ITALY

Unification: 17 March 1861

Republic: 2 June 1946

Italy, officially the Italian Republic is a unitary parliamentary republic in southern Europe. To the north, it

borders France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia along the Alps. To the south, it consists of the Italian

Peninsula, Sicily, Sardinia–the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea–and many other smaller islands.

The independent states of San Marino and the Vatican City are enclaves within Italy, while Campione d'Italia

is an Italian exclave in Switzerland. With 60.8 million inhabitants, it is the fifth most populous country in

Europe, and the 23rd most populous in the world..

Rome, the capital of Italy, has for centuries been a political and religious centre of western civilisation as the

capital of the Roman Empire and site of the Holy Seat. After the decline of the Roman Empire, Italy endured

numerous invasions by foreign peoples, from Germanic tribes such as the Lombards and Ostrogoths, to the

Byzantines and later, the Normans. Centuries later, Italy became the birthplace of Maritime republics and the

Renaissance. Through much of its post-Roman history, Italy was fragmented into numerous cities and

regional states (such as the Republic of Venice and the Church State), but it was unified in 1861. In the late

19th century, between World War I, and World War II, Italy possessed a colonial empire

.Geography

The country's total area is 301,230 km², of which 294,020 km² is land and

7,210 km² is water. Including the islands, Italy has a coastline and border of

7,600 km on the Adriatic, Ionian, Tyrrhenian seas (740 km), The Appennini

Mountains form the peninsula's backbone and the Alps form most of its

northern boundary, where Italy's highest point is located on Mont Blanc

(4,810 m/15,782 ft). The Po, Italy's longest river (652 km/405 mi), flows

from the Alps on the western border with France and crosses the Padan plain

on its way to the Adriatic Sea. The five largest lakes are: Garda (367.94

km2/142 sq mi), Maggiore (212.51 km

2/82 sq mi, shared with Switzerland),

Como (145.9 km2/56 sq mi), Trasimeno (124.29 km

2/48 sq mi) and Bolsena

(113.55 km2/44 sq mi).

Mont Blanc is the highest peak

in Italy and the European

Union. There are 14 volcanoes

in Italy, four of which are

active: Etna ,Stromboli,

Vulcano and Vesuvius.

Vesuvius is the only active volcano in mainland Europe and is most

famous for the destruction of Pompeii and Herculanum.

Population resident in Italy.

European Union (29.2%)

Europe non-EU (24.2%)

North Africa (14.9%)

South Asia (8.8%)

East Asia (8.0%)

Latin America (7.7%)

Sub-Saharan Africa (6.7%)

Other (0.5%)

Administrative divisions

Italy is subdivided into 20 regions, five of these regions (Sardinia, Sicily, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol,

Aosta Valley and Friuli-Venezia Giulia) having a special autonomous status that enables them to enact

legislation on some of their local matters. The country is further divided into 110 provinces (province) and

8,100 municipalities (comuni).

Autonomous regions with special statute

CULTURE

Architecture

Italy is home to the greatest number of UNESCO World Heritage

Sites (47) and has rich collections of art, culture and literature from

many different periods.

Visual art

The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci: equally to Mona Lisa, it is the most famous, most reproduced and

most parodied portrait and religious painting of all time. Over the

centuries, Italian art has gone through many stylistic changes. Italian

painting is traditionally characterized by a warmth of colour and light,

as exemplified in the works of Caravaggio and Titian, and a

preoccupation with religious figures and motifs. Other notable artists

who fall within these periods include Michelangelo, Leonardo da

Vinci, Donatello, Botticelli, Fra Angelico, Tintoretto, Bernini, and

Raphael. With 20th century Futurism, primarily through the works of Umberto Boccioni and Giacomo

Balla, Italy recaptured some of its former prestige as a seminal place of artistic evolution. Futurism was

succeeded by the metaphysical paintings of Giorgio de Chirico, who exerted a strong influence on the

Surrealists and generations of artists to follow.

Literature and theatre

The basis of the modern Italian language was established by the

Florentine poet Dante Alighieri, whose greatest work, the Divine

Comedy, is considered among the foremost literary statements

produced in Europe during the Middle Ages. There is no shortage of

celebrated literary figures in Italy: Giovanni Boccaccio, Giacomo

Leopardi, Alessandro Manzoni, Torquato Tasso, Ludovico Ariosto,

and Petrarch, whose best-known vehicle of expression, the sonnet,

was invented in Italy. Prominent philosophers include Giordano

Bruno, Marsilio Ficino, Niccolò Machiavelli, and Giambattista Vico. Modern literary figures and Nobel

laureates are nationalist poet Giosuè Carducci in 1906, realist writer Grazia Deledda in 1926, modern

theatre author Luigi Pirandello in 1936, poets Salvatore Quasimodo in 1959 and Eugenio Montale in

1975, satirist and playwright Dario Fo in 1997. Italian drama can be traced back to the Roman tradition

which was heavily influenced by the Greek; as with many other literary genres, Roman dramatists tended

to adapt and translate from the Greek. For example, Seneca's Phaedra was based on that of Euripides,

and many of the comedies of Plautus were direct translations of works by Menander. During the 16th

century and on into the 18th century, Commedia dell'arte was a form of improvisational drama, and it is

still performed today. Travelling troupes of players would set up an outdoor stage and provide

amusement in the form of juggling, acrobatics, and, more typically, humorous plays based on a

repertoire of established characters with a rough storyline, called canovaccio.

Music

Giacomo Puccini, Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème,

Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, are among the most frequently

worldwide performed in the standard repertoire. Italy's most famous

composers include the Renaissance composers Palestrina and Monteverdi, the

Baroque composers Scarlatti, Corelli and Vivaldi, the Classical composers

Paganini and Rossini, and the Romantic composers Verdi and Puccini. The

classical music tradition still holds strong in Italy, as evidenced by the fame of

its innumerable opera houses, such as La Scala of Milan and San Carlo of

Naples.

