Sicily is Italy’s largest island and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.
It lies southwest of the Italian Peninsula, separated from Calabria by the Strait of Messina. Sicily covers about 25,700 square kilometres and has Palermo as its regional capital.
Mount Etna dominates eastern Sicily. At more than 3,300 metres, it is Europe’s highest active volcano, although its exact height changes after eruptions. The island also contains the active volcanic islands of Stromboli and Vulcano in the Aeolian archipelago.
Sicily has been ruled by Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, and other powers. Its archaeological sites include the Valley of the Temples at Agrigento and Greek theatres at Taormina and Syracuse. Sicily is sometimes confused with Sardinia, Italy’s second-largest island, but Sardinia lies west of the Italian Peninsula.