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Preserved tuna was a staple food for centuries on ships sailing the Mediterranean, and tuna as well as anchovies and sardines are still big business. At Sciacca, anchovies and sardines are processed by hand and packed under salt or olive oil for export all over the world.

The enormous rocky formations hurled up by the sea include Monte San Giuliano (with Erice on top), Monte Cofano (with spectacular bays and a great view from Erice), and Monte Monaco at San Vito lo Capo.

No good Sicilian is ever without a witty quip spoken in dialect. Examples include: Cu’ avi ’nna bona vigna, avi pani, vinu e ligna (he who owns a good vineyard has bread, wine and wood); Cu nun ’sapi l’arti, chiudi putia (he who does not know his craft, closes his shop); Soggira e nora calaru di n’celu sciarriannus (mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law were sent from heaven and started fighting before they hit the ground); and La soggira voli bene a la nora comu n’rizzu n’pettu (mothers-in-law love their daughters-in-law like a sea urchin in bed).

Puppet theatres offer rip-roaring, gory re-enactments of the Norman crusader sword fights, lively music, and encourage the audience to root for a favourite crusader. The puppets “speak” in Italian, or Sicilian dialect, but an English-language written account of the story is usually provided by the theatre. In any event, it’s easy enough to follow the action without understanding every word (see Puppet Traditions and Museums).

The rocky mountains between Trapani, Castellamare del Golfo and San Vito lo Capo are rich in marble, but are slowly being destroyed by huge industrial quarries extracting the stone for office buildings.

The heart of town is marked by the intersection of the via Maqueda and the via Vittorio Emanuele. Called the Quattro Canti (the four corners that divide Palermo into quadrants) each is swathed in sculptural decoration. The town hall is in the Piazza Pretoria just steps from the Quattro Canti, although the square is more commonly referred to as the Piazza Vergogna (Square of Shame), after the shameless nudes perched around the edge of the elaborate fountain. Beautifully restored, the fountain was sculpted by Tuscan Francesco Camilliani around 1555 and was originally intended for a Florentine garden, but was then moved down south.

Ragusa was founded as Hybla Heraia by Siculi peoples fleeing inland to escape the Greeks. After the earthquake of 1693, half the population chose to rebuild on the ridge above, (Ragusa) while the other half chose to renovate the old village, (Ragusa Ibla). Ibla makes an immediate impression with its little terracotta roof-tiled buildings clinging dramatically to the side of a cliff. The Duomo is at the heart of town, sited on a rise to emphasize its great height. A Gagliardi masterpiece of 1744, the façade is articulated with a pulsating entablature, bulging columns and swirling volutes pushing upwards toward the tall central bell tower. The oval-shaped cathedral of San Giuseppe presents another projecting Baroque façade. Also not to be missed is the surviving portal of the pre-quake cathedral, Catalan-Gothic in style and with a delicately carved St George slaying the dragon.

A study in total relaxation, where whitewashed buildings with large terraces look out over the island to the sea. There are no elevators, televisions, cars or street lights, but the hotel includes a bar, disco and restaurant, the latter serving fresh fish dinners on a terrace lit with oil lamps. The staff can arrange excursions. Children under 12 years are not allowed.

The estate near Valledolmo has been in the Tasca d’Almerita family since 1830. Alongside traditional Sicilian wines Regaleali also bottles international varieties. Their reds, based on Nero d’Avola, include Regaleali Rosso and the Rosso del Conte; whites primarily of Inzolia and their own VarietàTasca, include Villa Tasca and Nozze d’Oro.