Luciano Pavarotti, one of the most famous tenors of all time. Italy is widely

known for being the birthplace of opera. Italian opera was believed to have

been founded in the early 17th century, in Italian cities such as Mantua and

Venice. Later, works and pieces composed by native Italian composers of the

19th and early 20th centuries, such as Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, Verdi and

Puccini, are among the most famous operas ever written and today are

performed in opera houses across the world. Famous Italian opera singers

include Enrico Caruso and Alessandro Bonci

The towns of Sicily

Messina

This city is called “The Door of Sicily”. It upraises in the farthest tip on the

strait which has the same name. It was destroyed by a catastrophic earthquake

and seaquake in 1908 and subsequently it was rebuilt again

The Aeolian islands

Also called Lipari islands, they are

an archipelago of seven islands of

volcanic origins, in the province of

Messina. There are two active

volcanos, Stromboli and Vulcano.

Ragusa

The province of Ragusa, the smallest and youngest of all Sicilian provinces, is situated in the south-west.

Siracusa

The province of Siracusa is situated in the most southern corner of Italy, and it’s one of the smallest cities of

Sicily. This city presents various artistic forms thanks to the Mediterranean territories.

Agrigento

This city is a very well-known tourist centre thanks

to its vast historic, cultural and natural heritage.

Here famous people, like the philosopher

Empedocle and the writer Luigi Pirandello, were

born.

The Pelagie Islands

The Pelagie Islands are an archipelago

of three islands situated in the mid of

the Mediterranean Sea, between

Tunisian and Sicilian coasts.

Lampedusa Island is one of the most

important islands of the archipelago

Catania

On the eastern coast

of Sicily, between

The Ionian sea and

the Volcano Etna,

there is Catania, a

beautiful baroque city

rich of art .

Caltanissetta

The Holy Week in Caltanissetta

is a traditional event that for

centuries has attracted

thousands of tourists every year.

Enna

The town, 948 mt above the sea level, is the highest

provincial capital in Italy. It has been called “the town

among the clouds” These two cities are the “navel” of

Sicily.

Trapani

This city is situated in the western part of Sicily. One of its main places is the salt museum, that is in an old

windmill, used, time ago, to pump water between the basins.

Pantelleria

Pantelleria is an island that belongs

to Trapani. It’s halfway between

Italy and Africa and its territory is of

volcanic origins.

The Egadi Islands

The Egadi Islands are an archipelago of five islands,

situated at about seven km off the western coast of

Sicily, between Marsala and Trapani. They belong

to the town of Trapani.

Palermo

Palermo, the capital of Sicily, was founded by the Fenix of the city of Tiro in 734 B.C. In the ancient time,

the Greeks often visited the town, but they never managed to conquer it. The Romans were the first to

conquer Palermo, and their conquest lasted until the barbaric invasions that destroyed the town. In the IX

century A.D., the Arabs invaded Sicily and elected Palermo as their capital.

About the architecture, we have to mention the Norman Palace and the Cathedral.

“Ballarò” and “Vucciria” are two very important markets.

Moreover, there are various theatres, like the “Massimo

Theatre” and the “Politeama Theatre”.

Massimo theatre

NATURE RESERVES IN SICILY

For decades Sicily lacked a policy for preserving the

immense natural heritage on the island ,only in the last

few decades there has been a gradual realisation that

these areas represent the future prosperity of the island

and as a result they are now being safeguarded and

protected. The four Sicilian National Parks are

undoubtedly the most interesting due to their vast size

and the numerous and diverse attractions that they offer.

The Etna National Park which contains its namesake,

the highest active volcano on the continent, is

undoubtedly the first and foremost of the four National

Parks due the irresistible attraction of the sight of one of

its craters erupting.

The nearby Parco fluviale delle Gole del fiume

Alcantara, provides you with an opportunity to visit

spectacular gorges formed in basalt rock, follow the

river and immerse yourself in its clear and refreshing

waters.

The Nebrodi National Park, facing north onto the

Tyrrhenian Sea, was described by the Arabs as an island

within an island and its ecosystem is characterised by

long, densely-wooded slopes, high, green pastures,

peaceful lakes and fast-flowing mountain streams which

contrast with the commonly-held image of Sicily as an

arid and sunburnt land.

In the Madonie National Park, like the nearby

Nebrodi mountains, north-facing slopes are ploughed

with deep valleys and mighty rock faces plummet

towards the sea, however, the ecosystem here is very

different from that of the Nebrodi National Park with

areas that are much less densely-wooded but which

nevertheless contain vegetation that in many cases can

only be found in this part of Sicily. The area is also

rich in fauna and it is not unusual to come across birds

of prey, foxes, hedgehogs, tortoises, ferrets, wild boar

and deer.

The protected oases and nature reserves of greatest interest to tourists are the Vendicari Nature Reserve

near Noto where it is possible to see numerous species of wild birds during the migration season such as

waders, grey herons, storks, flamingoes as well as various archeological sites and the remains of an old tuna

fishery.

The Zingaro Nature Reserve located between San

Vito lo Capo and Scopello in the province of Trapani

contains a variety of rare plants which are typical of the

Mediterranean.

The Riserva dello Stagnone di Trapani is located a few

kilometres away, characterized by small lakes of sea water that

are used for production of sea salt and windmills, nearly all of

which have now been restored and can be visited. There is also

a salt museum here.

The nature reserve of the Cavagrande del Cassibile contains

deep canyons gouged out of the rock by the river and a

system of small lakes and cascades in the valley below . Here

you can also see ancient dwellings, one next to the other,

carved out of the rock face on six different levels.

Pantalica is an area of natural and archeological

interest located on a plain surrounded by canyons

formed over thousands of years by the Anapo and

Calcinara rivers. The plain also contains the necropolis

of Filoporto where there are around 1,000 tombs carved

out of the rocks.

The Macalube di Aragona Nature Reserve contains a

series of natural mud springs used in Roman times to cure

rheumatism and as a beauty treatment.

There are also several important marine nature reserves on

the island such as the Plemmirio reserve at Syracuse, Isola

Bella at Taormina, Capo Gallo at Mondello and those on the

islands of Ustica, Lampedusa and Linosa and the

archipelago of the Egadi islands opposite Trapani.

THIS IS THE TOWN WHERE I LIVE:TERMINI IMERESE

FROM THE COUNTRY TO THE TOWN

FACTFILE

Sightseeing

TERMINI IMERESE

Termini Imerese is a town in the province of Palermo on the northern coast of Sicily, southern Italy.

Ancient History

The site where the town now sits has been populated since prehistoric times, as many archaeological

excavations have shown through the years. Nevertheless, it might be stated that its recorded history started

in 409 BC when its more ancient neighbour, Himera (now completely within the comune's borders), was

completely destroyed by the Carthaginian army under Hannibal Mago.

