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Sicily

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

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Sicily

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  1. Sicily

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

  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. 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. 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. 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. Cathedral of Syracusebaroque cathedral built over a temple to Athena

  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. Church of S. Giovanni degli Eremiti

  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. Temple of Concordia

  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. Etna August 5, 1997

  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. 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

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