21 Interesting Facts About Sicily, Italy (100% true facts!)
Sicily is the biggest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and it’s also one of the 20 regions of Italy.
But did you know that it was once of the most important areas of the world? Or that there are more than 10 volcanoes in Sicily?
Learn more about this island with these 21 interesting facts about Sicily!
The Main Sicily Facts
1. Sicily is the biggest island in the Mediterranean Sea
With a land area of 25,711 km² (9,927 square miles), Sicily is definitely the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.
The second biggest is also in Italy: it’s Sardinia, with 24,100 km² (9,305 square miles).
Sicily is also a region of Italy, and it’s the largest one before Piedmont and Sardinia. With 5 million inhabitants, it’s only the 4th most populated region.
View over the town of Cefalu, Sicily
2. The tallest active volcano in Europe is Mount Etna, in Sicily
One of the most famous parts of Sicily is Mount Etna, the tallest active volcano in Europe. The second tallest is Mount Vesuvius in Naples.
It’s located on the eastern coast of the island, and it’s 3,326 meters high (10,912 feet).
Mount Etna is a very, very active volcano. It’s constantly erupting, and it’s not unusual to see several eruptions per year. If you’re up for an adventure, you can hike up to the crater’s rim!
3. But there are also several other volcanoes on the island
Mount Etna is not the only volcano in Sicily; in fact, there are more than 10 volcanoes in Sicily.
Only 3 are always active: Mount Etna, Stromboli and Vulcano.
Here’s the list of the known volcanoes in Sicily:
- Alicudi
- Lipari
- Panarea
- Filicudi
- Salina
- Vulcano
- Stromboli
- Mount Etna
- Monte Lauro
- Pantelleria
4. Sicily has it own language
While Italian is the official language in Sicily, the locals speak another language: Sicilian.
Sicilian is considered as a distinct language, and has been recognized as such by the UNESCO. The language has origins from a wide variety of other languages: Latin, Greek, Spanish, French, Catalan, Provençal and Arabic.
But most people in Sicily regularly speak in their own dialect: there are around 9 dialects of Sicilian.
5. More than 85% of the island is made of hills & mountains
There are very few plains in Sicily, and they make for only 14% of the island.
Most of the island is covered with hills which make for 62% of Sicily; the rest of the island is made of mountains (24%).
In fact, there are plenty of mountain ranges on the island:
- Mount Etna – 3,326 meters | 10,912 feet
- Madonie – 2,000 meters | 6,600 feet
- Nebrodi – 1,800 meters | 5,900 feet
- Peloritani – 1,300 meters | 4,300 feet
- Hyblaean Mountains – 1,000 meters | 3,300 feet
The town of Taormina in the Messina Province of Sicily
6. The sonnet was invented in Sicily
A sonnet is a poem with 14 lines, following a specific rhyme scheme; it’s a popular form a poetry, used by Michelangelo, Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe for example.
The sonnet comes from the Italian word sonetto, meaning little poem. It was invented in Sicily by Giacomo da Lentini, in the 13th century.
7. There is just 3 km (2 miles) of water between Sicily and mainland Italy
Sicily is separated by mainland Italy by the Strait of Messina: this narrow strait is between Sicily and the region of Calabria.
At its narrowest point, the strait is only 3 km wide (2 miles).
The Italian government has been wanting to build a bridge over the strait for decades, but to this day they still haven’t done it. A first project was cancelled in 2006, then a new project was launched by Berlusconi, only to be cancelled in 2013.
8. The mythological monsters of Scylla and Charybdis are on the 2 sides of the channel
Even though the Strait of Messina is pretty narrow, it remains dangerous. There are strong currents in the strait, and sailors have always struggled there.
The strait inspired the legend of Scylla and Charybdis, as told in the Odyssey from Greek poet Homer: 2 legendary monsters, sat on each side of the channel, preying on passing sailors.
9. Sicily has coasts on 3 different seas
The old name of Sicily was Trinacria, from the Greek word Τρινακρία, which means “having 3 headlands”, or 3 capes. The 3 capes are Peloro (northeast), Passero (south) and Lilbeo (west).