Those who survived the devastation promptly repaired to a site then called "Thermae" - the name deriving

from the hot springs - which is today known as Termini; and the ancients considered Thermae as a successor

to Himera. The new town of Thermae or Therma, called for the sake of distinction Thermae Himerenses,

which thus took the place of Himera, obviously derived its name from the hot springs for which it was

celebrated, and the first discovery of which was connected by legends with the wanderings of Hercules. It

appears to have early become a considerable town, though it continued, with few and brief exceptions, to be

subject to the Carthaginian rule.

In the First Punic War its name is repeatedly mentioned.

Thus, in 260 BC, a body of Roman troops were

encamped in the neighborhood, when they were attacked by

Hamilcar, and defeated with heavy loss. Before the end of the

war, Thermae itself was besieged and taken by the Romans.

Cicero tells us that the Roman government restored to the

Thermitani their city and territory, with the free use of their

own laws, as a reward for their steady fidelity. As we see that

they were on hostile terms with Rome during the First Punic

War, it can only be to the subsequent period that these

expressions apply; but the occasion to which they refer is unknown. In the time of Cicero, Thermae appears

to have been a flourishing place, carrying on a considerable amount of trade, though the orator speaks of it as

oppidum non maximum. Around the stronghold a large and prosperous city was built, fortified by some

towers and boundary walls, embellished with residences and elegant public buildings having a forum, a

“curia,” churches, an amphitheatre, an imposing municipal waterwork and a large thermal establishment.

The magnificence of the ancient city, and the taste of its citizens for the encouragement of art, are attested by

Cicero, who calls it in primis Siciliae clarum et ornatum; and some evidence of it remained, even in the days

of that orator, in the statues preserved by the Thermitani, to whom they had been restored by Scipio, after the

conquest of Carthage.

Middle Ages

In the Middle Ages Termini Imerese was a Bishopric and under the Normans it enjoyed various privileges.

It was particularly flourishing in the 14th century. Because of its strategic location it was the seat of a

military garrison, equipped with prisons, a hospital and especially by some important trades, because of a

strong mercantile middle class, among which numerous Jewish communities.

In this period the Franciscan monasteries also had a significant importance - these were founded here in the

13th century and then reinforced in the 15th century, when the town was economically very active.

At this time Termini Imerese also had an artistic life of some importance, as it is evidenced by the paintings

of the museum and by the presence of interesting local artists such as Gaspare Pesaro (1414-c.1460), the

brothers Graffeo, active between 1476 and 1511, and the sculptor and marble worker Giorgio di Milano

(15th century), in contact with the School of Antonello Gagini [1478-1536]

Modern Age

In the nineteenth century the closure of Charity Grain was the beginning of a deep economic crisis that

narrowed at the end of the century when there was the development of skills and protoindustrial activities.

The population decline, mainly related to migration to the Americas, was compensated at the beginning of

the twentieth century by immigration from Agrigento, Messina and Ragusa.

From 1970 to the end of 2011, Termini Imerese hosted a large Fiat automobile manufacturing facility, where

Fiat's small cars such as the Fiat 126, the original .Fiat Panda as well as the Fiat Punto were manufactured.

From 2005, the factory was the only assembly site for the Lancia Ypsilon, and in 2006

such a vehicle became the four-millionth one to be

produced there.

There is also a power station operated by Enel with a

generation capacity of 454 MW .

It was just near the stream that a big and elegant hotel

was built.The so called “ Grande Hotel delle Terme”. Still

today it is possible ,not only to visit it but also to

experience a relaxing holiday there.

Termini Imerese today

In Termini Imerese there was an important car industry : the FIAT (Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino)

which, until last year, offered the citizens of Termini Imerese ,and those who came from the near towns, a

job.

Himera

“Termini Imerese” comes to us from the Latin Thermae Himerenses or “Hot

Springs of Himera”. Imera was the name that ancient Greeks gave to the

first settlement they founded near the present Termini Imerese.

It was the birthplace of the poet Stesichorus.

A Greek colony of remarkable importance, it had the role of hellenistic-

outer harbour towards the Sicilian Chartaginian west. As a matter of fact to

the east of Himera stood the rich colonies of Zancle (that later changed its

name into Messina), Siracusa, Myles (Milazzo today), while to the east the

Hegemony of Carthage was dominant.

Its foundation, according to Tucidide, was due to a group of Calcidesi from

Zancle, under the leadership of Euclide, Simo and Saccone, and to a

Syracusan exiled people because of a civil war.

But, according to some scholars, the new colonies may have enlarged a pre-existing site.

The different origins of the population of Himera have made the customs and traditions of the town different

from the Greek ones. In addition to the Gods of Olympus, they tended to worship rivers and springs of water,

as in the Sicani's tradition; while on a linguistic point of view, the influences of Doric and Corinthian dialect

brought along by the Syracusans are clear.

Its importance, is also due to its access to the Tyrrhenian Sea and to the consequent possibility of trade with

Etruria and Spain which provided great quantities of silver used to mint the coin. This peculiarity

distinguished it from the other Greek colonies.

Yet, it was this closeness to the sea which sealed its fate. In 480 B.C. Terone, tyrant of Akragas, invaded

Himera and put Terillo, tyrant of Himera to flight. The latter called the Carthaginians for help, who arrived in

Sicily with a great military force, led by Hannibal.Terone asked Gelone of Syracuse to intervene and thus

they managed to defeat the Carthaginians. Temples were built and coins were minted to celebrate the victory

that, according to the tradition took place on the scene of the famous battle of Salamina.

The military success brought a period of peace and prosperity during which the town could develop both

artistically and culturally.

This phase was interrupted in 408 when Hannibal, Amilcare's grandson decided to avenge the defeat suffered

by his ancestors. After sacking Selinunte, he directed to Himera, no more protected by the Syracusan army.

This time the Carthaginians had the best: Himera was completely destroyed and its inhabitants were killed or

deported to Carthage. This once and for all ruined the town. Some years later, on reward, the deported were

allowed to come back to Sicily and populate Thermae, founded by the Carthaginians in 407 B.C., together

with other colonists of African origin.

Himera was constituted by three districts:The northern and southern districts rose on the plain, where the

most northern part hosted the sacred area (which does not include the Temple of Victory). To the North-East

there were the houses of the eastern suburb and on the western side the necropolis.

