Sicily, land of the sun. She stands in the middle of the Mediterranean sea as if put there by the will of God. Kissed by the Sun and blessed by Nature, she became the center of attraction of the civilized world.
For its political, commercial and geographical position and its strategic advantage, she was reason for long wars and bloody battles among many nations. From North and from South, from the far East to the near West she was wanted. As we find in the Sicilian history, many Kings and many Leaders conquered the "Island of the Sun", as Homer called it, but she was slave to no one.
The truth of the matter is that she was the one to conquer everybody with its brilliant sun, its balsamic scents of orange blossoms, its trees full of sparkling fruits and a sense of joy, a feeling of fullness, an illusion of happiness. Its history seems without end.
We start having a glimpse at the glorious island about three thousand years ago. We know little or nothing of the aborigines before now. At this time a people from the Iberian peninsula, searching for a better home, arrives in the great Island of the Mediterranean and makes itself at home in the Northern-Western part of the Island. The name of the leader of this people was Sicanus. His people grateful for his leadership called the new land Sicany.
Some time later, a people from the Lazio region descended South and took possession of the Oriental part of our Island. The name of the leader was Siculus, son of Italus. Again the people being thankful for a safe journey and happy for the new found land, called it Sicily, in honor of its leader.
Many century went by and many things happened, and all the while the two people mixed and fought together and worked together, enjoied and suffered together, while, don't ask me how and why, the beautiful name of "SICILY" took hold and better survived to time and vicissitude, to Greeks and Romans, to Phoenicians and Carthageneans.
Land of the Sun
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