Sicily
SICILY
What makes us so special?
- The protected natural areas
- 7 UNESCO heritage sites
- 1000 greenways km
- 19 isles around Sicily
- The food
- 8 sunny months per annum
- Sicilian handcfraft
- Contemporary art sites in the open air
- The oldest wine in Europe
- Hospitality and welcoming
The protected natural areas
7 UNESCO heritage sites
If we put together the natural beauties and the cultural mixture of people who lived in this regione, the list of UNESCO heritages in our area could not be longer or more diverse.
We cannot forget to add the intangible properties: the Opera of Pupi and the farming practice of grape ad alberello in Pantelleria; the Villa romana of Casale in Piazza Armerina; Valle dei Templi- archeological area in Agrigento; Aeolian Island; high-baroque cities of Val di Noto (Souh-eastern Sicily); Siracusa and the Necropoli Rupestre of Pantalica; Mount Etna; Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalú and Monreale.
1000 greenways km
The abandonment of small railways was particularly important in Sicily. More than 1000 km of disused railways, often recuperated, are now used as safe routes, pleasant, beautiful and easy accessible, to cover by foot.
19 isles around Sicily
Aeolian Islands, Egadi and Pelagie. Stagnone Islands and Ciclopi, Ustica, Pantelleria, Palme Island and Ortigia… A lot of isles with the Island; similar and different scenarios at the same time. Islets of 100 inhabitants, small heavens where you can still move with donkeys; places where you could not find the Wi- Fi connection. These scenarios coexist with advanced islands, but most of all with the mayor Island, that almost becomes a continental scenario.
Food
30 denominations: 13 IGP and 17 DOP including oranges, lemons, prickly pears, peaches, tomatoes, pistachio and cheese; grapes, wine and oil. Variety of excellent food, flavours and fragrances.
And then arancini, granite, cannoli, cassate…
8 sunny months per annum
2.665 sunny hours per annum, 2.665 hours of good cheer, 2.665 daylight hours, of warmth and joy. Sun is good for nature, for food and most of all for people.
Sicilian handcraft
The world-famous handcraft production hand down from generation to generation without setting and by dawning upon the world of contemporary design.
Ceramics, terracotta items, Pupi, mosaics, hot-stone cutting, obsidian processing, carpet-weaving.
Contemporary art sites in the open air
Patrons, illuminati and artists enriched sicilian cultural landscape with their perspectives, their ideas, their art. Few examples are: Fiumara d’arte, a park that hosts huge constructions on a vast territory, arisen to combine artistic and political action. Gibellina Nuova that together with Cretto of Alberto Burri is an example of illuminated art, to get to Castello Incantato of sir Filippo Bentivegna.
The oldest wine of Europe
Thanks to samples of wine collected in the Provincia of Agrigento it was possible to determine that the oldest wine found until now was produced in Sicily 6000 years ago.
All this make us think about how the farming techniques used in that period were state-of-the-art. This news has recently emerged and we are proud of it!
