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Welcome to Our Hidden Corner
You’ve uncovered a hidden side of IDDU.
Here, we invite you to journey through the stories, legends, and traditions that have shaped Sicily. We made this little page for you — just a small space where you can discover cool facts, stories, and curiosities.
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From ancient stories to traditions, volcanoes to local legends, Sicily is full of surprises.
Scroll down, explore, and enjoy getting to know a bit more about the soul of Sicily with us!
The oldest and biggest active volcano in Europe lives here.
Mount Etna, towering over Catania, is Europe's largest (3.000 mt. high) and most active volcano. It has been shaping the island’s landscape for millennia and is considered sacred by many Sicilians. Its fertile volcanic soil gives life to some of the richest vineyards and orchards in the Mediterranean.

Etna Fire

View of Etna and Catania

Etna Eruption

Etna Fire
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Sicily has the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Italy!
From the ancient Valley of the Temples in Agrigento to the glittering mosaics of Monreale Cathedral and the stunning late Baroque towns of Noto, Modica, and Ragusa, Sicily is a true open-air museum. Each corner of the island tells a different story of past civilizations, offering breathtaking beauty and timeless artistry.

Noto

Agrigento Temple

Monreale Dom

Noto
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Sicily was once the heart of the ancient world.
Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, and Spanish — they all ruled Sicily at different times, each leaving behind pieces of their language, culture, and architecture.
Walking through a Sicilian town is like traveling across centuries and continents, where Arabic domes sit beside Gothic cathedrals and Greek temples rise from wildflower meadows.

Palermo Cathedral

Monreale

Agrigento Temple

Palermo Cathedral
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Sicilian Dialect: A Rich Tapes of Culture and Heritage.
Sicilian is not simply a dialect — it is a living, breathing language.
It carries within it echoes of Greek, Arabic, Catalan, and Norman French, offering a glimpse into the island’s layered history. Even today, some Sicilian proverbs and expressions date back more than a thousand years.

Piazza Pretoria Palermo

Palermo

Image by Quang Tri NGUYEN

Piazza Pretoria Palermo
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The Trinacria, the ancient symbol of the island, conveys a mythic story.
Sicily’s sun, sea, and volcanic soil create some of the world’s finest flavors — from bold extra virgin olive oils and rich pistachio creams to handmade sweets like cannoli, cassata, and Modica chocolate.
Each product carries the island’s passion, history, and timeless tradition in every bite.

Sicilian Flag

Sicilian Flag

Sicilian Sea

Sicilian Flag
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The first Italian literary language was born in Sicily!
In the 13th century, under Emperor Frederick II, poets at his court in Palermo started writing in a refined Sicilian dialect — creating the first structured version of Italian used for poetry and literature.
Long before Tuscany became famous with Dante and others, Sicily was already shaping the language that would become Italy’s heart and voice.

Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor

Frederick II, King of Sicily

Monreale Dom

Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
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The Normans who ruled Sicily were originally Vikings!
The famous Norman knights who conquered Sicily in the 11th century were descendants of Vikings who had settled in France a few generations earlier. They brought northern strength, mixed it with Mediterranean culture, and helped create one of the richest and most multicultural kingdoms of medieval Europe.

The Normans conquering Palermo

Palermo Arab Market

Normans and Arabs in Palermo

The Normans conquering Palermo
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