STORIES FROM THE SEA
It’s somewhere between the sea and Savoca that I first start questioning Italy’s identity. Travelling inland from Sicily’s volcanic-grey shore, my guide rattles through the various civilisations that have all, at some time or another, vied for this Mediterranean island that lies just off the toe of Italy’s boot. The Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Goths, Byzantines, Moors, Normans, Swabians, Spanish and more make the list. Because of this diverse cultural heritage, Salvatore says, the key to understanding Italy is here – among the prickly pears and porcini mushrooms.
At the same time, Sicily has always been Sicily, distinct in character from anywhere else. Even its language is unique: derived from the ancient Siculi and washed up with everything from Arabic to French and Catalan. And as we drive up along a winding road flanked by olive trees and orange groves, I think about how the concept of Italy – of Italian language, – is so strong in the mind’s eye of the rest of the world, and how it’s really a bit of an illusion.