As in other ellenistic centres, the canon of orthogonality was strictly respected.

The streets were parallel and equidistant. The absence of a central intersection makes us suppose that the

squares and the public buildings were placed in areas destined to housing without spoiling the urban tissue.

Of the sacred area, which was isolated from the housing structure of the town, The main elements are four

temples and an altar.The most considerable part of the finds is constituted by the temple of Victoria which

presents features similar to the Agrigentinian temples, thus suggesting that the workers who were in charge

with its construction came from Akragas.

It is said it was built in 480 B.C. on the field where the

battle was fought that's why it was called “temple of the

Victory”

It is a temple of Doric style probably dedicated to Zeus

which precedes the call and a pronaos at the back of the

cell equal for size and dimension.

During the excavations facing the temples 56 lion-

headed shaped gutters were found, probably the work of

different sculptors. Other excavations in the themeneos

(the sacred area) brought to light a couple of bronze

greaves together with fragments of weapons now kept at the Regional Archaelogical Museum of Palermo.

The golden Phiale

The phiale was a type of ritual Greek vase, ceramic or metal. It has the shape of a circular vessel,

with low sides, without feet or handles (unlike the kylix), usually used for the libation, e.g. the

shedding of wine and oil as an offering to the deity. On February 29, 1999 the precious phiale

mesòmphalos (patera umbilicated), stolen years ago from Sicily, has been returned to Italy.

The golden phiale is dated between the second half of the quarter and the first half of the third

century BC, solid gold (gr. 982) and, except for the border and the navel center (the òmphalos,

which characterizes the shape), is richly decorated with embossed concentric bands of acorns

connected by elegant linear patterns and a series of elegant figures of bees. In the band around the

òmphalos, there are engraved plant shoots elegantly intertwined. On the outer edge there is an

engraved inscription in Greek letters with the name of Damarco, son of Achiri.

THE HARBOUR HISTORICAL OUTLINE

The ancient structure is of the Roman age, brought to light by the 1976-1977 excavations.

Cicero himself in his “Verrine” hinted at its existence, but most of the scholars denied it.

The quay would have been composed of two arms, 150 and 100 metres long, in a south-.easterly direction,

so that the ships would have been repaired from sirocco. Still in the first years of 1900, 100 metres far from

the coast, wide blocks of the Roman harbour, called “Gisira” from the Arabic “rock” or “island” ,

could be seen.

Towards the end of 1800, the town had different features compared to the current ones and, certainly,

boasted a greater importance in the Sicilian political, social and economic scene; about 23,000 inhabitants

lived in the town and all sectors of economy, from trade, to agriculture, fishing and industry were in full

swing.

The big fleet of fishing boats devoted itself, particularly, to the catching of anchovies, sardines and mackerel

and the fishermen themselves arranged the conservation of the salted products. There were also many

shipyards.

The harbour, less wide than the current one, but among the most active of the northern coast of the island,

recorded annual movements for over 50,000 tons and was swarming with sailing vessels, normally used to

export corn, dried legumes, sumac, oil, pasta, and sulphur.

The harbour was enlarged between 1874 and 1884 ( the quay was 730 metres now) and the harbour traffic

increased together with a resurgence of the industrial activity and of a road traffic which ended up at the

railway junction. In the first years of XX century the quay reached the length of 1,400 metres.

In the following years other piers were built and at the same time much work has been done to solve the

problems of interment caused by the drift carried by the river San Leonardo and the stream Barratina.

Nowadays the harbour plays an important role in the economy of the country for different reasons:

a more central position compared to the motorway which branches off towards the inner towns of

Caltanissetta, Enna and Agrigento; the presence of the industrial area which generates a great demand of

movement; finally agriculture, that makes large use of this important infrastructure.

MT S. CALOGERO NATURAL RESERVE

From a geological point of view, Mt. San Calogero is a large anticline (a section of earth crust bent by

tectonic forces causing it to emerge) subsiding towards E-SE. Rather than Mt. San Calogero, it would be

better to call it "Mountain System of San Calogero": as a matter of fact, it is an imposing massif consisting of

limestone and dolomite rocks, which started to form in the Mesozoic, of siliceous strata, and of the so-called

numidian flysch (of sedimentary origin).

Fauna

This Reserve is characterized by a very interesting avifauna, nesting on the steepest walls of the mountain,

where you can observe the Golden Eagle, the Buzzard, and the Peregrine.

Flora

The landscape, so varied and rough from a geomorphological point of view, is characterized by different

kinds of environments: the rocky environment, the undergrowth, the garigue, and the grassland.

The difficult conditions of life characterizing the rocky environment allow the settlement of herbaceous

species or bushes which are often endemic at various levels: the Mustard, the Sicilian Spurge, Asperula

rupestris, the Gromwell with rosemary-shaped leaves, Dianthus rupicola, the Golden Chamomile, the

Sicilian Snapdragon, and other plants.

The history, the landscape and the man

The Mount San Calogero, overlooking the Gulf of Termini Imerese, includes the municipalities of Caccamo

and Sciara.

The mountain territory that stretches between Caccamo and Termini was inhabited by calogheri, hermits who

had chosen to live their sanctity in the silence and solitude of those shores; these hermits were revered and

were visited by the locals: this devotion gave rise to the cult of St. Calogero. The stretch of coast dominated

by the mountain is characterized by a scattered settlement of crops of small landed property which has

arisen especially in the fifties, after the agrarian reform.

Mouth of the river Himera ,Torto and S. Leonardo, this area was very popular in the past among the people

who were looking for fertile lands and a chance to settle inland, where it was easier to protect themselves,

but thanks to the inland waterways, would have a constant contact with the coast for trade . Remains of

settlements as important as the dolmen of Pregne Walls , in the north-east of the reserve, the archaeological

site of Himera and then castles , such as Brucato, towers , mills , chargers for the grain trade , religious

buildings, bridges are testimony to the turmoil that the country has gradually lost after the establishment of

the feudal economy and the spread of large estates, which lasted until the twentieth century .

Religious festivities in Termini Imerese

The Immaculate Conception

The cult of the Immaculate in Termini Imerese dates back to the seventeenth century.

The Immaculate Conception, in fact, is the "principal Patron" of the city and it

can be said that among religious holidays it is the most intense and expected. In

almost all the churches of Termini Imerese the image of Our Lady is venerated

and there are three statues carried in procession. Deep and sincere devotion for

the Immaculate can be read in the people’s eyes when the statue is carried

through the streets and lanes of the town. The processions are accompanied by

traditional folk songs and music played by the town band.

