Villa Nefele

Sicily – the cradle of many civilizations

The German poet J.W. Goethe once wrote: “If you haven’t seen Sicily, Italy will leave no mark on your soul. Sicily is the key to Italy.” In other words, without getting to know Sicily, you won’t get to know the real Italy. There is no other place in Europe with such a rich history, natural beauty, multicultural heritage, an emerald-green sea, and wonderful relaxation in hospitable hotels.

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Sicily is an autonomous region of Italy; it is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with Palermo as its capital. The island has an area of 25,700 square kilometers and a population of approximately 5 million. Sicily is separated from the mainland only by the Strait of Messina, which is 3.5 km wide. The island is home to Europe’s highest volcano, Mount Etna (3,340 meters). It is one of the world’s most active volcanoes. Administratively, Sicily includes several other islands: the Aeolian Islands, the Egadi Islands, Pantelleria, Ustica, and the Pelagie Islands. Sicily was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy in 1860 following Garibaldi’s expedition. In 1866, an uprising broke out in Palermo, but the city was bombarded by the Italian navy, and Palermo was once again incorporated into the Kingdom of Italy, while the rebels were sentenced to death. However, one after another, new uprisings broke out in Sicily. During this time, the Italian army, seeking to maintain control over the island, executed thousands of Sicilians; countless thousands more were imprisoned; entire villages were destroyed; and their inhabitants were deported. Sicily’s economy collapsed, and an unprecedented wave of emigration began. In 1946, Sicily became an autonomous region of Italy.

In Sicily, you can feel history at every turn. This is a land of myths and legends, where, according to Homer and Virgil, the Cyclopes once lived. Italy leads the UNESCO lists in terms of the number of historical and architectural monuments, and a large portion of these monuments are located in Sicily. The island serves as a bridge between Africa and Europe, a place where peoples met and clashed. Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans… Some lived there, others created, and still others destroyed. This mix of peoples left its mark on the island’s culture, history, and the lives of the Sicilians.

The monuments erected on the island during the Greek period are comparable to those in Ancient Greece. The “Sicilian Baroque” and Byzantine mosaics are truly remarkable. The Sicilian language is a distinct Romance language that originated from Latin and was influenced by Greek, Arabic, French, German, Spanish, Catalan, and Provençal. Today, this language is beginning to disappear, and the majority of the population speaks Italian. In some villages, you can still find people who speak dialects of Albanian (Contessa Entellina), while in some regions, people speak Lombard or Gallo-Italic languages.