Southern Italy & Sicily
Departing 15-May-2011
to 05-Jun-2011
Two areas of the western Mediterranean geographically close that were politically and/or culturally linked for centuries. The Greeks began colonizing south Italy and eastern Sicily in the eighth century, giving rise to the name Magna Graecia (Great Greece), while the Carthaginians (Phoenicians) started settling in western Sicily in the seventh century. Then came (inevitably?) the Romans, southern Italy in the fourth century, Sicily in the third, but Magna Graecia remained at heart Greek in language and culture, and the people, especially the Sicilians, aware, as many still are, that they were different from northern Italy. After the Romans came the Arabs (Sicily) and then the Normans, the last creating in the twelfth century a united kingdom.
The fact that it was called the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies reveals the dominance of the island. It was later rules by kings from Germany, Anjou, Aragon, Austria and Spain, each leaving his own stamp on the cities. It was only in 1860 that Italy became more than what Metternich had called a geographical expression and became a united country, including Sicily, where Garibaldi started, throwing out the last Bourbon king.
So what we see today is a glorious mixture of different civilizations, with Greek temples and theatres, Roman towns and villas, Norman cathedrals and palaces, mosaics from the Roman and Norman times and Baroque architecture from the Spanish – and let us never overlook the scenery. It’s a cultural smorgasbord, with something to delight everyone, whatever their interests.
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Leonie Hayne tutored and lectured at Sydney University for over thirty years, at pass and Honours le...
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Travel Destinations: Italy Cambodia Egypt Turkey China Laos Greece Austria Europe and the World.