Occupied by the Greeks, Romans, Saracens, Normans, Byzantines, French, Spaniards, and most recently Italians, Sicily preserves its vestiges across the entire island. Poverty, the Mafia, and a corrupt political system drove many people out of the island looking for a better life in the New World. Despite being for a relatively long time part of Italy, the Sicilians speak a dialect different from Italian, seasoned with words from centuries of various occupations. 

On its eastern shore is Catania, the birthplace of the opera composer Bellini, the menacing Mt. Etna, the baroque Noto and Siracusa, the city where Archimede was born and lived. Further south are the phenomenal mosaics of  Roman Villa of Casale in Piazza Armerina, and Agrigento, with its Valle Dei Templi that impressed Goethe. 

Further is Eraclea Minoa and Sciacca, a famous place for ceramics, the Roman temples of Selinunte and Segesta, Erice, a medieval hill town, and the famous-infamous Palermo, a vibrant baroque city full of beautiful buildings and tradition. Nearby is the cathedral of Monreale and Cefalu, famous for its remarkable mosaics and the glitzy resort of Taormina. (Mazara del Valle, St. Stefano di Camastra)