The name comes from the triangular shape of Sicily, with coast on 3 different seas:
- Mediterranean sea in the south
- Tyrrhenian sea in the north
- Inonian sea in the east
Lots of tourists go on a road trip in Sicily to discover these 3 seas and the famous spots along the coast.
Bathing in the town of Cefalu
10. The famous mathematician Archimedes was from Sicily
Archimedes was one of the leading scientists in the ancient times; he is famous for first calculating pi (π), and coming up with the Archimedes’ principle.
He was born in 287 BC in Syracuse, a city on the southeast coast of Sicily.
11. There are some well-preserved Greek Ruins on the island
One of the great Sicily history facts is about the Greek history.
In ancient times, the island was home to the Greek civilization, and there are plenty of Greek ruins all over Sicily: definitely some of the best hidden gems in Italy!
The most impressive ancient site is undoubtedly the Valley of the Temples, in Agrigento. In the valley, there are a total of 8 Greek Temples, built from 510 BC to 430 BC.
In total, there are 9 Greek archeological sites on the island. In addition to these, there are over 15 archeological sites from over cultures: Sicels, Phoenicians, Romans and Arabs.
The Temple of Neptune in Sicily
12. Sicily was independent for almost 750 years
Sicily wasn’t always part of Italy. In the past, it was an independent nation.
The island first got its independence in 1071, when Norman adventurer Robert Guiscard conquered Sicily from the Muslims and founded the County of Sicily.
In 1130, Roger II of Sicily founded the Kingdom of Sicily, an independent kingdom that ruled over Sicily until 1816.
In total, Sicily was independent for 745 years!
13. It has the largest opera house in Italy
Did you know that the largest opera house in Italy was in Sicily?
The Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele, or simply Teatro Massimo, is located in Palermo, the capital of Sicily. It was built in 1897, and has a capacity of 1,387 seats.
At the time it was built, it was the 3rd biggest opera house in Europe (after the Palais Garnier in Paris and the Vienna State Opera), which is definitely among the coolest Sicily culture facts.
The Teatro Massimo in Palermo, Sicily
14. Close to 2 million Sicilians have left the island since 1876
This massive exodus has many reasons.
The first one was the 7-year military service imposed by the government, as Silicy joined the new united Italy. Then, the government sent 30,000 soldiers to the island to repress a revolt, which ended in blood.
There were also natural disasters, with a disease affecting the vineyards, and a massive earthquake in 1908 that killed 90,000 people.
There are other reasons, but in the end, a huge number of Sicilians left their country.
15. The first Mafia was the Sicilian Mafia
In the 19th century, the first Mafia emerged in Sicily.
The Sicilian Mafia, or Cosa Nostra, first started as group of men offering protection to other Sicilians, or retrieving their stolen goods & cattle from thieves.
It quickly evolved to a protection racketeering business, where locals were forced to pay for protection by the Mafia; if they failed to pay, the Mafia itself would come after them.
The Sicilian mafia is the first mafia, but there are now many other mafias in Italy, mostly in Southern Italy.
The church of Castelmola, Sicily
16. The reunification of Italy started in Sicily
Sicily was one of the first territory to merge with other kingdoms, and started the reunification of Italy.
The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was created in 1816, when the Kingdom of Sicily merged with the Kingdom of Naples.
In 1860, more than 75% of the Silicians voted for the annexation by the Kingdom of Sardinia. And finally, on March 17th 1861, the Kingdom of Italy was declared, replacing the Kingdom of Sardinia, and indexing all of the provinces of the country.
17. The city of Syracuse was one of the biggest Greek cities in ancient times
Have you heard of Syracuse in Ancient Greece? Well, it’s actually in Sicily, on the south east coast of the island.
Syracuse was founded by the Greeks in 734 BC, and what started as a settlement quickly grew over the years. In 415 BC, Syracuse was a big as Athens, the most important city in Greece at the time.
Even in Roman times, Syracuse was an important city, just like Rome; it was the capital of the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire) from 663 to 669. As a result, you can find plenty of ancient ruins all over Sicily.
