Travel Program…
We are excited to welcome our guests to the isle of Sicily, a land of cross-cultural influences, maritime history, traditional life, and magnificent art, architecture, and cuisine. Our tour is organized around visits to the most significant attractions on the island, with each day commanding a different historic theme. We begin the tour in the historic city of Siracusa visiting sites associated with the first Greek colonists to settle in Sicily, and the fantastic archeology and art museum. The incredible Temple to Athena, now the Duomo of Ortigia, is one of the architectural highlights of our exploration of the historic downtown of Ortigia (Siracusa).
In the following days, we visit towns resplendent for their exquisite Baroque architecture like the town of Noto.
Near Agrigento, we visit the Villa del Casala, where some of the most impressive Roman floor mosaics in the world are preserved, then visit the “Valley of Temples” to see impressive Greek temples. Making our way west through Sicily’s viticulture region, we visit the Greek-Trojan sites at Segeste, then continue to Palermo.
In Palermo, we will spend time visiting markets, old palazzos and piazzas, look to visit the historic opera house (schedule permitting), and spend two full days touring the magnificent medieval mosaics and frescoes in the city’s historic Byzantine-influenced cathedrals including the Pallatine Chapel and the Monreale Cathedral where we will attend Palm Sunday services.
We conclude our tour at the base of Sicily's iconic volcano, Mount Etna, where we visit the historic Roman theater at Taormina, and explore the nearby fortified town of Castelmola.
Airport transfers are provided on arrival and departure. We will travel by chauffeured minibus, with plenty of walking in the cities, towns, and around sites. This tour will be led by John Graham, with expert guiding from Damian Croft. In addition, we will meet many local people on this trip, including local specialist guides. Our team is particularly keen on presenting a fantastic diversity of cuisine and wine, one of Sicily's great gifts to the world.
Read more about our program in the pages that follow! To register, request our brochure and registration form by email: admin@johngrahamtours.com
Historical-Cultural view:
The history of settlement in Sicily is attested in neolithic times in pottery finds from as early as the 7th millennium BC. As a large and fertile island in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily has always been at the crossroads of maritime travel, bringing together conquering fleets, refugees, merchants, rogue pirates, crusaders, and travelers. The first historical cities are attributed to the ancient Greeks, who established the city of Siracusa in 713 BC, birthplace of the great genius of the ancient world, Archimedes. On the far side of the island, the Phoenicians established a trading port called Zis (modern Palermo) in the 8th century BC. War was frequent between the various Greek city-states on the island especially with strained allegiances during the Peloponnesian wars. The Greeks also warred with their rivals in Carthage just 160 miles across the Mediterranean, the local indigenous populations of Siculi and Sicani, and eventually with Rome.
By the mid-3rd century BC, a new power had emerged: Rome. After defeating Carthage in Corsica, Sicily, and north Africa, Sicily became the first Roman colony. The island’s inhabitants continued to speak Greek, but were forced to send one-tenth of their grain to Rome every year as an imperial tax. Local Roman rulers became fabulously wealthy, as evidenced by the incredible mosaics at one of the main Roman-era sites, the Villa Romana del Casale (featured on this tour). As the Roman Empire fell apart in the 5th century AD, the Byzantines controlled Sicily.
Sicily came under Arab control during the 10th-11th centuries. Arab farmers improved irrigation and introduced more crops into Sicilian agriculture: cotton from Syria, pistachios from Persia, sugar cane, olive trees, and citrus. They brought papyrus, and opened schools for mathematics and administration. Much of the Tunisian architectural legacy is lost, buried beneath later construction, but the walls of one Qasr palace still remain in Palermo, though the Grand Mosque to which it was once attached is now the site of the Palermo Cathedral.
By the 11th century, Normans had defeated the Arabs and other rivals to take over the island. With their wealth, they built grand cathedrals and hired the best mosaic specialists from Constantinople to adorn the interiors. These UNESCO heritage sites give visitors a strong impression of the legacy of Byzantine wealth and art of this period.
In order to understand this complex history, we have devised a program with daily themes in each location. As we circumnavigate the coastline for 10 days, we discuss Greek heritage, the Roman and Carthaginian empires, medieval crusader forts and cathedrals, Baroque architecture, village agrarian lifestyles and livelihoods, and modern life including refugee migration from North Africa, myths of mafia culture, mass tourism, agricultural challenges in the EU, and other themes of the day. We also explore themes of pre-history by discussing evidence of neolithic habitation in Sicily, and the legends and mythologies that give life to Sicilian culture.
Art and Culture:
The oldest layers of Sicilian traditional music are connected with shepherd flutes and the zampogna bagpipe (featured this tour!). As an agrarian society, many work and harvest songs are attested. The religious music of the isle is associated with the Catholic Church in the form of Gregorian chant for liturgical services, and para-liturgical hymns sung at the religious festivals especially those associated with Nativity and Pascha. The Arabs brought lutes, the Spanish the guitar, the Europeans the accordion and other instruments such that today, Sicily has a wide diversity of musical traditions mapping over one another.
The architecture of the island is considered the jewel of its artistic contribution. Every civilization to set foot on Sicily has been inspired to produce spectacular buildings, whether Greco-Roman theaters and temples, palaces and villas, Byzantine and Catholic churches, or Baroque decorative secular architecture. As a maritime isle, the port cities are full of utilitarian architecture as well, including a diversity of historic quays, wharfs, storm walls, harbor barriers, and other port infrastructure.
The cuisine of the island also reflects its diverse history. Greeks brought olives and viticulture, Romans wheat and perhaps pasta, Arabs brought citrus, nuts, and new grains. Later, Sicilians developed their own variations on pastas, pizzas, lasagnas, and other pan-Italian dishes. Fishing has always been a staple of the island, and remains a big part of the diet. Various endemic grape varietals are known throughout the island... our meals are always curated to include the best local wines to pair with the local cuisine.
The Sicilian Trinacria is one of the most ubiquitous secular symbols of Sicily, deeply rooted in the island’s history, culture, and mythology. The symbol features three bent legs radiating from a central head, which is often depicted as Medusa or a Gorgon, surrounded by three stalks of wheat.
Faces of Sicily:
The official language of Sicily is Italian, but most locals speak Sicilian (Siculo) and its many dialectal derivatives. The many civilizations that invaded the island left their mark on the language and today, Sicilian has elements of Greek, Catalan, Spanish, Arabic, French and Provençal. For example, the Italian word for ‘snail’ is lumaca but is babbaluciu in Sicilian, from the Arabic babūš and the Greek boubalákion. The Italian word for ‘cherry’ is ciliegia, but in Sicilian it is cirasa, from the Greek word kerasós.
The main industries of the island’s 4.8 million population are its fisheries, together with production of processed foods, fertilizers, refined oil, and natural gas. Other exports include sulfur, ships, textiles, wine, leather goods, and forest products. The chief crops are barley, wheat, olives, and corn. 75% of the land is used for agriculture, which remains a strong employment sector. Tourism is also a major economic driver, accounting for 40% of the economy in some places, and 15% overall.
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Tamada Club