1. 1 Sicily

2. 2 Outline Introduction Part I. Historical background a. Ancient times b. Modern times Part II. Attractions a. Major cities b. Landmarks Conclusion References

3. 3 Introduction Sicily (Sicilia), the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, in southern Italy, is separated from mainland by the Strait of Messina Area of 25,707 sq km; population (2000) 5 million Agriculture is still the predominant occupation of Sicilians Tourism is also an important economic contributor Sicily has a rich and complex history Many landmarks and all kind of influences: Greek, Carthaginian, Roman, Byzantine, Muslim, French, Spanish, Austrian, etc…

4. 4 I. Historical background a. Ancient times  The earliest Greek colony, Naxos, was founded about 734 BC  In 210 BC Sicily became a Roman province  Conquest by the Vandals under Gaiseric in AD 440  Cession of the island to the Ostrogoth leader Theodoric  Recovery by the Byzantine general Belisarius in AD 535 for the Byzantine Empire  Saracen occupation in 827  In 1061 the Normans, under Robert Guiscard and his brother Roger I of Sicily, began the conquest of Sicily, completed in 1091  In 1194 the Norman rule was succeeded by that of the house of Hohenstaufen  Charles I, count of Anjou and the brother of Louis IX of France, seized control of the kingdom in 1266

5. 5 I. Historical background b. Modern times  Sicily became independent and chose as king Pedro III, king of Aragon in 1282  The island was given to the Spanish crown and after to Austria  In 1799 Napoleon Bonaparte conquered the Kingdom of Naples and placed his brother Joseph on the throne (reign in Sicily)  Sicily was incorporated into the new kingdom of Italy in1861  Mussolini launched a ruthless campaign to destroy the Mafia in 1922  In 1943, Sicily was invaded from North Africa by American, Canadian, and British forces  Under the constitution of 1948 Sicily became a locally autonomous region of Italy

6. 6 II. Attractions a. Major cities Siracusa (Syracuse)  On the south-east coast of the island  Ortigia (Ortygia) island, linked by a bridge to mainland Sicily with medieval streets and a Baroque appearance  The modern town characterized by a regular square urban layout  Founded by Greek settlers in the 8th century BC.  Greek theatre (3rd century BC.), Roman amphitheatre (3rd century BC.), Temple of Apollo (7th-6th century BC.)  Famous People: Theocritus (poet, 310-260 BC.), Archimedes (mathematician, 285-212 BC.), Epicarmo (writer, 5th century BC.)

7. 7 Cathedral of Syracuse baroque cathedral built over a temple to Athena

8. 8 II. Attractions Palermo  North-west coast of Sicily  Founded by the Phoenicians in the eighth century BC as a port  The city was part of the Roman Empire from 253 BC  Ruled by the Goths before becoming a Byzantine possession in 552  Palermo was conquered by the Arabs in 831 became capital of the independent emirate of Sicily  Norman rule in 1072; part of Italy in 1860  Cathedral (12th century), Palazzo dei Normanni…  Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Norman and Arab influence on architecture

9. 9 Church of S. Giovanni degli Eremiti

10. 10 II. Attractions b. Landmarks Valley of the Temples  archeological area in Agrigento  Ruins of numerous temples, necropoli, houses, streets  great temples of ancient Akragas: Hera, Hercules, Olympian Zeus, Castor and Pollux and Vulcan  Most of the temples at Agrigento are in ruins  Part of the Temple of Juno built around 450 BC still intact  The Temple of Concord built around 440 BC, in good condition  a Unesco world heritage site since 1998

11. 11 Temple of Concordia

12. 12 II. Attractions Mount Etna  At approximately 3350 meters, it is Europe's highest active volcano  Sicily's greatest natural attraction is also its highest mountain  To the ancient Greeks, Etna is the realm of Vulcan, god of fire, and the home of the one-eyed monster called Cyclops  The first recorded eruption of Mt Etna was in 1500 B.C.  During 1999-2001 spectacular eruptions occurred at the summit craters of Mt Etna  Other famous volcano: Stromboli, volcanic island in the Italian Lipari Islands in the Adriatic Sea, north of Sicily

13. 13 Etna August 5, 1997

14. 14 Conclusion The process of industrialization in Sicily has made many Sicilians migrate to northern Italy, Germany, Switzerland, North and South America and Australia At the same time, Sicily has experienced a resurgence of the Mafia, which has become a serious problem throughout modern Italy Sicily has become famous in American movies as the land of the Mafia (The Godfather) But Sicily has above all one of the richest concentration of art in the world A bridge is about to be built between Sicily and the continent

15. 15 References http://www.bestofsicily.com http://www.sicily-photos.com http://www.sicilytravel.net/Palermo_tours.htm http://www.sicilytravel.net/Agrigento_tours.htm http://www.geo.mtu.edu/~boris/ETNA.html http://encarta.msn.com/find/search.asp?search=sicily http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/current_volcs/etna http://sights.seindal.dk/sight/613.html