10 things you probably didn’t know about Sicily and Sicilians
Recently, the fantastic youtube algorithm, instead of giving us the usual videos stuffed with cute kittens, finally recommended a very interesting video. We came across a video posted back in 2016 by a certain Giovanni Castellana, listing 10 things you probably didn’t know about Sicily and as Giovanni writes in the video’s description, ‘The purpose of this video is to spark a greater interest in one’s Sicilian cultural roots’, one of the cornerstones of our work. So how could we not show you these fantastic 10 things you probably didn’t know about Sicily? Find Giovanni’s original video at the bottom of the news!
10 Things you probably didn’t know about Sicily
10) At the bottom of the list is one thing that shows why Sicilians are happy people who never give up. It’s all about Messina and a series of natural disasters that followed each other over time, from floods to earthquakes. Over the centuries, the city on the Strait of Messina has been the scene of various natural events that should have depressed us. Instead,” says the author of the video, “Sicilians always manage to have a certain inherent happiness and desire to go on.”
9) Sicily encompasses all the types of climate that exist on the European continent. Our island range from the continental climate of Mount Etna to the sand dunes similar to those of South Africa Sicily. In a relatively small area of land, you can experience most of the European climates (this is cool, isn’t it?). There are perennial glaciers on Europe’s highest active volcano, and the Syracuse area feels like Africa in some ways.
8) Sicily is home to some of the most important and well-known religious festivals in the world. Giovanni mentions in particular the festival of Sant’Agata in Catania. But if we think about it, it is not the only one that is attended by many people. The Festino di Santa Rosalia is another example of this kind, and the many religious festivals in Sicily confirm the attention and proximity to the religious field.
7) Sicily thrives on culture and is the Italian region with the most UNESCO protected sites. From the Arab-Norman route to the Sicilian puppets, there is something for everyone in the diverse world of beauty protected by the World Organisation.
6) Sicily holds a record over all of Europe, that of the longevity of its kingdom. Almost 700 years from the Middle Ages to the beginning of the nineteenth century. A record that probably explains the importance of the island in the Mediterranean and certainly distinguishes its people.
5) Sicily has – according to the author of the video – the oldest flag in the world, along with the Scottish flag and the four Moors of Sardinia. The Sicilian flag was first raised in 1282, during the Revolution of Vespro. The red of Palermo and the yellow of Corleone, the places where the revolts against the French began, were placed on the flag. In the center is the symbol of Trinacria, with its three legs representing Sicily as the points of the triangle.
4) The language, the Sicilian dialect, has the merit of being treated as a language in its own right. The European Union recognizes it as a historical language. There are associations and study centers that continue to research and publish its peculiarities, and there are still many Sicilian sayings that appeal to foreign tourists.
3) The last step on the podium is ice cream. The inventor happens to be a Sicilian, Procopio dei Coltelli. A man who managed to export his invention to France. Even today, there is a café-bistro in Paris that bears his name. An invention that is still one of the most appreciated in the world.
2) Thanks to its location in the Mediterranean, the island is the most recognizable region in a geographical atlas. This is made even more obvious by its unique triangular shape. One only has to look at the impressive pictures taken by the astronaut Luca Parmitano to realize how well Sicily can be seen from space.
1) Nature comes out on top in this ranking, thanks to the chestnut of the hundred horses. A real living monument that still attracts many tourists for its history and beauty at the foot of Mount Etna. The tree is counted among the giants of Europe, a tree that makes a person as small as a mosquito and around which you can walk to learn all its secrets.
Did you like these 10 things you probably didn’t know about Sicily? Want to try and give it a go to the original video in Italian? Here we go!
I didn’t know about 9 of them!!Thanks for enlightening me as a full blooded Sicilian ❤️