp sites Sicily
Agrigento - Caltanissetta - Catania - Enna - Messina - Palermo - Ragusa - Siracusa - Trapani. 

Car Rental Sicily

 Avis
 Budget Rent A Car
 Hertz

Rental Homes / Apartments

 Euro Relais  -  Holiday Cottages in Italy
Charming chalet, villa, castle or mill? Country cottage, mansion or farmhouse? Discover their special holiday homes and book online!

 NonSoloCasa  -  Holiday homes in Southern Italy

Hostels / Country Inns

 Hostelbookers.com - Great Hostels, Free booking
Hostelbookers.com is one of the worlds largest online booking services for hostels. All hostels you see here are offering realtime prices and availability.
 Ostelli online - Italian Youth Hostels Association
 Agriturismo.net - Farmhouse accommodations / Country Inns

Hotel Room Sicily

 Hotels in Sicily  -  Hotel Guide Sicily
Hotels in Palermo, Catania, Siracusa, Cefalù, Taormina, Agrigento, Trapani, Giardini Naxos, Cinisi, Marsala, Castellammare del Golfo, Santʼ'Alessio Siculo, and more ...

 Hotels in Palermo

More Hotels? See Hotels

National Parks Sicily

 Al Alcantara Park
 Etna Park
 Madoni Park
 Nebrodi Park

 Park.it  -  Italian Park Portal
National Parks, Regional Parks, Marine Protected Areas, National Reserves, Regional Reserves, Wetlands and Other Protected Areas.

Tour Operators / Travel Agents



 L'Isobella  -  a fully licensed tour operator based in Catania, Sicily
For leisure or business, they would like to offer you an effective service for organizing your travel to Sicily at best: any kind of information about the island, travel itineraries, car rental, places to visit and much more.
 Sicilia Tour

Travel Guides Sicily / Related books

Fodor's Italy 
Paperback: 944 pages; Publisher: Fodor's (September 12, 2006); Language: English; ISBN-13: 978-1400016891
The Rough Guide to Italy
Paperback: 1200 pages; Publisher: Rough Guides; 8 edition (July 2, 2007); Language: English; ISBN-10: 1843538555; ISBN-13: 978-1843538554
Frommer's Italy - by Darwin Porter (Author), Danforth Prince (Author)
Paperback: 832 pages; Publisher: Frommer's (August 28, 2006); Language: English; ISBN-13: 978-0471962236 

Transport / How do I travel to Sicily

 Catania Airport

www.austrianair.com  -  Flight tickets Italy

 Alitalia USA  - Flights to Catania

  Airline Tickets / Bargain Flights

Some people enjoy coming to Sicily by ship; From Northern Europe & Italy, it is possible to take a confortable fast ship from Genoa harbour [ Tirrenia ] and reach Palermo in about 17/18 hours. Frequent ferries from Naples to Milazzo and one daily from Ravenna [ adriatic northern coast ] to Catania as well as modern speed boats and catamarans daily from Malta To Catania and Pozzallo are available too.

 Tirrenia  -  Ferry lines  -  Timetable and Prices
 Ma-Re-Si 
Operates an all year round scheduled service between the ports of Valletta (Malta), Catania (Sicily) and Reggio Calabria (Italy).
 Virtu Ferries  -  Operators of high-speed car/passenger ferries Malta/Sicily

 Autostrade
 Online map Sicily [ Uni Texas  - Perry-Castañeda Library  -  Map Collection ].

 Weather in Sicily 


Links 

 Travel Insurance  -  online travel and holiday insurance

 Region Sicily  -  Regione Siciliana  -  Official website

 Palermo  -  Capital City Sicily
In the middle of the Mediterranean sea, Palermo - the cradle of ancient civilizations - has always been a crossroads of cultures between East and West: a strategic transit place, a privileged port of call for commerce and trade, a landing-place for people of various race, language, and religion. Palermo has always enchanted visitors and foreigners alike with the charm of its location, the mildness of its climate, and the splendour of its buildings. And for these same reasons it has, over the centuries, been dominated by a succession of different rulers.

 Province Agrigento  -  Agrigento 
 Province Caltanissetta  - Caltanissetta 
Caltanisetta's Territory, thanks to its strategic importance, its links with the sea to the south and with the inland to the north, also to its geographical and geological environment due to the develop of the cities, it was almost frequented by differents population in different ages. Residenced and transitated by Siculi and Sicani, Caltanissetta catched a great political importance during the Greek colonization; it knew long domination and periods of decline, but also periods of great economic and commercial flouriability, especially during the sulphur mines' "Golden Age".
This great heterogeneity of events left indelible signes on its territory: a vast variety of archeological sites, Castles and sighting towers of the middle age; Palaces and the marvelous Churches of the different communes, reflex of propitions and nobility; sulphur mines and gills, remained now as the sulphure industry of Sicily.
The seven natural reserves of Caltanissetta's territory : Scaleri District, Lake Sfondato, Lake Soprano, Mount Conca, Mount Capodarso ad Valley of the Imera Meridionale River, Sughereta of Niscemi, Biviere of Gela
 Province Catania  -  Catania
 Province Enna  -  Enna Turismo
 Province Messina  -  Messina  -  Tourist Board Messina  -  Messina Tourism
Messina and the Strait are inseparably bound. The Strait is where two seas meat to form a river; where uncontrollable waters and churning whirlpool are forced between lagoons on one side and mountains on the other.
 Province Palermo  -  Palermo
 Province Ragusa  -  Ragusa  -  Tourist Board Ragusa  -  Ragusa Turismo
 Province Siracuse  -  Siracusa  -  Tourist Board Siracuse  -  Syracuse for You 
 Province Trapani  -  Trapani 

