Sicily is the biggest island of the Mediterranean sea. Around it are dispersed many littler isles; its coastline, pebbly in the north and sandy in the south, is 1,000 km long. The landscape of Sicily is mountainous and hilly, with a single plain by Catania. The ancient “granary” of the Roman Empire has been crossed by many peoples, from Greeks to Arabs to the Spanish; the result is a plenty of monuments and pieces of art of impressive beauty. The architectural works in Sicily are among the most important of the ancient times. First of all the Valle dei Templi ("Valley of the Temples”) in Agrigento, in the south, the biggest archaeological park of Italy, with its impressive old Greek temples in tuff-stone.
Palermo, the main city, is particularly rich in monuments: the most important example is the Palazzo dei Normanni, in the oldest part of the town, containing the Cappella Palatina, whose cupola, transept and apses are entirely covered by wonderful byzantine mosaics.
Noteworthy are the witnesses of the Sicily Baroque in towns like Noto, Scicli, Ragusa, Modica.
The natural landscape is a real wonder, from the coast and the isles, with the unbelievable sceneries of Lampedusa, to the hinterland around Caltanissetta, to the Etna, the highest active volcano of Europe.
Various and abundant is the wine & food offer. The short availability of water does not hamper agriculture to be one of the chief economic activities of Sicily. The chief agricultural products are kaki, many citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits etc, and moreover prickly pears, pistachios and much more. The wine industry has been strongly improved and Sicilian wines, first of all the Nero d´Avola, have become famous in many important countries, together with Grillo, Corvo di Salaparuta, Marsala, Moscato di Pantelleria. Ground products together with fishing make of the cuisine of this land one of the most varied and tasty of Italy.
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