Area: 18,390 square kilometres
Population: 4,700,000
Regional capital: Venice (pop. 271,251)
Main cities: Venice, Verona, Padua, Vicenza, Treviso, Rovigo, Belluno
Main lakes and rivers: Lake Garda, River Po, River Adige, River Piave
Main mountains: Marmolada (3343m), Le Tofane (3243m), Cristallo (3221m), Lessini (2259m), Pasubio (2235m) , Baldo (2218m) Cortina d'Ampezzo
Make up of landscape: mountains: 29%, hills: 14%, plain: 57%
Main industries: agriculture: 7%, industry: 42% other: 51%
Veneto and Venice Weather: The mildest weather is around Lake Garda and the Adriatic coast. Otherwise the region has quite long cold winters often with fog, and has hot sometimes stuffy weather in the summer months. Obviously, the mountain weather is more extreme.
Sicily is mostly mountainous and hilly, marked along the Tyrrhenian side by the Appenine Siculo chain of mountains formed by the Peloritani, Nebrodi and Madonie mountain systems. The Mediterranean side of the mountain is characterised by a larger wider plain. The centre of the island is home to Mount Erei and in the south Mount Iblei, which is less than 1000m high. The side facing the Ionian coast is dominated by Mount Etna, at 3323m, the highest active volcano in Europe. Flat plains take up only a small proportion of Sicily and the most important are Conca d'Oro near Palermo and the Catania Plain at the foot of Etna. Sicily does not have much natural water, and apart from its few rivers, its water courses are seasonal 'torrenti'. Sicily is surrounded by archipelagos and islands: the Aeolian islands, which have two active volcanoes Stromboli and Vulcanello, the Egadi islands, the Pelagie, Pantelleria (itself an extinct island) and Ustica.
Because of its strategic position Sicily has been the meeting point for many seagoing civilizations. The Fenici, who founded Palermo were the first among many. The Romans in the 2nd century extended their Empire into the island and made it the ‘breadbasket of Rome'. They cleared vast tracts of land to make room for the grain fields and this upsetting of the natural equilibrium is one of the causes of the aridity suffered by the island today. After the fall of the Roman Empire Sicily was conquered by the Visigoths, the Vandals and the Goths, then became part of the Byzantine Empire in the 6th century. At the beginning of the 8th century the Greeks arrived and founded numerous settlements including Catania, Messina , Agrigento, Segesta and Syracuse. In 827 it was occupied by the Arabs who improved irrigation and began the development of smallholdings.
Sicily prospered until Norman rule in the 11th century and many beautiful cathedrals were built, including the famous Duomo of Monreale. Between the 12th and the 17th centuries control of Sicily passed through various dynasties from the German Hohenstaufen to the Anjevin and the Aragon Dynasties. In the 17th century, Sicily was ripped apart by feuds and revolts and these were suppressed with great force, but not before plunging the area into economic crisis, caused by the scarcity of its agricultural production.
In 1734 Sicily was conquered by the Bourbons and, together with Naples, formed the reign of the Two Sicilies. On 11 May 1860, the Expedition of the Thousand led by Giuseppe Garibaldi disembarked at Marsala the Bourbons were expelled and Sicily became part of the unified Kingdom of Italy. In 1948 Sicily was declared an autonomous region by special decree.
The island's vibrant capital city, located in the northwest near the coast, is over 2700 years old and steeped in history, music, culture and gastronomy. Famous for its Norman architecture, yet with parts of the centre untouched after being bombed in World War Two, it has a unique atmosphere and although it is capital city of one of the most visited places in Italy it does not bend over backwards to pander to tourists. Must see attractions (and we don't have space for them all) include: the Duomo of Monreale, the city's oldest Arabic market the Ballaro, the Palatine Chapel, Teatro Massimo, the regional Art Museum, the regional Archaeological Museum and for shopaholics, the Via Ruggera Settimo.
Etna is the most active volcano in Europe and its most famous eruption was that of 1669 when a 15km stream of lava reached the coast and the city of Catania, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. Understandably it is a tourist attraction where you can ski in the winter and hike in the summer. There is a bus service from Catania in the summer and it is also accessible by road. Day tours are available through several companies.
This lovely romantic city, packed with Roman, Greek and Medieval buildings, is Italy's favourite wedding destination. The Greek Theatre stages many concerts and performances and it well worth visiting. The 19th-century Giardini Pubblici in via Bagnoli Croci are packed with flowers, plants and trees and perfect for a stroll. The ruined village of Castelmola with its castle perched 550 metres above sea level is a beautiful place to enjoy a pizza or a drink and take in the stunning views. Also take a passeggiata along Corso Umberto I, a traffic free one kilometre street beloved by locals for showing off their finery in the traditional evening stroll, ending in Piazza Aprile IX.
The old centre of the town is fascinating. Apart from making time for the little shops on via Atena, make sure you visit the thousand year old cathedral on Via Duomo and the church of Santa Maria dei Greci. The archaeological Museum is also very interesting. The most famous sight in Agrigento is the stunning Valley of the Temples. These evocative ruins are located on a ridge to the south of Agrigento. The five Greek temples can be visited for about €5 but take bottled water and a sun umbrella or some shade as it is scorching in the heat of the day.
This lively city's proximity to mainland Italy accounts for its epithet “the door of Sicily”. It has a scythe-shaped port – which explains its earlier name of Zancle – scythe in Greek - and has always been a centre for trade. Because it has been ravaged by earthquakes in the past and was heavily bombed during World War Two, a lot of it has been destroyed and it has now been rebuilt in modern style, although deep in its heart you can see the old Messina. It has works by Italian master of light and shade Caravaggio in its Regional Museum and it's also worth visiting the Museum of Popular Culture. You can still see the remains of Messina's past in the 16th-century Fountain of Orion and the Fountain of Neptune as well as the San Ranieri Lighthouse built in 1555. The city's cathedral had to be almost entirely rebuilt after the 1908 earthquake.
You can easily spend a couple of days here in this lovely town on the Ionian coast, which was of tremendous importance to the Greeks. It is also a good base for visiting the south east of the island. There are fascinating archaeological remains in the old city centre of Ortigia reached via the Ponte Nuovo. This is the site of the 6th century temple of Artemis, the oldest Greek temple in Sicily. Also visit the wonderful Greek theatre which dates back to the 5th century BC. In the medieval part of town in via San Giovanni visit the San Giovanni Abbey with its cloistered courtyard and catacombs. Also don't forget the Palazzo Bellomo on via Capodieci which has an art gallery with another Caravaggio.
Ryanair, British Airways, Easyjet, Thomson and Westernair all have regular flights to Sicily, going from Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, Liverpool, Manchester and Ireland. You can also fly to Sicily from the Italian mainland. The main airport is at Palermo but there is also an airport at Catania.
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