The island of Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is an autonomous region of Italy. The island's Mediterranean climate makes it a popular vacation destination. The island's live volcano at Mount Etna with walking paths and ski slopes in the winter is a popular attraction.

History

From its earliest history Sicily was inhabited by the Phoenicians. In the 8th century B.C., Sicily became a Greek colony. Sicily was next conquered by the Carthaginians who would later be conquered by the Romans sometime in the 3rd century B.C. The Normans gained control in the 11th century A.D. and Sicily was said to have been divided into two parts; Sicily and southern Italy. Eventually, in 1860 Sicily was captured by Garibaldi at which time it was considered to be a part of Italy.

Arts & Museums

Sicily has a reputation of being an artistic region, as it is the home of many artists, writers, philosophers, architects and painters. Teatro Massimo, Palermo's Opera House is noted as being one of the best opera houses in Europe. The house holds year round performances of opera, music and ballet. Visitors to Sicily will want to visit Palermo's Archaeological Museum which offers a collection of Greek relics. Siracusa, which is on the Southeast coast of Sicily is a great place to visit classical ruins and a Greek theater.

Nightlife

Sicily is not known as a party island. There are not a lot of clubs and discos. However, there are a few bars and clubs that cater to tourists. Most can be found in larger cities like Palermo or Catania. Many are located in the larger hotels or close to the hotels. Many tourists like to sip wine and take in the sights while sitting on their hotel balconies during the evening.

How to get there

Sicily has two airports and is easily accessible from Italy and other parts of Europe. Sicily is also connected to Italy, Sardinia, Malta, Tunisia and Egypt by ferry. You may also reach Sicily by train from the mainland of Italy. Once on Sicily you may travel to its major cities by bus or train.