Encounters with the Past: Sicily

Many years ago, the day arrived when I could finally visit Sicily. Black and white Italian films of the late 40s and 50s returned to my memory; criminal conspiracies, dangerous streets and pickpockets by the hundreds formed a stereotypically violent society where lawlessness was rampant and tourists were in dire danger at every turn.

None of that proved true.

During that first visit, a scouting and planning trip for future small group tours in Sicily, I stood at the edge of a piazza in Taormina, hundreds of meters above the sea, and took in the breathtaking vista of crystal clear cerulean waters below, the distant hills dotted with small villages and vineyards on the slopes of Mt. Etna. In Siracusa, during the annual Festival del Teatro Greco, I found myself moved to tears as Oedipus fled across a starkly modern stage, his primal screams sending echoes against the expanse of the 2500-year-old amphitheater. The Sicilian Baroque style of architecture in Modica, Ragusa, and Noto stunned me with their intricately carved porticos, balconies, and facades.

The magnificent Valley of the Temples, above the city of Agrigento, took my breath away. When I stood at the Temple of Hera and surveyed the vast view to the south, beyond the village named for one of Italy’s most famous writers, Pirandello, I imagined what this place must have been when those splendid structures were built.

All along the way, I met the wonderful people of Sicily: open, gregarious, engaging, and welcoming. In Modica, at the Palazzo Failla, I met the owner, Dottore Failla who renovated his family home and now welcomed guests to lovely accommodations. At the Masseria Susafa, between Agrigento and Palermo, I strolled along hilltop gravel roads with vistas that looked in every direction across the beauty of central Sicily. In Giarre, I enjoyed the simple beauty and comfort of Hotel Ramo d’Aria, a boutique property with views looking to the sea or up to the heights of Mt. Etna. The stunning architectural beauty of the Hotel Donna Carmella, also located in Giarre, offered private cabanas with their own soaking pools and vistas that swept across verdant slopes down to the sea.

A surprise awaited near the ceramic city of Sicily, Caltagirone. Only ten short minutes’ drive from that gorgeous city is the village of San Michele in Ganzaria. The Hotel Pomara offered incredibly affordable overnight rates in rooms with views of the distant outline of Mt. Etna across innumerable fields of golden wheat. The hotel’s restaurant is one of the absolute best in Sicily.

The villa selected for our small group tours is located along the Ionia Coast of the island. This completely restored private home offers rooms for up to sixteen in spectacular accommodation. From the balcony of one of those rooms a blossom-scented breeze and the view across the lemon groves to the sea made me want to stay — forever.

Forever: Sicily has had this effect on visitors since time immemorial. You will not want to leave. Legends about life on the island include an explanation for the use of hands ever present in today’s Italian conversation. When your land has seen occupation by Saracens, Greeks, Romans, Phoenicians, Austrians, Germans, and the French, how better to adapt to explaining to conquerors across languages than the use of hands? Along those lines, our guests have always been able to easily talk with Sicilians in English. Only in the smallest of villages a nonno or a nonna, grandfather or grandmother, would need to ask a grandchild to help translate. Even then, it becomes an adventure to remember.
The incredible encounters with the island, her people, and her history are nearly limitless.

As I prepared to return to Florence at the end of this first visit, I had to shake my head and smile at earlier fantasies about this island. No more the black and white cabals of dark criminals in unlit streets. No more the impression that the Sicilians would be guarded and suspicious. Here, for all to enjoy, rests a beautiful island that offers wonderful food, engaging residents, both jaw-dropping ancient and modern architecture, and ease of travel.

Join us on one of our annual visits to this island. If you prefer to ‘go on your own’, we offer itinerary planning that gives you the confidence to explore as you wish.