Palermo, Italy

Sicily is a scenic joy, from its volcanoes to this year’s Italian Capital of Culture, Palermo, whose food and history offer a fine initiation.

- Graeme Green

Play a game of word association and it’s likely that the word ‘Sicily’ will be met with one response: ‘the Mafia’. It’s a great cause of frustration for Sicilians that, with so much to offer on this beautiful and diverse island – fine food and wine, a flower-filled countryside, beaches, Mount Etna and pretty coastal villages – they’re still widely known as the home of a crime syndicate featured in films and TV series such as The Godfather and The Sopranos.

Italy’s largest island – and, in fact, the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea – has been conquered across the ages by many of its neighbours, including Greek, Roman, Arab, Norman and Spanish forces. All of them have left their marks, with castles, palaces and temple ruins on hilltops and coastal outlooks, and a mix of international cuisines, from couscous (often served with fruit) to cannoli, the ricotta-filled biscuit dessert loved by Tony Soprano, which was introduced to the island by the Arabs but later adapted by nuns who arrived with the Spanish.

That mix of food, art and architecture is nowhere more evident than in the island’s capital, Palermo. The highly walkable Old Town is rich with cultural treasures, many of which were given UNESCO World Heritage status in 2016. At the Zisa, in western Palermo, for example, you’ll find Moorish architecture and calligraphy alongside Norman, Byzantine and Latin influences, while Martorana Church’s ceiling has plenty of Byzantine mosaics and Islamic inscriptions.

The city has been named Italian Capital of Culture 2018, and will also host the 12th Manifesta (manifesta.org; until 4 Nov), the European Biennial of Contemporary Art, so there are lots of events planned through the year – see turismo. comune.palermo.it for more information.