"To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is not have seen Italy at all." -Goethe

Sicily is known as the "island of the three promontories"-Capo Faro, Capo Boeo and Capo Isola delle Correnti, which represent the extremities of the triangular-shaped island. Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean, and it occupies a strategic location between Gibraltar and the Suez Canal. Sicily's position invited invaders to use it as a base for their commercial and military stronghold in the region. Consequently, the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Byzantines, Normans, French and Spanish all came, saw and conquered Sicily at one time or another.

More than 80 percent of the entire island is hilly or mountainous. The eastern half of Sicily rises to Mount Etna, Europe's largest active volcano, and earthquakes plague this island that straddles two continental plates. The Sicilian population is greatest along the fertile coastal plain in order to facilitate trade. Overall, Sicily is like a scenic garden in Italy where you can come for recreation but also to learn about 6000 years of Italian history.

Links: http://www.apt.sicilia.it
http://www.bestofsicily.com

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