 Abacaenum / Tripi  -  Comune di Tripi
 Agrigento  -  Comune di Agrigento
Agrigento [ formerly Girgenti ] is located on the southern coast of Sicily and capital of the province of Agrigento.
 Bronte  -  Comune di Bronte  -  Città del Pistacchio
 Caltanissetta  -  Comune di Caltanissetta
Caltanissetta is located on the western interior of Sicily, an area of rolling hills with small villages and towns.
 Catania  -  Comune di Catania
 Cefalù  -  Comune di Cefalu
 Centuripe  -  Comune di Centuripe
 Corleone  - Comune di Corleone
 Castellammare del Golfo Francavilla di Sicilia
 Enna  -  Comune di Enna
Enna, the ancient Henna, is located in the center of Sicily, towering above the surrounding countryside.
 Marsala  -  Comune di Marsala
 Messina  -  Comune di Messina
 Ragusa  -  Comune di Ragusa
Ragusa can trace its roots back to prehistoric times. In fact the hill where Ragusa Ibla sits today was inhabited in the 14th century B.C. by the Siculians, the most ancient of Sicilian peoples. Important traces left by these ancient inhabitants are visible in the necropolises that still dot the landscape around Ragusa.
 Syracuse City  -  see Syracuse for You
The town of Syracuse occupies an extremely beautiful position between the waters of the Great Port, the only natural harbour to be found along all the Sicilian coast, and the Iblei mountains. It was founded in the VIII century BC, by a group of Greek settlers from Corinth, led by Archia, although a number of remains discovered in the area of the Cathedral Square show that the zone was already occupied in the XIV century BC. The name Syracuse comes from the Greek word Sirako, meaning swamp; the present-day city has a population of 127,000, divided among the five residential areas of the ancient Pentapolis of Dionysius &endash; the Greek-named Akradina, Tike, Neapolis and Ortigia, and Santa Lucia, and, to the south, at Cassibile along the river of that name, two tiny hamlets, which the Greeks called Kakiparys and Belvedere, not far from the Eurialo Castle
 Taormina
As soon as you arrive in Taormina, you will feel the magical, mythical atmosphere spread all around which has enchanted visitors from all over the world for years and years. Settled on a hill of the Monte Tauro, Taormina dominates two grand, sweeping bays below and on the southern side, the top of Mount Etna, the european highest active volcano, often capped with snow, offering to the visitors a breathtaking, dramatic and memorable view over almost one hundred miles of Mediterranean sea.
Taormina really seems to be born as a touristic resort since past times, when ancient people like the Sicels, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Saracens, Arabs, Normans and Spaniards chose it as their residential site thank to its favourable position, mild climate and magic atmosphere. Nowadays visitors can still find fine examples of Taormina's golden times : the splendid Greek Thetre, the Roman "Naumachiae", the 13th century Cathedral of Saint Nicolò, the 14th century Palazzo Corvaja, the 16th century Palace of the Dukes of Saint.Stefano, the public gardens, the "Badia Vecchia" (Ancient Abbey) and many others.
The resort was first publicised by a trio of german artists : in 1787 J.W.Goethe discovered the beauties of Sicily and, in particular, of Taormina. He wrote the world known novel "Italian Journey", in which he describes the beauties of this land and its people and pronounced Taormina a "patch of paradise". The german painter Otto Geleng rose intereset in parisan art galleries exibiting his paintings about this magical landscapes. His contemporary, the young prussian photographer Wilhelm von Gloeden settled down in 1880 and made Taormina famous to all conservative european cultural clubs with his artistic portraits of nude sheperd boys with the volcano Etna on the backstage.
Since then many important celebrities visited Taormina, electing it as their "escapade place " from chaotic city life. Patrik Brydone D.H. Lawrence, Truman Capote, Alexander Dumas, Anatole France, Andrè Gide, Paul Klee , Guy de Maupassant, Luigi Pirandello, John Steinbeck, Gustav Klimt, Elio Vittorini, Oscar Wilde, Richard Wagner, Johannes Brahms spent happy moments here. In more recent times movie, theatre and music celebrities such as Ingmar Bergmann, Francis Ford Coppola, Leonard Bergman, Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo , Federico Fellini, Cary Grant, Tyrone Power, Gregory Peck, Marcello Mastroianni, Elisabeth Taylor, Woody Allen have spent pleasant and memorable holidays in the Mediterranean pearl.
 Trapani