Blessed Agostino Novello

The people of Termini have always worshipped the Blessed Agostino

Novello Saint Patron of the town.. Such devotion has grown stronger with

the arrival in town of the venerated relic of his arm. The ship that carried this

relic was welcomed on a warm summer day in 1620. Solemnly carried to the

Main Church, the relic was put in a silver urn, placed in the chapel on the

right of the altar, dedicated to him. The solemn celebration in his honour

takes place every year on May 19. In 1997 the body of the Saint was moved

from Siena to Termini Imerese.

13 December : St Lucia

St Lucia's day, the second feast in December, after the Immaculate Conception (8 Dec.), is loved very much

by the Sicilian people.

St Lucia was born in Siracusa from an affluent Christian family, in a period when the Christians were

persecuted by Diocletian. After her father's death, her mother contracted an illness and Lucia, on the shrine

of St Agata, in Catania, took the vow of chastity. Her mother recovered and she convinced her to give all

their wealth away in favour of the poor. She renounced to get married, thus causing great resentment in her

fiancé who denounced her as a Christian. She was tortured and then stabbed on her throat. She died on 13

December 304 and became the patron saint of Siracusa. The legend says that while tortured she tore her eyes

out and for this reason she is often represented in the iconography, with a plate on her hand containing her

eyes. That's why she's considered the protectress of eyes.

She has been attributed a lot of miracles, as for example when in a period of terrible famine, she had a ship

landed, loaded with weath. Since then on 13 Dec. pasta, bread and by-products have been banished from the

tables of the Sicilians.

In Palermo the day starts eating portions of "cuccia", treated with

ricotta or chocolate, then during the day people eat the "arancine"

made with rice and tomato and meat sauce. For lunch we don't eat

pasta, as usual, but

rice and for dinner,

"gateau", or "panelle"

and "cazzilli".

Carnival

The Carnival in Termini is the most ancient in Sicily as it dates back to 1876. It is characterized by parades

of beautiful allegorical floats, testifying our long tradition in the art of papier- maché and by two

ultracentenarian historical masks representing two very old grandparents called “ u nannu ca’ nanna”.

Actually they are the true protagonists of our carnival , who, dancing as long as possible on their own float,

close the parades.

The festival starts with a ceremony during which our Mayor handles

in the keys of the town to the two sprightly old grandparents and, on

Shrove Tuesday, the grandad is burning on the stake, after reading his will, thus representing the end of the

Carnival and the beginning of Lent. The grandmum, who survives her husband, is the symbol of fertility and

continuity.

The Carnival is associated to music, fancy-dress parties, jokes and, of course food. Our traditional dishes on

these days are “maccarruni cu sugu” (fresh hand made pasta with meat sauce) and “chiacchiere” (crisp

sweets, fried and covered with icing sugar). They have a very ancient tradition that may go back to the

“frictilia”, sweets fried in the pork fat ,made in the ancient Rome during Carnival time. They were made in

large amount since they had to last for all the period of Lent.

EASTER TRADITIONS

Sicily takes Easter very seriously. All over the island, in large towns and tiny villages alike, processions

weave their way through narrow streets, central thoroughfares and squares until finally they arrive at the

local parish church or Cathedral.

Easter also signals the arrival of Spring, and many pagan traditions that used to mark the arrival of the

"beautiful season" have been incorporated into the religious festivities.

For food lovers, Easter is a great time to come to Sicily: it is the time for Martorana, or Pasta Reale,

marzipan confectionary that is delighfully shaped and painted to resemble fruit of all types. With Easter

being a time for celebration, the Cassata, Sicily's signature cake, made of sweetened ricotta cheese, marzipan

and candied fruit, graces tables all over the island. Fresh peas, fava beans and artichokes combine

wonderfully in "frittella", and the tuna fish season gets underway...

Returning to the more sacred aspects of 'Pasqua', however, here are a few interesting events to experience :

In the west

Probably the most renowned religious manifestations of devotion in Sicily are the "Mysteries" of Trapani on

Good Friday, in which the townsmen carry statues through the streets. Each statue represents one of the

stations of the cross and are all made by the various local guilds. Thousands of Sicilians line the streets

waiting for the arrival of the Virgin Mary "in search" of her son.

Palermo and around

In Partanna-Mondello, a suburb of Palermo, the Easter week is

celebrated with costumed and scripted recreations of Christ's arrival

at Jerusalem (on Palm Sunday), the Last Supper (on Maundy

Thursday) and the Stations of the Cross (on the Saturday before

Easter Sunday). Thousands of locals attend these events and the

atmosphere is one of great devotion.Also of great interest, though not

only at Easter, is the mountain town of Piana degli Albanesi just

south of Palermo. As the name suggests, Piana degli Albanesi was

founded by Albanian

immigrants fleeing a

Turkish invasion in

1488. Being somewhat

isolated, the town has

managed to maintain

much of its original

identity and many of

its traditions, one of

which is its Orthodox

Easter celebrations (it

has been a Greek Orthodox Bishopric since 1937). On Palm Sunday, there is a procession through the streets

to mark Jesus's arrival in Jerusalem. Festivities continue all week long until Easter Sunday when the

townsfolk put on their traditional 15th Century costumes and hand out previously blessed red hand-painted

eggs. After Mass there is the procession of the Holy Veil, a piece of cloth in which believers can make out

the face of Christ.

Another option is a trip to San Martino delle Scale, a small village hidden away in the mountains just

behind Palermo. Here, on Easter Monday, the monks of the Benedictine Monastery celebrate Easter and the

coming of Spring by freeing the birds they have saved from the harsh mountain winter. The birds are kept in

a large specially built aviary and their release is part of a tradition that goes back over 300 years. The arrival

of Spring is also celebrated with concerts, enormous floral arrangements and Gregorian chants all of which

create a wonderful festive atmosphere.

On Palm Sunday, Caccamo, a mountain town east of Palermo hosts a marathon procession called "U

Signuruzzu a Cavaddu" ( Christ on horse) . At 9.00 am the bells of the many churches signal the start of

procession and an altar boy, riding a donkey, is accompanied through the streets by the local band and 12

children dressed in red tunics, holding palm fronds. For three hours, the troupe tours the town churches,

receiving, at each one, a tumultuous welcome.