The Greek Theatre of Syracuse, Sicily
18. Ice-cream is typical for breakfast in Sicily
Say whaaat?
This is one of the best fun facts about Sicily: breakfasts often include ice-cream!
Sicilians eat brioche con gelato for breakfast, basically an ice-cream sandwich which is a popular street food in Palermo.
19. Sicily was ruled by many Empires
The history of Sicily is very rich, as you’ve probably seen from all of the facts above.
Throughout the years, Sicily was part of many different kingdoms, and was ruled by a lot of different nations.
Here are just a few empires who ruled over Sicily:
- Greeks with Syracuse being the 2nd biggest city in the Ancient Greek Empire
- Romans with Syracuse being the capital of the Byzantine Empire
- Arabs with the Emirate of Sicily
- Normans
- French
- and of course, Italians
20. Sicily is the 4th biggest wine producer in Italy
The wine from Sicily is particularly famous abroad, with mainly the Marsala wines.
In 2018, Italy was the largest wine producer in the world; Sicilia is the 4th biggest wine region, after Veneto, Puglia and Emilia Romagna.
In terms of number of vineyards though, Sicily is number , mainly thanks to the volcanic conditions.
21. Sicilia Pizza is different than the classical Italian pizza
And finally, the last of our 21 Sicily facts!
The pizza from Sicily is actually pretty different than the pizzas you’ll find in other parts of the country.
The Sicilian Pizza, also known as sfincione, meaning sponge. It’s usually rectangular, and it’s a thick bread covered with tomato sauce & anchovies.
The Piazza Pretoria in Palermo, Sicily
So there you have them, the 21 interesting facts about Sicily Italy!
If you want to learn more about the region, keep reading for some general facts and info.
General Facts on Sicily
You’ll find below a few general facts on Sicily, to learn more about this Italian region:
- Name: Sicily | Sicilia (Italian)
- Full Name: Regione Siciliana
- Capital: Palermo
- Land area: 25,711 km² / 9,927 square miles
- Population: 5,029,615 (8.3% of Italy)
- Name of inhabitants: Sicilian | Siciliano/Siciliana (Italian)
- Website: Visit Sicily
Where is Sicily? Sicily on a Map
Sicily is a region outside of Italy’s mainland; it’s an island, located in the Mediterranean Sea, at the very south of Italy.
Here you can see it on the map, to have a better understanding of where it is in Italy:
The Provinces of Sicily
Sicily is divided in 9 provinces, and each province has a capital with the same name as the province.
Here there are, ranked from most populated to least populated:
- Palermo
- Catania
- Messina
- Agrigento
- Trapani
- Siracusa
- Ragusa
- Caltanissetta
- Enna
Sicily Flag
More Facts!
Do you want even more facts about Italy?
Check out the following posts:
Or click here to see ALL the facts up on the blog! Spoiler alert: there is A LOT of them.
The Full List of 21 Sicily Facts
- Sicily is the biggest island in the Mediterranean Sea
- The tallest active volcano in Europe is Mount Etna, in Sicily
- But there are also several other volcanoes on the island
- Sicily has its own language
- More than 85% of the island is made of hills & mountains
- The sonnet was invented in Sicily
- There is just 3 km (2 miles) of water between Sicily and mainland Italy
- The mythological monsters of Scylla and Charybdis are on the 2 sides of the channel
- Sicily has coasts on 3 different seas
- The famous mathematician Archimedes was from Sicily
- There are some well-preserved Greek Ruins on the island
- Sicily was independent for almost 750 years
- It has the largest opera house in Italy
- Close to 2 million Sicilians have left the island since 1876
- The first Mafia was the Sicilian Mafia
- The reunification of Italy started in Sicily
- The city of Syracuse was one of the biggest Greek cities in ancient times
- Ice-cream is typical for breakfast in Sicily
- Sicily was ruled by many Empires
- Sicily is the 4th biggest wine producer in Italy
- Sicilia Pizza is different than the classical Italian pizza
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