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Italy: Sicily (Sicilia)

Overview

Sicily contains the provinces of Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Catania, Enna, Messina, Palermo, Ragusa, Syracuse (Siracusa) and Trapani. Sicily’s rich and complex history is evident in the capital Palermo, a splendid city in the grand manner; opulent and vital, with a wealth of remarkable architecture, particularly Norman and Baroque. It was the most important Carthaginian colony in the Mediterranean for five centuries and Palermo’s 750,000 inhabitants have a strong feeling for its ancient traditions. Other major cities include Catania, with a population of around 350,000, Messina, a modern city entirely rebuilt after being destroyed by an earthquake in 1908, and the ancient city of Agrigento with its magnificent Greek temples.

The island has witnessed successive waves of invaders, including Greeks, Carthaginians, Saracens and Romans (who made it their granary), Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Angevins, Aragonese and Bourbons, all of whom left their mark and contributed to the unique quality of this extraordinary island. Among the rich Greek remains are the temple complexes of the Valley of the Temples, Agrigento, Syracuse (with its theatre), Segesta and Selinunte, all of which are better preserved than any ancient theatres in Greece. Roman relics are best seen in the villa of Piazza Armerina, with its exceptional mosaics (which include women in bikinis!). Sicily has a fascinating mixture of architectural styles, including numerous Arab influences, while the cathedral of Monreale is the most significant Norman building in the whole of Italy.

Sicily is the largest and most densely populated island in the Mediterranean. It’s a land of stark contrasts between the breathtaking coastal scenery and run-down coastal resorts, city slums with polluting industries and the interior’s wealth of greenery, including eucalyptus, citrus and olive trees, prickly pear cactus and vines, the sparse population of the island’s interior and teeming urban conurbations on the coastal belt. Sicily has more autonomy than most other Italian regions for historical and ethnic reasons, although it’s also synonymous with the mafia (cosa nostra), whose ‘GNP’ is reckoned to be around 12 per cent of Italy’s! It’s the most powerful and richest criminal organisation in the world and makes Sicily a dangerous place for police, magistrates and judges. Another problem is unemployment, which is the highest in Italy.

There are large sandy beaches on the southern coast, where Cefalu near Palermo is a favourite coastal resort, as are Acireale, Acitrezza, Mondello and Tindari. Other beautiful towns include Agrigento, Syracuse and Taormina, (overlooked by Mount Etna’s still active volcano) and the attractive smaller centres of Monreale, Erice, Noto, Gela, Modia and Marsala, famous for its Marsala wine – a tradition begun by English families residing in the area. Many small islands surround Sicily, offering spectacular scenery and excellent facilities for scuba-diving and underwater fishing. These include Favignana, Lampedusa, Levanzo, Marettimo, Panarea, Pantelleria, Stromboli, Ustica, Vulcano and the islands of Lipari. Sicily is an earthquake zone and water shortages are common.

Property: The island is noted for its cube-shaped houses with flat roofs and also for its flimsily-built modern buildings and concrete jungle resorts.

You should be wary of new-looking buildings on the coast, which may be illegal and subject to demolition orders in the future, as under Sicilian law any construction built after 1967 within 250m (800ft) of the beach is illegal.

Sicily is tipped to become one of Italy’s most popular regions with foreign buyers. Coastal homes may be purchased from around €550 to €1,500 per sq m in Syracuse up to €2,500 per sq m for a good property on the coast at Taormina, which is popular with British property buyers. Palermo (prices from €930 to €2,000) has many attractive properties available for restoration and government grants may be obtained for restoration costs, although the grants can (and do!) take up to three years to be approved.

Some property on the island is linked to organised crime, a link that will become clear when you’re negotiating the price and when enquiries are made about whether you have fire insurance, which – needless to say – you should accept and pay for!

Communications: Communications and road links are poor to adequate but improving. Palermo’s and Catania’s international airports have good links with the rest of Italy and internationally, and there are regular ferries to the mainland taking around 15 minutes (from Villa San Giovanni to Messina). The crossing time will be reduced to just a few minutes when the bridge (set to have the world’s longest suspended span at 3.3km/2mi) across the Strait of Messina between Villa San Giovanni and Messina, which has been planned for some 25 years and has recently been approved, is completed (in around 2009).

© Survival Books Limited 2003

“Buying a Home in Italy” 3rd Edition, David Hampshire.

Reproduced with the permission of Survival Books Limited.

Further information on this topic can be found in “Buying a Home in Italy” 3rd edition, by David Hampshire.

For extensive information about buying a property in Italy, you can purchase this book at www.survivalbooks.net

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