Meanwhile in Prizzi, in the hills south of Palermo, a very

different event takes place on Easter Sunday:

The Dance of the Devils. Wearing red and black satanic masks

complete with horns and grotesque noses, a portion of the

townsfolk wreak havoc, obliging passers-by to buy them drinks

(a metaphor for stealing their souls). In the struggle that ensues

between good and evil, it is Christ and the Madonna who

triumph, along with other locals dressed as angels. During the

ensuing celebrations the devils are "forced" to get the drinks in

and "cannateddi", a typical Easter cake, is distributed.

Catania and around

On Easter Sunday in Adrano, on the south-west flanks of Mount

Etna, the triumph of good over evil - as in Prizzi - is celebrated

with the "Diavolata". In the central piazza a stage is erected and

divided into two parts: one devoted to Hell, inhabited by the Devil

and five demons, and the other to Heaven. The Diavolata is, in

effect, a play in which an angel fights against the Devil, trying to

make him and his demons say the words "Viva Maria". The

costumes are colourful and there are even some stage effects, such

as smoke and fire. The outcome of the struggle, seeing that it takes

place on Easter Day, leaves no one surprised.

In the south-east

In San Biagio Platani (in the province of Agrigento) on Easter Sunday two religious factions deck the town

in colourful decorative arches made from all sorts of materials including vegetables and cereals. Each group's

work is prepared in absolute secrecy during the weeks leading up to Easter and each attempts to outdo the

other. The competitive spirit is, however, just a backdrop to the more important celebration of the

resurrection of Christ.

THE PROCESSION OF THE MYSTERIES

The procession of the Mysteries takes place in Trapani and lasts almost

twenty-four hours, from Good

Friday until Holy Saturday. It is the longest religious event and one of the

oldest in Italy. It has Spanish origins and it has been performing for almost

four hundred years. The Sacred

Mysteries, which consist of twenty

groups of wooden works, are carried

along most of the town streets in a

show of lights, sounds, colours and

emotions. These sculptures standing on a wooden base, represent scenes from the gospels and were made by

seventeenth and eighteenth centuries artisans from Trapani.

Their technique consisted in carving faces, hands and feet in the wood. The statues were then covered with

clothes previously immersed in a mixture of glue and chalk so as to fit the statues perfectly and to give them

a particular plasticity, following a typical trapanese technique.

For the procession the statues are adorned with precious silver ornaments and rich flower compositions and

are also illuminated so as to highlight the expressions of sorrow and sufferance in their faces.

Each group of mysteries is carried on ten men’s back, moving following the rhythm of the music played by

the bands. The Mysteries are kept in the eighteenth century Baroque church of the Holy Souls in Purgatory

where the long procession starts in the afternoon of Good Friday and where it goes back at about 2 p.m, on

Holy Saturday, after spending a fascinating and endless night through the Sicilian town.

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

Even if the we can already breathe Christmas air in

November, Christmas time officially starts with The

“Immaculate Day” on 8 th December. This is also the

day we make the Christmas tree and the crib.

On this day’s eve, families gather to eat the “sfincione”,

the first” panettone” and to play cards or bingo.

Anyway the most famous holiday in this month is

Christmas, the festival which celebrates Jesus’s birth.

According to the tradition Christmas night is spent in

church singing Christmas Carols during the mass.

It’s a real pleasure walking by the night streets and see

the lights in the shops, the trees, and the balconies

decorated with poinsettias. After the mass, families spend the night up to early

morning all together, playing cards and having

traditional meals. At midnight we unwrap our Christmas presents brought to the children by “Babbo Natale”

(Santa Claus.

On December 26th we celebrate Saint Stephen’s Day, first Christian martyr. It is another national holiday

when families gather and have another big lunch and fun together.

Panettone and Pandoro

These Italian cakes come from northern Italy, but nowadays they

are also appreciated in Sicily.

CRIBS

Sicily has got lots of ancient Christmas traditions in which you can

find popular faith, folklore and art.

Firstly there are some beautiful living cribs during Christmas period in

lots of villages. Some of them are more ancient, some younger.

Among the well-known we want to name the crib of Custonaci, in the

province of Trapani, which has been written down in the register of

unmaterial goods since 2006. The crib is set in the Mangiapane cave

which is a prehistoric cave. Around it old houses, sheep pens, hen

houses, stables and cowsheds make a rural village in which every man

works: you can find “u sillaru” (the one who puts the saddle on the

horses), “u puparu” “u pignataru” and so on.

The living crib of Caltabellotta, a town in the province of Agrigento,

is popular too. The first edition of this crib was made in 1994. Those who visit the course of the crib walks

through the alleys, arriving to the Chiesa of Pietà, where the nativity is located . The peculiarity of this crib is

that the inhabitants provide their houses to set the crib in. In this way the visitors take part in the crib, visiting

the houses whose owners wear ancient clothes.

Another important living crib has been held in Castanea delle Furie in the province of Messina for over 20

years. It's made in an ancient place, similar to

Betlemme. A particular tradition is made every

year in Burgio, a village in the province of

Agrigento. This custom takes the name of “strina”.

In the Christmas period a statue of Jesus baby is

carried in procession by men wearing a

characteristic cloak and a “coppola”, a Sicilian hat.

They sing Christmas songs proving their devotion

to Christianity. The inhabitants prepare tables full

of typical food and sweets in the whole village .

During the “strina” a part of the food is destined to

charity.

Also in our town, Termini Imerese, is held a living crib, born a few years ago. It is set in one of the oldest

and most beautiful places of the city, the 'Rucchiceddi', which recreates the atmosphere of the old Palestine.

SPRING FESTIVALS

THE FESTIVAL OF THE “ALMOND TREE IN

BLOSSOM”

It takes place in the valley of the Temples of Agrigento

in early February when the valley is covered by delicate

and soft mantle of almond trees in blossom: a unique setting in the world.

The festival offers a programme of entertainment,

culture and love for art and Sicily. International folk

groups perform in the streets of the historic centre and

in the “Pirandello Theatre”.The event ends in the

ruins of Ancient Greece in front of the Temple of

Concord where the award ceremony takes place.

Besides, tourists have the opportunity of tasting

delicious Sicilian food.

