The name of Sicily: the origin

A fantastic legend tells us

about the origin of the name given to our isle, "Sicilia".

Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess, whose name was Sicilia, who had a terrible destiny. She was ordered to leave her homeland when she was just a young girl, otherwise she would have been caught and eaten by a terrible monster represented by a huge cat.

To avoid that, as soon as she was fifteen, her mother and her father put her in a little boat and left her among the waves of the sea.

After three months, when she thought she was going to die, the sea led her to a marvellous beach, full of flowers and fruits but completely desert.

After having cried for a long time , a handsome man suddenly appeared to her and offered his love and comfort. He told her that all the inhabitants of the isle had died because of a terrible pestilence and now their destiny was to repopulate the isle with a new race stronger than the old one. So, the isle was called Sicilia like the young girl and the new people spread all over the isle.

The origin of Sicily

There is a marvellous legend linked to the origin of our beautiful region, Sicily.

It tells us that the origin of the three promontories which give Sicily its typical triangular aspect is due to three nymphes, who, going around the world, took a handful of earth from the most fruitful lands of the world mixed to some small stones. Then standing under the most limpid sky and dancing beautifully dressed, they threw the earth in the sea together with some flowers and fruits.

The sea, little by little solidified and a colurful and perfumed land appeared from the sea.

The three vertex of the triangle where the nymphes began their dance, became the three promontories (Capo Faro o Peloro, Capo Passero and capo Boeu) of the new isle, then called by geographers Trinacria, the land of the three ends. Actually the ancient symbol of Sicily is a woman with three legs as it is represented in the picture.

Have a peaceful and joyful Christmas!

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