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The cities, the archipelagos, the volcanoes and the monuments of the island have been inserted in the World Heritage UNESCO as testimony of the artistic and natural beauties of Sicily. From natural beauties to spectacular monuments, from archaeological areas to picturesque old towns, Sicily has many reasons to be defined as a World Heritage Site an...

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The 200-year-old secrets of the child mummies of the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo in northern Sicily are to be revealed by a British-led team of scientists using X-ray technology. Dr Kirsty Squires, of Staffordshire University, will head a first attempt to tell the stories of some of the 163 children whose remains lie within the corridors and cryp...

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“Not only sea, sun and grattatella“, would answer any Sicilian to the question “Christmas in Sicily, really??”. Yes, because, in any season, Sicily offers enchanting views, suggestive places and atmospheres, moments to remember and unique dishes to taste. Yes, really, even at Christmas! The tradition of Christmas here is very strong and you can imm...

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While European governments weigh up new mandates and measures to boost the uptake of Covid jabs there is on the slopes of Sicily’s Monte delle Rose a village with a vaccination rate that defies mathematics: 104%. The figure is in part a statistical quirk – vaccine rates are calculated by Italian health authorities on a town or village’s official po...

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Is there any country on earth that wears its history as lightly as Italy? Roman ruins sit cheek by jowl with Renaissance palazzos, while modern skycrapers cast their long shadows over neoclassical cathedrals. But there are many more reasons why this is the fifth most visited country in the world – the rolling landscapes of Tuscany, the sandy beache...

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The Norman Palace in Palermo, the former seat of the kings of Sicily, is the oldest royal residence in Europe. Its greatest attraction is the Palatine Chapel, where every detail reveals the perfect union among different styles: Latin, Byzantine, Arab -  here’s where the ancient cultures of the Mediterranean blends to reflect that ‘melting pot’ that...

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In Ghosts of the Belle Époque: The History of the Grand Hôtel et des Palmes, Palermo, by Andrew & Suzanne Edwards, the authors have given us a memory story taking place over many times and set in one particular place. The book is jam-packed with events from the turn of the 19th Century through to the present. It is a remarkable achievement to maint...

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In 2021 rose to 58 the number of Italian sites that are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Now the ranking of the 10 most famous and visited has come out, thanks to the analysis of reviews on Google. All categories have been evaluated: cultural sites, natural sites (5) and cultural landscapes (8) that are part of the 58 UNESCO wonders. However...

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The “Festa dei Morti” is among the most important and felt by the people of Palermo, especially by the children who have been waiting for it with anxiety since the previous weeks, when the city is filled with “Mercatini dei Morti” (markets of the dead). In this blog post I will tell you about the “rituals” that are repeated every year in the houses...

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Sicily, land of vineyards, olive trees, citrus fruits but also of coffee. This is the dream of the Morettino family, which for about 30 years has been carrying out an experimental project that has seen the birth and growth of coffee plants on the island, also thanks to a significant climate change we are witnessing. A strong signal received from na...

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