The “Flower Decoration”

In most Sicilian towns and villages a lot of festivals take place in

Springtime. Many concern typical local products, such as

vegetables, cheese, fish, fruit etc, but one of the most relevant and

appreciated is the “flower decoration” in the splendid baroque town

of Noto in the province of Ragusa, now Human Heritage after the

reconstructions following the 1693 earthquake.

It takes place on the third Sunday of May and lasts some days, when

a real carpet of flowers is laid along the main street,122 metres long

and 7 metres wide, rich of old noble palaces with their decorated

balconies.

To make the

flower decoration

about 400.000 different flowers are used and it sees the

cooperation of many artists in the field of flower

composition.

The flower kermesse is accompanied by a Baroque parade,

made up of about 200 people wearing noble costumes,

such as ladies, knights, soldiers, pages carrying the coats

of arms of the families which contributed to the

reconstruction of the town.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

The Liberation Anniversary

25th April is a National holiday in Italy. It's famous

for the victory of the Italian partisans against the nazi-

fascism. It was the year 1945 and the Second World

War was destroying the Earth. Millions of innocents

were killed, including 6 million Hebrews. The German

dictator Hitler was fighting with his supporters, the

Italian dictator Mussolini and Japan against the allied

forces of USA, England, URSS, France. Helped by the

allied forces, Italian partisans freed Milan, Genoa and

Turin from nazi-fascism control.This led to the victory of

the war, the suicide of Hitler and the killing of Mussolini.

This date is important for all Italian people who remember

those men who, sacrifying themselves, made nowadays life

possible.

Labour day

Labour Day is a holiday celebrated worldwide on 1st May each year that highlights the commitment of the

trade union movement and the achievements reached by the workers in the social and economic fields.

Labour Day is recognized in many countries around the world but not in all.

The holiday marks the workers' struggles, especially those aimed at the conquest of a fundamental right:

eight working hours a day. Since the year 1990, the Italian trade unions CGIL, CISL and UIL in

collaboration with the municipality of Rome have organized an annual concert, attended by hundreds of

thousands people, to celebrate 1st May each year.

Tunny-fishing nets

The Mediterranean civilization has been

tightly tied to the tunny-fish. Since the

ancient time fishing has been one of the most

important activities in the Sicilian economy

and fish, together with olive oil and wine,

still represents, in the Mediterranean diet ,one

of the pillars of our culture. In the past it

was consumed fresh or processed so that it

could be conserved or carried as preserved

and as a dressing sauce. It had such a primary

role in the Greek nutrition that fishermen and

fishmongers were tax- free. The Sicilian fish

was particularly appreciated on the ancient tables. Above all the anchovies, sardines and mackerel became

the basis of “garum” a sauce used instead of salt, very expensive and difficult to find. The sauce was made

up of small fish, herrings, chopped mackerels, amberjacks, paddlefish, comprehensive of heads and entrails

and with the addition of herbs and as much salt as the half quantity of the fish to avoid the deterioration of

the fish during the process of fermentation. The

liquid deriving from it was used to season food.

In the crater of the tunny fish seller, a bowl dating back to IV BC, coming from the isle of Lipari and kept

in the Mandralisca Museum in Cefalù, a daily scene is represented, where a large piece of tunny-fish is

placed on a tripod chopping block ,the head separated by the trunk , on the floor and another whole tunny

fish waiting for being put on the block, cut up and sold, the seller brandishing the cleaver high and a buyer

with a coin in his hand.

The tunny-fish comes from the Atlantic Ocean and migrates to the warmer seas in Spring time; it crosses the

Gibraltar Strait and spreads around the Mediterranean, reaching Sicily through the African coasts. It is in

this moment that it is captured.

The time of tunny slaughter was brief but was lived by the people intensively. The fishermen knew exactly

the places and the periods of its passage, prepared the traps and waited for the favourable currents; They

charged themselves with such a tension that it violently broke out in the last phase of the tunny slaughter.

The tunning fishing nets of Solanto was among the most important of the coast of Palermo. Its story began in

1392 and finished in the sixties. But the period of great splendour was 1600 and 1700,which attracted the

interest of the Bourbonist King Ferdinand IV.

Lanza Castle of Trabia

The wealth of water of the lands of Trabia drove many noble families into these places, among which the

prestigious Norman-Swabian dynasty of Lanza that has been dominating the country since the sixteenth

century. The symbol of their power was the imposing castle that was destroyed in 1517 by rebels during a

popular uprising.

As reported in old written records, the castle seemed to be immersed in a true earthly paradise with a fresh

and clear spring flowing between the massive rocks.

In time, the building was joined by a tavern and later by some processing industries.

In 1784 the Prince of Trabia Pietro Lanza transformed the castle into a busy establishment, since the cloth,

cookies, oil of "nozzle" and glue industries were added to the tuna one.

These activities came to an end with the death of Prince Pietro in 1811. The castle was later inhabited by its

owners only at the time of the tunning-fishing nets and another Prince Pietro founded, among its walls, an

“amateur dramatic society”, which lasted only a few years. Still a property of the same family, the caste had

been restored with passionate care by Prince Raimondo Lanza.

The castle now shows large terraces from which you can enjoy an amazing view of the splendid Gulf of

Termini, some remains of the side structures, the walls accompanied by a circle of towers and architectural

elements placed at regular intervals used for ornament and defense .

The centre of the estate is determined by the old tower, once used as a prison, which dominates the large

courtyard.

On the first entry you can see the remains of the drawbridge and inside the walls, the second entry leading

into the prince's private residence.

Unfortunately, this monument of great historical and architectural value is destined to decay and ruin.

The park and the surrounding gardens are

devastated by decades of neglect, the interior is

subjected to constant theft: furniture, floors, doors,

windows, ornaments, sculptures and artifacts of all

kinds are carried away with contemptuous security.

If restored, its tourist appeal would be extraordinary

for its history, the artistic importance of the

architecture, the rarity of the location by the sea.

THE TYPICAL SICILIAN DISHES

Arancine

“Arancine” have got the typical shape and the colour of an

orange. They are balls of fried rice stuffed with meat

sauce, peas and saffron. They have been made in Palermo

since the Arabic domination; the legend says that they were

invented by the emir Ibn at-Timnah who used to have them

when he went hunting.

