The island of Sicily, which is part of Italy, is actually quite different from the rest of this country. Sicilians are a separate people, proud and quick-tempered, and ancient traditions are still honored here. The concepts of honor, blurred in the modern world, are still of great importance in Sicily, and it is better to familiarize yourself with the local rules of conduct before going here.
The administrative area of the same name in Italy includes not only Sicily itself, but also other nearby islands. At one time, Sicily belonged to Austria. About 650,000 hectares of land on the island are occupied by cultivated fields. It was here that Archimedes was born and lived, one of the most famous scientists in history. Several thousand years ago, Sicily was one of the main centers of art in ancient Greece. This is where Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe, is located. The very concept of “mafia” originated in Sicily. That is why the mafia for everyone is associated with this island. The Sicilian city of Palermo has been repeatedly recognized as the “capital of street food in Europe”. The famous hoaxer Giuseppe Balsamo, also known as Count Cagliostro, was born precisely here, in Sicily, in the hip district of Palermo. Monsters Scylla and Charybdis, known from ancient Greek mythology, according to legend, lived in the strait between Sicily and Calabria. The average salary here is about half that in the more prosperous regions of Italy.
The aforementioned Etna volcano arose in Sicily due to the fact that it is here, under the island, that two mainland plates converge, the Eurasian and African. About a thousand years ago, the population of Sicily reached 2 million people, and this island was the most densely populated area of our planet. The sonnet, one of the most famous poetic forms, was invented by the Sicilian poet Giacomo Lentini. Before becoming part of Italy, Sicily was an independent kingdom. Located here in Palermo, the Massimo Opera House is the largest opera house in all of Italy. The Sicilian language is widespread here, however, it does not have an official status anywhere else, even in Sicily itself. The area of Sicily exceeds 25.7 thousand square kilometers, which makes it the largest of all regions of Italy. According to legend, the Gorgon Medusa lived here. In Sicily, more than 200 medieval castles have been preserved.
Due to the movement of tectonic plates, the island slowly but surely moves to mainland Italy. Some ancient cities that once existed in Sicily were founded by immigrants from ancient Greek Troy. The famous historian and philosopher Plato has been to Sicily three times. The local ruler did not like him, and he captured him, and then sold him into slavery. However, a rich admirer of Plato bought his idol and returned his freedom. Sicily is the largest of all the islands of the Mediterranean Sea. Here, in Casteltermini, the world’s oldest wooden crucifix is stored, which is already more than 2000 years old. The Palermo Museum houses the oldest document in Europe, dated 1109. No less famous Cicero for a long time served as a questor in Sicily. During his life here, he wrote about 800 speeches.
