Monte Pellegrino is the most beautiful promontory in the worldJ.W. Goethe, Italian Journey
The north-western coast of Sicily has been always influenced by the Tyrrhenian Sea, which constitutes its wide and blue horizon. This area is strongly characterized by the mixed nature of its population, as several Mediterranean civilizations inhabited it all over the past centuries. The landscape of this area, which is composed of wide valleys bounded by huge mountains, was moulded by the Arabic agricultural system. Several poets and artists admired and celebrated the unique charm of this place from the 9th century until the 18th century, when it became the set for the sketches of the so-called “Grand Tour” travellers. This part of the island, accordingly, was a perfect Romantic scenery since it showed ancient sites and their remains that occupied crucial topographical positions. Furthermore, this area is characterized by several traditions that add value to its personality: not only Arabic gardens and mixed architecture of different cultures but also mixed cookery habits that follow ancient Mediterranean recipes shaped by a strong Sicilian taste.
