Sicily is located at the toe of Italy’s familiar boot shape. The island sits just off the southern tip of the Italian Peninsula, separated from mainland Italy by the narrow Strait of Messina.
Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and forms Italy’s southernmost major region. Its position makes the boot analogy especially memorable: Calabria is the mainland “leg,” Sicily is the “toe,” and the island of Sardinia lies farther west, roughly opposite the boot’s midsection.
Sicily has been important for thousands of years because of its central Mediterranean location. Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, and other powers controlled the island at different points. Mount Etna, Europe’s highest active volcano, is also located in eastern Sicily.
A common mix-up is confusing Sicily with Sardinia. Sardinia is Italy’s second-largest island and lies west of the mainland, while Sicily is the island directly beneath the boot’s toe.