Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean. It is an autonomous region of Italy, separated from the mainland by the narrow Strait of Messina and lying about 90 miles from Tunisia. Its capital is Palermo, and the region also includes the Aeolian, Egadi and Pelagie islands, Pantelleria and Ustica.
10,000 years of history
People have lived here for at least 10,000 years, and because the island sits in the middle of the sea, every passing power wanted it. Before the Greeks arrived, three peoples shared Sicily: the Sicels in the east, who gave the island its name; the Sicani in the west and center; and the Elymians in the far west. The Phoenicians kept trading posts along the coast. From the 8th century BCE, Greek colonists founded cities such as Syracuse.
Sicily became Rome’s first province in 241 BCE and passed to the Byzantines in 535 CE. Arab rule followed in the 9th and 10th centuries, then the Normans arrived in 1061, and under them Palermo became one of the great capitals of Europe. The Swabians, Angevins, Aragonese, Spanish and Bourbons came after. In 1860 Garibaldi landed at Marsala and drove out the Bourbons; a year later Sicily joined the new Kingdom of Italy, and in 1946 it became an autonomous region.
The Sicilian Flag
Sicily’s red-and-yellow flag goes back to the Sicilian Vespers, the 1282 uprising against the French king Charles I of Anjou. Red stands for Palermo and yellow for Corleone, the first two towns to join the revolt.
At the center is the Trinacria: the head of Medusa ringed by three running legs, one for each of the island’s three capes. The Greeks called Sicily Trinacria, “three headlands,” and the ears of wheat recall its ancient role as the granary of Rome. The current design became the region’s official flag in 2000.
The Sicilian Cuisine
Each of those visitors left something on the plate. The Greeks spread olives and vines. The Arabs brought citrus, almonds, rice, saffron, sugar cane and a taste for sweet-and-sour. The Normans brought a love of meat, and the Spanish carried tomatoes, peppers, corn and chocolate from the Americas. The result is clearly Italian, yet unlike any other region.
The island’s food still changes from coast to coast. Around Trapani in the west, couscous remains a local staple; in Catania in the east, it’s fish, pistachios and eggplant.
The Sicilian Ingredients
Sicily’s warm climate does much of the work. Lemon and blood-orange groves, almond and pistachio orchards and olive trees grow across the island. Capers come from the Aeolian Islands and Pantelleria, and tuna, swordfish and sardines from the surrounding waters.
The guiding rule is simplicity: a few seasonal ingredients, treated with respect. It’s the same approach Chef Antonio follows in our kitchen.
The Sicilian Dishes
Caponata is the antipasto you’ll find on almost every Sicilian table: eggplant, celery, onion, olives and capers in a sweet-and-sour sauce. At La Fontana, you’ll often find it on our specials board.
Pasta alla Norma, from Catania, tosses eggplant in tomato sauce under shaved ricotta salata. On our menu it’s the Spaghetti Norma.
Pasta con le Sarde brings sardines, fennel, pine nuts and raisins together, a direct echo of the island’s Arab past. Spaghetti alla Siracusana, from Syracuse, combines eggplant, capers, green olives, tomatoes and basil. Both are on our menu.
Wine in Sicily
Sicily is one of Italy’s largest wine regions, and its native grapes have put it on the world map. The reds include Nero d’Avola, Sicily’s signature grape; Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio from the slopes of Mount Etna; and Perricone. Among the whites are Grillo, Catarratto, Carricante and Zibibbo.
The island’s most famous wine, Marsala, took its modern form in 1773, when the English merchant John Woodhouse began fortifying the local wine so it would survive the voyage to England. Today it’s sipped with dessert and used in the kitchen, including in our Pollo Marsala, Vitello Marsala and Risotto ai Marsala.
Our wine list features Sicilian producers including Donnafugata, Tasca d’Almerita, Tornatore and Tenute delle Terre Nere. Ask your server for a pairing.