THE NEW WINtj RESORT AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SICILY BY DOUGLAS SLADEN WITH 234 ILLUSTRATIONS, A MAP, AND A TABLE OF THE RAILWAY SYSTEM OF SICILY, SHOWING UNDER THE HEADING OF EACH STATION THE MONUMENTS AND SCENERY SERVED BY IT, EITHER DIRECTLY OR BY DILIGENCE NEW YORK E. P. BUTTON AND COMPANY 31 WEST TWENTY-THIRD STREET 1907 THE CASA NORMANNA SALITA S. ANTONIO, PALERMO From a drawing by BENTON FLETCHER Frontispiece DEDICATED TO COMMENDATORE LUIGI MAUCERI AN EMINENT SICILIAN ANTIQUARY, TO WHOSE LOVE OF HIS COUNTRY, KNOWLEDGE OF ITS MONUMENTS, AND ORGANIZING POWER THE DEVELOPMENT OF SICILY IS SO LARGELY DUE. CONTENTS PAGE PREFACE WITH A KEY TO THE SICILIAN DIALECT . . xv PART I. INTRODUCTORY CHAPTERS CHAPTER I. SICILY AS A WINTER RESORT ITS CLIMATE WHAT THERE IS TO SEE WHAT THERE IS TO DO . . I II. TRAVEL IN SICILY . . . 13 III. THE MAFIA AND OMERTA THE IMMUNITY OF FOREIGNERS FROM MOLESTATION IN SICILY . 22 IV. VARIOUS TYPES AND COSTUMES OF VARIOUS PLACES PlANA DEI GRECI, AND OTHER ALBANIAN SETTLE MENTSTHE LIFE OF THE PEOPLE . 27 V. THE SCENERY, THE GARDENS, AND THE WILD FLOWERS . . . ... 40 VI. THE BARGAIN-HUNTER IN SICILY . 49 VII. THE CHURCHES A JD THE LIFE IN THEM . . 58 VIII. THE PALERMO MUSEUM . . . 68 IX. MOTORING IN SICILY . . ... 85 PART II. THINGS SICILIAN Gives, alphabetically arranged, in the manner of an encyclopaedia, paragraphs of the newest and most necessary information concerning the principal cities, monuments, and scenery of Sicily, together with brief accounts of its institutions, customs, expressions, historical facts, books, biographies, etc. THINGS SICILIAN GENERAL . . . . . 107 THINGS OF CASTROGIOVANNI . . . 3 r 5 ., CATANIA . . 3 2 4 viii CONTENTS PART III. THE A TABLE OF THE SICILIAN RAILWAYS AND THE COACHES RUNNING IN CONNECTION WITH THEM, SHOWING WHAT MONUMENTS AND OTHER PLACES OF INTEREST MAY UK REACHED FROM EACH RAILWAY STATION, EITHER DIRECT OR BY THE MAIL-VETTURA, . . 579 BAEDEKERS MAP OF SICILY . . . at the end LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE The Casa Normanna, Palermo. Drawn by Benton Fletcher Frontispiece Etna . . . . . ... i Selinunte Ruins of Temples G, F, and E outside the Acropolis . . 2 The Greek Theatre at Segesta . . 3 The Moorish Cloister of Monreale . . ... 4 The famous gallery of Hellenistic Tombs in the Val dIspica . . 6 The Tomb of the Vice-Re dAcuna in Catania Cathedral . 7 The entrance to a Sikel tomb . . . . . 8 Arch in the Garden of the Casa Leva at Modica . . 9 The Madonian Mountains . . . . 10 The Madonian Mountains, another view . . 1 1 Val dIspica Grotta di S. Alessandro . . . 12 The Strait of Messina Ferryboat of the Sicilian Railways with the train de luxe on board . . . . 14 Messina the Cathedral and the Fountain of Orion ., . 15 Taormina the view of Etna from the Grreco-Roman Theatre . .16 Palermo the Garden of the Eremiti . . . . 17 The Cloister of Monreale . ... . 18 Syracuse the Moat of the Castle of Euryalus . . 19 Tyndaris the Basilica or Palaestra . . . . . 20 Selinunte the moats and walls of the Acropolis . . . 21 The Bridge of the Admiral . . . ... 26 In the Madonian Mountains Mufra . . . . 28 Moclica the Cloister of S. Maria di Gesu . . . . 29 Modica Contadini-in their national dress . . . 31 The Madonian Mountains . . . . 33 The Parco dAumale . . . ... 39 Prickly-pears, with the Strait of Messina in the background, . 40 The Madonian Mountains the Aspro Monte . . . 41 An Olive Garden ., . . ... 42 Syracuse Papyrus on the River Anapo . . ., 44 The Madonian Mountains Torrente Lanzeria . . . . 46 Syracuse the Wall of Euryalus the Northern Gate . . . 49 Selinunte Ruins of Temple G Jupiter Olympius . . . 54 Girgenti the ruins of the Temple of the Olympian Jove . 55 Syracuse south side of the Castle of Euryalus . . . . 56 The Cathedral of Palermo . . . ... 59 The Cathedral of Cefalu . .-. . . . 60 x LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE The Cathedral of Monreale Interior . . . . . 61 Palermo the Martorana, Interior . . ... 62 Messina the left-hand door of the facade . . . ...