Packed with history, culture, misadventure, and a little Mafioso action, the story of a newly married couple and the year they spent in Sicily Gill and I had dreamt of living in Italy for as long as we'd been together. This is the story of an Aussie couple who sought a Mediterranean Sea change only to find themselves in the sprawling Sicilian city of Catania—the "anti-Tuscany" of Italy. There, any romantic visions they'd had of restoring a villa or stamping their entwined feet in vats of Chianti grapes disappeared faster than the chief witness in a Cosa Nostra trial. Shamus and Gill's tiny apartment in Catania was located in a grim neighborhood opposite a triple-X cinema and a shop selling coffins, nearby Mount Etna erupted soon after their arrival, a mystery ailment left Shamus in a neck brace, they crashed a Vespa, and they had regular dealings with at least one Mafioso. This, then, is an Italian sea change with grit. But it's also a story of optimism, endurance, and acceptance; an exploration of the minutiae of Sicilian culture, history, food, and religion; and an example of how to find beauty—and humor—in the most unexpected of places.

In the spring of 1624 the painter Anthony Van Dyck (1599 -1641) moved from Genoa to Palermo in Sicily. Soon after Van Dyck's arrival, plague struck Palermo and most of the population died. In the same year, the bones of Saint Rosalia were discovered in a cave on the Monte Pellegrino where she was said to have died as a hermit in the Middle Ages. This will be the first exhibition to focus on Van Dyck's work during this period. The exhibition takes Dulwich's own Portrait of Emanuele Filiberto as a starting point and expands into an examination of Van Dyck's activity in that year. It will also be the first time in the UK that Van Dyck's portrait of the Viceroy of Sicily from Dulwich's own collection will be seen next to the spectacular suit of armour worn by the viceroy in the portrait - still surviving in the Royal Armouries of Madrid--Provided by publisher

From Giorgio Locatelli, bestselling author of Made in Italy, comes an exquisite cookbook on the cuisine of Sicily, which combines recipes with the stories and history of one of Italy’s most romantic, dramatic regions: an island of amber wheat fields, lush citrus and olive groves, and rolling vineyards, suspended in the Mediterranean Sea. Mapping a culinary landscape marked by the influences of Arab, Spanish, and Greek colonists, the recipes in Made in Sicily showcase the island’s diverse culinary heritage and embody the Sicilian ethos of primacy of quality ingredients over pretentiousness or fuss in which “what grows together goes together.”

A comprehensive and up-to-date account of the languages of ancient Sicily by an international team of experts.

Rising up from the heart of the Mediterranean, Sicily has a rich and ancient history spanning over 2,000 years. A bounty prized by invaders from the Greeks, Romans and Vandals to the Byzantines, Arabs and Normans, Sicily's violently beautiful landscapes are haunted by a vibrant mix of cultures and her soil has always been fertile ground for the literary and artistic imagination. This compelling guide uncovers the island's multi-faceted personality through those literary figures who have managed to get under her skin - from Pindar, Cicero and Aeschylus to Shakespeare and Cervantes; DH Lawrence, Coleridge and Oscar Wilde to Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, Ezra Pound and Lawrence Durrell; as well as local writers who have defined the modern Italian novel - Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa and Leonardo Sciascia. Through their words and lives we witness the beauty, pain and power of the Sicilian cultural landscape and discover how the potent mix of influences on the island's society has been preserved forever in literature.

The island of Sicily was a highly contested area throughout much of its history. Among the first to exert strong influence on its political, cultural, infrastructural, and demographic developments were the two major decentralized civilizations of the first millennium BCE: the Phoenicians and the Greeks. While trade and cultural exchange preceded their permanent presence, it was the colonizing movement that brought territorial competition and political power struggles on the island to a new level. The history of six centuries of colonization is replete with accounts of conflict and warfare that include cross-cultural confrontations, as well as interstate hostilities, domestic conflicts, and government violence. This book is not concerned with realities from the battlefield or questions of military strategy and tactics, but rather offers a broad collection of archaeological case studies and historical essays that analyze how political competition, strategic considerations, and violent encounters substantially affected rural and urban environments, the island’s heterogeneous communities, and their social practices. These contributions, originating from a workshop in 2018, combine expertise from the fields of archaeology, ancient history, and philology. The focus on a specific time period and the limited geographic area of Greek Sicily allows for the thorough investigation and discussion of various forms of organized societal violence and their consequences on the developments in society and landscape.

Set on one of the oldest and largest estates in Sicily, you’ll find Casa Vecchie, where all the food is either sustainably grown or wild. Here you’ll find the Anna Tasca Lanza Center for Sicilian Food and Culture, one of the most respected culinary sites in Europe. Now run by Anna’s daughter, Fabrizia, the school’s programming extends beyond cooking into food heritage and farming. Chefs and food professionals like Alice Waters, David Tanis, Jody Adams, and Emiko Davies return again and again to reacquaint themselves with farm-to-table Italian cooking. Curated by Fabrizia, Coming Home to Sicily celebrates the authentic flavors of Sicily, as well as the harmonious connection between land, producer, and food. The recipes include her family’s renditions of traditional dishes, such as Frittata with Fava Beans, Eggplant Caponata, Mint and Garlic–Stuffed Swordfish, and Risotto with Green Cauliflower and Almonds, as well at-home versions of Sicily’s famous street food, such as Panelle (chickpea fritters), Casatelle (ricotta-filled turnovers), and Cannoli. Filled with photographs that capture the beauty and abundance of the land, this captivating book will be your go-to for timeless dishes from one of the world’s most beloved culinary regions.