Sicily

“Key to Everything“

Goethe

“ Italy without Sicily leaves no image in the spirit. Here is the key to everything

With the homonymous quote "Italy without Sicily leaves no image in the spirit. Here is the key to everything" taken from the work Italian Journey written between 1813 and 1817 Goethe thus describes the largest island in the Mediterranean.

Let's take a step back with a bit of history ...

The fascination for Sicily dates back to the times of the Arabs, whose conquest took place between 827 and 902 with the Landing at Mazara del Vallo. Subsequently, the Island, due to a moment of crisis of the Arabs, passed to the dominion of the Normans who made it a prosperous and peaceful kingdom.

Alternating dominions followed, from the Spanish to the Savoy, but only following the Battle of Bitonto, in 1734, Sicily returned to the Spanish orbit with the coronation of Charles III as king of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

We wanted to bring to the reader's mind, just some of the dominations that have affected the Island to make people understand how Sicily "is rich in history and heritage that reveals within its territory a mix of different elements that reveal its Arab-Norman past".

Many noble palaces of the time, churches, monuments that later became UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

In retracing the Journey, Goethe, driven by a spirit of adventure and discovery, decides to cross Sicily through the internal areas.

From Palermo to Bagheria, from Segesta to Agrigento he reaches Catania, and then continues towards Taormina to visit the Ancient Theater and admiring the beautiful panorama, he defined the location as "the greatest masterpiece of art and nature".

Goethe's journey to Sicily represents the first real "advertising spot" for a land of contrasts and even today the charm of this land remains a destination rich in interest for art, culture, landscapes and history.

Destination chosen by many international travelers.