Panelle e Crocchette

This simple but delicious

round shaped sandwich can

easily be found in every

street corner and in the

fried-food shops, the so-

called "panellari". It is

stuffed with “panelle”,

pancakes made of chickpeas flour, water and parsley and

“crocchette”, a mixture of fried potatoes cakes. It often constituted the only daily meal of poor people. They

date back to the time of the Arabs in Sicily, but the Christian tradition introduced the custom of eating

“panelle” and “arancine” on Saint Lucy’s day, 13 December, when on the island, for devotion, people don’t

eat pasta or bread.

Pani ‘ca meusa

Bread with spleen (“U pani ca meusa” in our dialet), is another example of street food. It is made up of a soft

loaf stuffed with calf bits of spleen and lung, fried in lard, with an addiction of grated cheese or ricotta. The

origin of this sandwich seems to date back to the Middle Ages, when the Jewish butchers of Palermo, not

allowed to earn money for their own job, because of their religious faith, kept as a reward the entrails that

were sold again as stuffing, together with bread and cheese.

Stigghiole

Stigghiole are another typical poor street food, generally barbecued in the streets by the so-called

"stigghiulari", the people who make them. They are made of

guts of lamb, seasoned with parsley with or without onion,

pierced in a skewer or rolled up around a leek, barbecued and

seasoned with lemon and salt. Despite the Latin name, the

origins of this food are Greek, and it could be eaten in the

Agorà of the Greek cities of Sicily.

Pasta con le sarde

Pasta with Sardines is a seasonal food: it is prepared from

March to September when it is possible to pick up the wild fennel in the fields. The principal ingredients are

the sardines, fished in the Mediterranean Sea, pasta and the wild fennel. Other ingredients are: onions, salty

anchovies, sultana, pine nuts, a little

saffron, oil, salt and pepper. The custom of

flavouring the fish with the wild fennel

dates back to the Greeks or to the

Romans. The Arabs certainly added the

sultana, pine nuts and saffron.

Frutta Martorana

The Martorana fruit is a typical dessert,

similar to the marzipan but notably

sweeter and tastier. It is fruit shaped and

made of almond flour and sugar. It is traditionally prepared during the celebrations of the Commemoration

of the Dead (2 November). It owes its name to the Church of Martorana, erected in 1143 by George of

Antiochia, admiral of the Norman king

Roger II, near the Benedictine

Monastery, founded by the noblewoman

Eloisa Martorana in 1194, from whom it

got its name, and Saint Caterina

Monastery, in the historic center of

Palermo, where the nuns prepared and

sold it, until the second half of 1900. This

tradition has been abandoned today.

THE SICILIAN PUPPET THEATRE

The Puppets

The Sicilian puppets, born in the mid nineteenth century, are a particular type of puppet. Differently from

the Italian ones made of wood and fabric, they have a metal

armour enriched with carvings, arabesques and embossing; the

wire, which commanded the right hand of the puppet was

replaced by an iron rod that could allow the puppet to do more

precise actions such as extracting and putting the sword back,

hugging a woman, beating its chest or forehead with his fist, and

lowering the visor of the helmet; at the same time, clothes, coats

and skirts were sewn with more and more beautiful and precious

fabrics.

In Sicily, the puppet theatre takes on a unique characterization,

both for the content and for the technique, which is called "the puppet theatre." The repertoire, usually in

Sicilian dialect, refers primarily to the events of Orlando and the paladins of France.

For centuries the Sicilian puppets, cleverly animated by generations of "puppeters", were the only source

of education and one of the few opportunities for entertainment and fun for the lower classes, but later on

they were also appreciated by the middle class.

The puppet theatre

Historically the puppet theatre, as we know it today, was

created as a representation of the clashes between the

medieval knights and the Moors, around the second half of

1800, when the chivalrous marionettes, from which the

puppets derive, found popularity and began to interpret the

feelings and aspirations of justice of a social class.

The spread of this form of artistic expression, was favoured

mainly by the "Storyteller" and "cuntastorie". The former, an

itinerant artist, deals with the epic theme through singing,

acting and mime, while the "cuntastorie" performs the same

themes through the declamation, being a narrator who does not use any musical instrument, but modulates

his voice with a particular technique, passed down from generation to generation.

Through the Puppet theatre high codes of conduct like chivalry and honour, the fight for justice and faith

were transmitted, but also love affairs and the longing for excelling were present. This theatrical form,

despite its simplicity, has allowed in a certain sense, the spreading of the epic.

Recently the Unesco has declared the Puppet Theatre masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of

Humanity.

Today a few puppeteers are trying to keep the tradition alive, offering some shows for tourists in real

theatrical exhibitions, among which Mimmo Cuticchio's company is among the most well-known in Palermo

for its extraordinary skill in the acting of the “cunto”

(tale), on the rhythm of hits of sword.

THE SICILIAN CART

The cart is surely the most famous and meaningful object of the

Sicilian popular art and every sample is unique in its kind. These

cheerful and folkloric “ masterpieces” impress the observer for

their explosion of colours, particularly yellow, red and deep blue;

they are the colours of passion, of the lave flowing out from

Etna, of the sun of Sicily, of the Sicilian fieriness. The first

decorations of the finely historiated sides of the cart are linked to

ex voto or to evidence of popular religiousness: images of

Madonna or Saints to thank for favours received and to exorcize

the evil. Only subsequently stories of the epic deeds of the

paladins of France were inserted in the decoration of the cart, in

which the prevailing colours were red and yellow, the colours of

the town of Palermo, and deep blue tones, typical of eastern

Sicily. The craftsmen devoted great cure and attention to all the phases of its construction which was

exclusively hand-made.

ITALY AND EUROPE

Italy was one of the six founding members of the European Community in 1957 and it is still one of the

largest countries in the Union, with a significant position in it. Italians have traditionally been strongly

supportive of European integration. Italy has been at the forefront of all major steps towards EU

integration, including ECSC, EEC and the Maastricht Treaty (Euro).

Europe’s first supranational community was formally established by the Treaty of Paris (1951), signed

not only by France and West Germany, but also by Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. It

was called European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in order to create a common market for coal

and steel. The European Economic Community (EEC) was created b the Treaty of Rome of 1957. Its

aim was to bring common market, among its six founding members (not only for coal and steel).

When the Maastricht Treaty in 1993 came into force, the EEC was renamed The European Community

(EC) to mean that it covered a wide range of policy. The treaty led to the creation of the Euro and

established the Union’s supranational institutions: the Commission, The European Parliament and the

European Court of Justice.