52 Reasons to Love Sicily #14. Sicily as a wine region is sublime. The island hosts one of the oldest wine producing regions in the world thanks to the ancient Phoenicians and Greeks. It possesses 70 native grape varietals that are 100% Sicilian. Nero D’Avola, Grillo, Nero Mascalese, Perricone, Cattaratto, Insolia, Frappatto, Zibbibo, Marsala … look…
Tag: sicily_travel
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | Catania, Sicily’s Second City
52 Reasons to Love Sicily #13. Sicily’s second city Catania recalls Roma, while holding fast to its local character. Its historic downtown boasts broad avenues that are lined with baroque palazzi and that lead to sweeping views of the volcano, Etna. The center not only supports its beautiful cathedral dedicated to Sant’Agata and Liotru, the…
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | Passeggiate in Taormina
52 Reasons to Love Sicily #12. After dinner, you can see the world during a passeggiata down the Corso Umberto in Taormina. On one pedestrian friendly street in one of the world’s most beautiful towns tourists from around the globe adorn their favorite outfits and stroll. Add in a (insert your preferred flavor here) gelato…
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | Fresh Cannoli
52 Reasons to Love Sicily #11. Fresh cannoli. There is only one thing close to eating cannoli with sweet cream made from ricotta made from fresh milk from the sheep “over on that hillside.” That one thing is if you made them yourself at home. So, since we can’t travel to Sicily to partake in…
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | The Crowds Slip Away
52 Reasons to Love Sicily #10. The crowds slip away quickly in Sicily and what’s left are delightful discoveries. In accessible off-the-beaten-path towns like Sciacca in Agrigento Province, for one example, you will encounter something engaging when you least expect it, such as a work of street art, a votive altar for the Madonna on…
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | Pinch-me Moments At Valley Of The Temples
52 Reasons to Love Sicily #9. Sicily’s iconic landmarks give you pinch-me moments, like this one at Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, a UNESCO recognized site that plays host to the ruins of seven ancient Greek and Roman temples. The magnificent Doric-style Tempio di Concordia (pictured) was erected by the ancient Greeks between 440-430…
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | Modica Chocolate
52 Reasons to Love Sicily #8. In Modica, you can taste more than a dozen different flavors of chocolate at the chocolate factory. That’s because in the 16th century, Spanish nobility in the southeastern Sicilian UNESCO recognized town were blessed with cacao beans and an ancient Aztec drink called xocóatl, brought from the New World. Their…
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | Etna Shows Her Power
52 Reasons to Love Sicily. #7. Europe’s largest, most active volcano, Mount Etna, reminds us that we are guests here. She is a living thing that morphs according to the latest volcanic activity. The slopes of this “mountain,” which isn’t really a mountain, offer microclimates that give us bold grapes for wine-making, outstanding porcini mushrooms…
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | Royal Fairytales Are Real
52 Reasons to Love Sicily #6. In Sicily, “fairytales” about knights and ladies and kings and queens are not fiction. Throughout the island exists displays of centuries of royalty. In fact, you’ll find castles seemingly on every hilltop with a view! Perhaps the most particular evidence of majesty is illustrated by the crown of Constance…
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | Be Surprised By Jewish History
52 Reasons to Love Sicily. #5. Sicily is full of surprises. Check out the Jewish baths of Siracusa! Huh? You ask? Yes! Before the Spanish Inquisition of 1492, when Sicily was under Spanish rule, scholars believe 7 to 10 percent of Sicily’s population was Jewish. Thriving neighborhoods existed in Palermo, Mazara del Vallo, and Siracusa…