The Top 16 Things You Never Knew About Sicily
Sicily the biggest Italian island strikes to mind first when we
think of a beach vacation especially to spend some exclusive time with our
family and the friends.
A number of curious archaeological sites, popular beaches,
several archipelagos and islets make it one of the top choices for the seasoned
travellers who love to soak with the sea sand and sun.
Sicily best known for secluded beaches that best suit to those love
nature and calmness receives a good number of tourists every year. Starting
from the decorative cities, the beautiful Mount Etna, the superb gardens and the exhilarating coast line, it appears
as beautiful as a newly married woman and welcomes the entire local and the
travellers from abroad with the sweet tune of its fantastic natural beauty.
A perfect blend of mild climate, rich history, good cuisine,
vibrant nightlife and, after all, a warm atmosphere adds more value to the
travel by making it a year round destination.
Had Sicily been exposed perfectly to the rest of the world it
could have received more numbers of tourists than receiving now? People simply
take it as a beach destination this is why most of the people are deprived of
from visiting a land that offers much more than it displays to the rest of the
world.
This article is going to reveal you some of the facts on Sicily
which are still in darkness for many of the visitors want to have a beach
vacation on their next holiday. The
following 16 information would help you to know Sicily in the best manner and
to pack for it on our next holidaying.
1) It’s the largest island in the Mediterranean, spanning 10,000m²
and taking about three and a half hours to drive from east to west. It can
easily be reached by taking an international flight to any of the international
Airport of it. It is a surprise that being a tiny island it has three numbers
of international airports and most visitors start their Sicily exploration from
Catania. Besides the major Sicilian cities such as Palermo, Catania,
Messina, Syracuse, Agrigento, Taormina, and Trapani have good rail links. It is
easy and the cost effective to travel around.
2) Its home to the tallest active volcano in Europe, Mount Etna;
standing at 10,890 feet. This volcanic beauty is one of the biggest draw cards
of Sicily in attracting the tourists from outside. Its exotic beauty goes
beyond the imagination of everyone visiting it. The vast vista of changing
landscapes and vegetations on Mount Etna is the dream for everyone who gives
priority to the nature on their Sicily
Tour. Remember no Mount
Etna visit is complete without tasting the local wine that grows from the rich,
volcanic ash.
3) The island has many different types of beach, from rocky to
sandy; six of which have been awarded Blue Flag status. This is the quality
certificate awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education an international organization that is focusing on the best resort
of sea and maritime harbours. For getting the Blue
Flag, a beach should feature outstanding quality for water purification, waste
management, cycling paths, green spaces and facilities. You can make your
travel qualitatively superb by visiting to any of the beaches obtained the
certificate.
4) Sicily boasts seven UNESCO
World Heritage Sites;
the most recent of which is Arab-Norman Palermo and the cathedral churches of
Cefalù and Monreale, listed in 2015. With its treasures of historical, cultural
and natural importance, Sicily earlier had 6 sites listed in the World Heritage
List. The country has a great cultural heritage being ruled by the Ancient
Greeks and Romans, Arabs and Normans, French and Spanish who have left many
prints of their ruling period in constructional works which are gradually being
enlisted by the UNESCO. This is not the end. Sicily has so much fantasies that,
the number of UNESCO world heritage may increase in future.
5) Despite what you might think, The Godfather Tour wasn’t actually filmed in Corleone. The majority was filmed in
Taormina or Messina province. Many scenes throughout the epic trilogy were
filmed in the Sicilian villages of Savoca and Forzà d'Agrò. Taormina is formidably beautiful with Mount Etna at its back drop and its
beauty has attracted many a local and international film makers to shoot.
6) It’s more than acceptable to eat ice cream for breakfast. It’s
something that the locals do and, don’t forget, you’re on holiday! There is
nothing to be amazed. You would be served ice-cream in many of the restaurants
in Sicily to begin your day’s food. Don’t fear, you would be served the strong
black coffee, with or without milk, with few biscuits or some sliced bread with
butter and jam.
7) In Sicily, you’ll find the most amazing pistachios you’ve ever
tasted. And, while we’re on the subject, it’d be a crime not to taste them in
either ice cream or a mouth-watering cannolo. The pistachios eaten by Sicilians
came from eastern Sicily, where they are still grown, particularly around Mount
Etna and in the Bronte area. Pistachios are a good
source of protein, fat, fiber, vitamin B6 and thiamine. Take it not to feel
tired during your Holiday In Sicily.
8) If you love nature, you’ll be excited to hear that you’ll find
the world’s largest and oldest chestnut tree on the island. The Hundred Horse
Chestnut is aged between 2,000 and 4,000 years. This is oldest in Sicily and
believed to be the oldest in Europe. The most amazing story that runs about the
tree is that Parts of its trunk was burnt at one point a house was built into
the giant tree. Yet it survives.
9) The island’s fascinating Greek ruins rival even those found in
Greece! Some of the best-preserved ones can be found in and around Syracuse, Taormina and Agrigento. Visit the cities to understand the ancient Greece. You would
find some of the best monuments that are at par with the existing historic
monuments in Greece.
10) Sicily knows how to do sardines. And one of the most popular
dishes to sample them in is Palermo’s iconic ‘pasta con le sarde’. Delicious. Nothing
is more Sicilian than pasta con le sarde. Fennel and sardines are so plentiful
in Sicily that this dish jumps right out of nature.
11) There are loads of great things to do in Sicily, including
island hopping and visiting the impressive Valley of the Temples. Besides
visiting to the beautiful island beaches the tour would be incomplete without a
visit to the valley of temples the archaeological park consists of eight
temples. The Valley of the
Temples is certainly the most important testimony of the ancient, classical
culture of Sicily.
12) It’s considered to be a year-round destination, thanks to its
Mediterranean climate of hot summers and mild winters. As to its weather
pattern is concern you can take a visit to this island at any time of the year.
13) The capital city of Palermo has been named ‘the Culture Capital of Italy’ for 2018. In recent years tourism in the area has increased and the after
the winning of the award the Government is planning to take some measures to
promote cultural activities and invest in its artistic heritage.
14) Palermo has also been given the title of ‘the European Capital
of Street Food’, so make sure you head there to experience incredible foods to
tantalise your taste buds. You can find some fast, cheap and pleasurable,
street food here of your choice. It is a paradise for food lovers.
15) While in Sicily, you can visit the largest theatre and opera
house in all of Italy; Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele. Beautiful and quite
impressive from architectural point, Palermo's neoclassical opera house is the
largest in Italy and the second-largest in Europe.
16) There are only one and a half miles separating Sicily from Italy’s mainland. The Strait of Messina Bridge is a long-planned suspension bridge
across the Strait of Messina, a narrow section of water between the eastern tip
of Sicily and the southern tip of mainland Italy.
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