Mind travels are not forbidden!
Sicily is an extremely beautiful region and one of the most rich in culture and both art masterpieces and natural sceneries to see and admire.
There are so many places one can visit that we decided to take it slowly: from the East to the West, we’ll explore the highlights of this part of the boot, starting out with the beautiful southern eastern side, the “Sicilia Orientale“. The reason of this name is because of its proximity to Africa and almost tropical climate.
There are so many places one can visit that we decided to take it slowly: from the East to the West, we’ll explore the highlights of this part of the boot, starting out with the beautiful southern eastern side, the “Sicilia Orientale“. The reason of this name is because of its proximity to Africa and almost tropical climate.
From the prehistoric peoples to the Corinthians who founded the Greek city in 734-733 a.C. (and called Syraka) and from there to the introduction of Baroque architecture, the history of Syracuse is like an open book, visible in many of its streets and buildings. The historic center of Syracuse is a very small island connected by two bridges, called Ortygia: a pearl from which admire the sumptuous palaces and narrow lanes and breathtaking views of the sea.
This part of Sicily is rich with buildings from this incredible time in the art history: the Baroque gave us some of the most precious, colored, majestic and dramatic art pieces and cathedrals. Noto, Modica and Ragusa are some of the towns were this artistic current is grandly visible in every sreet and corner. Why is the baroque so special in Sicily? It’s because of the Spanish influence that permeated during its reign over Sicily, giving its passionate, strong and rhythmic push to the Italian Baroque.
Sicily not only boasts of a beautiful sea and coast, fantastic art cities and special natural sights. Sicily is also home to some (very, very) tasty treats. Starting from the chocolate of Modica: this kind of chocolate is quite special because of its “cold” processing, that makes it grainy and crumbly. There are then the “Arancini”, fried rice balls, with a heart of, usually, meat and tomato sauce, and eventually fried in perfect pyramid or spheric shapes. Delicious! Last but not least, not far from the South, near the town of Catania, there is Bronte, where is produced the PDO “green pistachios of Bronte”, a special variety of this dry fruit.
