Sicilia (Sicily), the Mediterranean's largest island: the east

Sicily (Sicilia), the furthest south one can get in Italy, is the largest island in the Mediterranean, covering 25 700 square kilometres, with a population of almost 5 million. Mountains and hills cover more than 85 percent of Sicily. The island's highest point is Mount Etna, Europe's most active volcano that rises 3400 metres on the east coast). The island therefore is subject to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. In 1693 an earthquake completely destroyed the town of Noto, near Syracuse; it was then rebuilt with grand Baroque palaces and churches. The city of Catania also had to be rebuilt entirely after an eruption destroyed it in 1669 and Messina, from where a ferry links the island to the Italian mainland, had to be rebuilt after an earthquake wrecked it in 1908.

The island's location made it a crossroads for many civilizations. A number of peoples invaded and settled on the island, including Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Muslims from North Africa, and Normans. Today, Sicily is a showcase of these civilizations. Greek colonisation started in the 8th century BC; the cities of Syracuse, Catania and Messina among others were founded by Greeks. But by 210 BC it was dominated by Rome. It was part of the Byzantine Empire until the Arab conquest of 903 AD. As a result of this, the people still speak local dialects that have traces of Arabic, Greek, and other languages.

In 1060 the Norman conquest began and their control passed to the Swabians and to the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. In the 13th century the island was controlled by the French Angevins until the people revolted in 1282 and Sicily came under Spanish rule. This lasted almost uninterrupted until 1734 when the Bourbons of Naples united the island with southern Italy in the "Kingdom of the Two Sicilies". Finally, in 1861, it became part of the new united Italy.

	Messina harbour	Fountain, Catania	Cathedral of Catania	Mount Etna
	Destruction, Etna	Craters, Mt. Etna	Palace, Syracuse	Roman Amphitheatre
	Religious shop, Syracuse	Upper town, Noto	Cathedral of Noto	San Domenico, Noto

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