The hybrid culture comes from Sicily’s inimitable history formed by multiple invasions and an ancient center of "Magna Graecia (the name of the area in Southern Italy and Sicily colonized by Greek settlers in the eighth century BC). Most who live in Sicily speak Italian, but Sicily also has its own dialect, obviously influenced by Italian. The Sicilian dialect adds a distinct twist to the region reminding the traveler that each region of Italy has its own brilliant personality.

Palermo, the capital dates from an eighth-century BC Phoenician settlement and features wonderful Norman buildings and marvelous attractions like the Cathedral, the Palazzo Abatellis, the Palazzo dei Normanni and Teatro Massimo. The Tyrrheanian coastline to the north is home to Cefalu, a popular resort. Inland are the mountains of the Madonie and Nebrodi that wrap around lovely hill villages. To the east are the Ionian Coast and Messina, the main arrival point from Calabria and the mainland. Taormina is known for its seashore and Greco-Roman amphitheatre. To the south is Sicily’s second largest city, Catania, offering elegant Baroque architecture with Mount Etna as a backdrop. Siracusa, or Syracuse, is also to the south. It is a grand town with ancient buildings including the Temple of Apollo and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Further along the south coast are Ragusa, Comiso, Modica and Noto, towns destroyed by the earthquake of 1693 and rebuilt in an opulent Baroque style.