3 Ways To Enjoy A Cultural Trip To Sicily, Italy

Sicily sits just off the “toe” of Italy’s “boot” and is the largest Mediterranean island, full of history, beautiful landscapes and plenty of culture. Historic sites include the Valley of the Temples with its monumental Doric-style Greek temples, and the beautiful Cappella Palatina, a former royal chapel in Palermo. The island is also known for Mount Etna, one of the highest active volcanoes in Europe.

Besides all these wonders, Sicily is also a place of art, wine and theatrical culture, as can be seen below.

1. Farm Cultural Park, Favara

This urban renewal project in the tiny town of Favara, Sicily, is dubbed “A place that makes you happy.” This is certainly the case. Originally, the town of Favara was a desolate and almost abandoned town. This was until Andrea Bartoli started an art gallery in the town. This art gallery gradually spread all over the town and includes a large art gallery, many smaller galleries with photo projects and video installations, as well as two bars, a takeaway food stall, a gift shop, vintage clothes shop and a wonderful secret garden.

In fact the Farm Cultural Park has turned Favara into a hip location in modern Italy. On Friday and Saturday nights, visitors and locals alike can enjoy live music, a film screening or a DJ set, as well as the art on display. Take a tour of Favara in the video included here.

2. Wine Tour of Sicily

Wine has been a part of Sicily’s history from its very beginnings and continues into the current time. A visit to the island will introduce you to the production, hospitality and tasting tours of the Sicilian wineries. Experience the Sicilian DOC and DOCG wines, including white, red, rosé, sparkling and fortified wines from the native vines of the island.

Photo Sicilian winery, Azienda Agricola Cos by Andy Montgomery on Flickr

These vines include the famous Zibibbo, which is the oldest and was imported here by the Phoenicians. Nero d’Avola is also a famous Sicilian grape, as well as Nerello Cappuccio, Nerello Mascalese, Carricante, Grillo, Catarratto, Frappato, Inzolia and Perricone. Enjoy a wonderful and unique wine tour of Sicily, taking in all the flavours of the island and of course, take some home with you!

3. Teatro di Andromeda

The next stop on our cultural tour is located high up in the mountains in the village of Santo Stefano Quisquina. The unique and imaginative Teatro di Andromeda is the brainchild of Lorenzo Reina, a sculptor and farmer. It took Lorenzo 30 years to create and is a striking and fascinating sight.

While the theatre is a beautiful sight, the amazing views of the surrounding landscapes make it even more dramatic. The reference to Andromeda relates to the 108 stone seats, placed to correspond to points in the Andromeda constellation. Surrounding the theatre are other pieces of sculpture by Reina, including a statue of Icarus and a rather appropriate right now piece – a hollow face, titled, “The Mask of the Word.” Visitors can see more of his work in an octagonal museum on the site.

During the warmer months, the theatre hosts some of the highest, open-air performances in the world, giving visitors a truly unique experience. Watch this Italian language video to learn more.

Have fun experiencing the cultural side of Sicily, Italy on your next exciting holiday!.

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