Sicily is a mysterious island with deep history. Part One

Do you know what I associate with the mysterious island of Sicily? You will not believe, my friends, with the piercing smell of ... oranges, especially oranges, which grow on the island in large numbers, and even excess, and how squeaky they smell when lying in boxes and leaflets.

It's not easy to say these words, you need to feel and try them, and you definitely won't regret them.

Oranges, like most other plants grown on this island, including olives and olives, are imported. And the Arabs brought oranges to Sicily, now according to statistics about 78-80% of all Italian citrus fruits grow in the fertile soil of Sicily. So, we immediately consider the geographical location and historical development of the island of Sicily in general.

Sicily 5 surrounding groups of 38 small islands are shaped like large triangles that pass through the narrow strait of Messina (3-15km wide) adjacent to Italian shoes, and not only are the largest in the Mediterranean area for 25,500 sq. Km and a population of 5 million, but also the most densely populated island.

Also, Sicily Island occupies the most central position in the Mediterranean, being at the same distance, both from the Suez Canal and the Strait of Gibraltar.

Historically, since ancient times, Sicily has become a liaison between Europe and Africa. The island was washed by the sea only 3, in ancient times, even called the Mediterranean of Africa, given the proximity of Africa to the island at a distance of 135 km, which influenced the type of coastal architecture.

The sea here is very calm, peaceful and the beach is beautifully clean to meet all tastes such as sand and gravel, the beach season lasts from May to November, when in Sicily comes a large number of tourists not only for recreation, but also for the examination of a large number of historical and architectural monuments and beautiful Sicilian nature with a cool climate.

In Sicily, there are usually 250 sunny days per year compared to 200 days on the Italian mainland and 180 days on the south coast of France.

But Sicily is famous not only for the largest active volcano in Etna Europe 3323 m high and the height of the highest mountain around. 1000 m in the center of the island, formed from a mixture of lava, natural tuffs and limestone, where the city was built with a consonant name from Enna. The relief of this island is quite diverse due to the presence of a large number of hills and even mountains. Along the north coast there are 2 chains of the Nebrodia Madonie mountain with a height of up to 2 km, which protects to a certain extent the island's climate from the north.

The other mountains are located in the eastern part of the island between Messina and Etna, which is a continuation of the mountains of the Calabria continent. And in the Catania region in the east of the island there is a fertile plains, and how beautiful the city beaches are in Cefalu.

Sicily is rich in a variety of different historical monuments, mainly because of the frequent changes in the system of government on this island because of its long history. Sicily is often called the cradle of civilization, and the area of ​​contrast. For centuries on the island there have been historical events, due to their favorable geographical location. And it all began with the arrival on the island from 1400 AD. Ancient Greeks from Crete and the Aegean island who founded their civilization.

But they were soon replaced by people from Liguria, who founded here tribes of horse breeders, who could handle copper and develop agriculture. Since 750 BC. Sicily landed again the Greeks discovered deposits of metal and metal began to develop rapidly, having created a powerful colony of Naxos, with it starting the Greek stage of development with the creation of Sicily in the east and the south coast of the larger settlements, Syracuse, Catania, Gela, Agrigento.

Greek settlements were strengthened and tried to fight the Arab Carthaginians to control the navy in the Mediterranean. However, after losing their main role in Sicily, Greece was forced to withdraw Rome's nascent Italian capital in the struggle against Carthage. Rome began 1 and then the 2nd Punic War with Carthage, and from that time Sicily became fully Roman, agriculture flourished in fertile soil in Sicily, Roman temples were active and universally built.

After 440 AD. Sicily attacked the Gothic Barbarians, in 535 AD. The Greek-Gothic War began at the will of Rome, which wanted to unite the eastern and western parts of their empire.

The Byzantine Era covered Sicily for 3 centuries, significantly affecting the social and cultural life of the island. And Byzantine architectural styles in Greek monuments, as well as Byzantine mosaics combined with the Sicilian Baroque style, can be seen in many Sicilian churches to this day.

But in 827 AD. the Arabs launched a campaign to conquer Sicily, which lasted almost 200 years, leaving a deep Muslim footprint in centuries of Christianity.
It was the Arabs who made the capital city of Sicily, the newly created Palermo, where now 675 thousand inhabitants live.

The influence of the Arabs felt in many aspects of island life and still, with striking features in the dialect of Sicilian cuisine and the culture of many plants and trees, which until then were not in Sicily. But in 1060 the island landed Normandy, an aggressive Scandinavian tribe, destroyed from VIII to the XI century, attacks by sea robbers, many European countries.

But despite their Normandy aggression forming self-rulers who were peace-loving, their rule lasted until 1194, and they returned to the island of Christian faith, but they did not destroy the monuments of their predecessors, but rearranged them. As a result, in many large Sicilian Sicilian settlements - Palermo, Montreal, Cefal, Messina, etc., there is a mixture of the most amazing architectural styles

To be continued