Impressions...

I had always wondered why my Sicilian friends insisted on being called Sicilian rather than Italian. Now I understand. Upon my arrival here, I became immediately aware of the island's richness and diversity in culture. To be Sicilian is to be unique. The island could be its own country because of its difference in comparison to the mainland. I doubt there is another place quite like Sicily in the world. Each culture left its own mark whether separately or by building on previous ideas and structures so that you end up with a conglomeration like sedimentary layers of rock. Each layer is a discovery of treasure that describes the period in which it was created. Each people brought its own art, laws and social systems. However, we could say that on this island, the Greeks are known for having brought art and drama; the Romans organized the cities and instituted a legal system; the Byzantines brought with them Christianity and produced incredible religious art; and the Muslims added to the variety of structures here with their mosques and other buildings, as well as adding to the knowledge and systems in literature, religion, law, arts, sciences, maths and philosophy. Of the Normans, we find their additions to the existing strutures and can attribute to them the unity of the Catholic religion on this island and the beginnings of the language change to Italian. How does one describe Sicily in just a few words? Last night as I watched the swallows swoop and soar over the vision of the sea framed by a backdrop of the misty mountains of mainland Italy, I was filled with a bittersweet feeling -- joy for this experience but sadness over its inevitable end. The strongest of my emotions right now is deep gratitude for being able to experience a place like no other in the world. I am not of Sicilian descent. I came here because I wanted to know the land and the people and because I wanted to study history in its pure form. Sicily is as rich in natural color as it is in history. It is one island but it holds a universe of culture and beauty.