Sicily is a land unto itself, proudly different from the rest of Italy in its customs and traditions. Life is slower, tradition is respected, myths and legends of the past aren’t forgotten. Its culture is very much its own, with an Arab flavor that reminds us that Sicily broke away from the mainland of Africa, not Italy, millions of years ago. Its Greek heritage still lives, with Agrigento’s Valley of the Temples being one of the most memorable sights of the ancient world, having some of the greatest Greek ruins ever to be found.
Sicily has been inhabited since the Ice Age, and has had more than its share of natural and political disasters. Having been conquered by the Greeks, the Romans, the Vandals, the Arabs, the Normans, the Swabians, the House of Aragon and the Bourbons, you can only imagine the eclectic array of architecture found here. On top of the mass of invaders, Sicily has had to overcome a series of plagues, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and hardships. All this has resulted in a proud and colorful people that is decidedly 'Sicilian' before they are 'Italian' and a land that has deep archeological heritage every where you turn.