 Fishing
The Strait of Messina hosts many different types of fish with a good gastronomical reputation. Near the Torre Faro is the "Fossa dei sugarelli" where this dark blue, cylindric shaped fish may be found. This fish is only found off the Sicilian coasts.
Messina is famous for the spectacular fishing of swordfish. A special boat is used called the "spadara". It holds a central tower-like structure in the centre for sighting swordfish and an exterior deck from which the swordfish is harpooned. Fishing season is from April to August.
Many other varieties of fish can be found in the Strait including Tuna's and Moon fish and others. Another type of fishing is that of the "sciabola" or in Sicilian dialect "spatola", this fish can reach two meters in length and is a silver in colour.
 Peloritani Mountains
The mountain chain called the Peloritani, that surrounds Messina, offers beautiful scenery and a ridge from which two seans may be seen, and culminates in the Rocca Salvateste area at the mountain peak of Novara and continues into a small plain at the summit of Monte Scuderi and finally end at the summit of Dinnamare, the nearest city.
 Parco Letterario Luigi Pirandello  -  Agrigento

Cuisine - Sicilian Recipes

Sicilian cooking has perhaps the longest tradition of all in Italy. Its strong flavours and colours will lead the traveller to a profound understanding our spirit and the spirit of our land. The Sicilian cuisine builds a bridge between the East and the West: in numerous invasions, many civilizations mixed their blood and experience with ours, so that local families developped dished to please the different tastes of the the Greeks [ fish, olives, broad beans and fresh vegetables ], the Arabs [ usage of mint, raisin, fried preparations, pine nut ], the Normans, the French and the Spanish people who dominated the island.

Some famous Sicilian dishes are arancini, pasta alla norma, caponata, pani ca meusa and couscous al pesce. Sweets are another Sicilian speciality. Examples include frutta martorana, pignolata, buccellato, cannolo siciliano, granita, and cassata siciliana.

  Sicilian Food: Recipes from Italy's Abundant Isle  -  Mary Taylor-Simeti
Beginning with the oldest and most elemental components of the Sicilian diet, this book offers a collection of Sicilian recipes, as well as evocations of the dishes' origins: from the culinary innovations of Arab and Norman invaders to the ritual luxuries of Sicily's aristocracy.
Paperback 348 pages (July 31, 1999); Publisher: Grub Street Publishing; Language: English; ISBN: 1902304179.
  Cucina Siciliana  -  Authentic Recipes and Culinary Secrets from Sicily
Clarissa Hyman, Peter Cassidy (Photographer)
Journeying through the sun-drenched Southern Italian island of Sicily, this title offers a fusion of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food. Easy, stylish and authentic dishes are included and an introductory chapter features information on essential ingredients plus recipes for the staple store cupboard sauces used to enhance all manner of foods from pasta and rice to fish and poultry. Recipes are organized into times of the day, from breakfast and morning snacks, through lunch to afternoon refreshments and evening meals.
Hardcover 160 pages (October 15, 2001); Publisher: Conran Octopus; Language: English; ISBN: 1840911832. 

History of Sicily

 Sicilian history - Wikipedia
Sicily was colonized by Phoenicians and 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 ...

 Messina Regional Museum
The Messina Regional Museum preservers precious testimonies of the city's artistic production from over the centuries. Its collections include works both from the collections of the destroyed Museo Civico Peloritano, and from the religious and civic buildings destroyed by the catastrophic earthquake in 1908.
The exhibits are arranged according in chronological order from the 12th to the 18th centuries, over 12 rooms on the ground floor and 3 display areas on the 1st floor, and include important architectural fragments, mosaics, sculpture and examples of decorative arts.

Music, Culture & Entertainment

 Strole of the Giants  -  event in august
Enormous equestrian statues of Mata and Gryffindor, founders of the city
 Procession of the "Vara"  -  august
The liturgical calendar is the origin of some of the most characteristic events in Messina's popular culture.
Both because of their ancient origins, and also because of the city's tangible sense of tradition (despite the fact that it has suffered so many devastating catastrophes), such events are here celebrated with an enthusiasm and sense of participation which reflects the will of the local people to defend their identity.
The culmination of sacred and profane traditions occurs every year on the occasion of the celebrations for the celebrations Assumption of the Virgin Mary (patron of the city and, according to legend, bearer of a letter of benediction) in mid August

Web Portal / Italian Search Engine / Directory

 Google.it
 Il Trovatore  -  Italian search engine
 Vergilio

 Ariana Ricerca  -  italian search engine
 Cerca  -  search engine
 Yellow Guide Italy  -  Yellow Pages 
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