We are almost on the point south eastern of the Sicily and the taste of Africa jumps not only with the reminescences of the several architectures, but also with the vegetation: olive groves, carob and almond trees, vineyards, and then a wonderful climate with colour loaded of red, ocher, yellow. It is ancient land: it is enough to dig by the fork, to scratch the ground for little centimeters and all can jumps outside: from the Greek coin to the Proto- italic crock pot. A lot of population came here in Sicily and to number them is more difficult than to read the telephone directory.
The Native American were the latest to arrive. They had a share in the Texan division disimbarked in 1943. Vittoria is here, town of the Ragusa's province. Its lands, closed between the rivers Ippari and Dirillo, sweetly degrades from the Iblei Mounts to the Mediterranean Sea. It was founded in 1607 by Vittoria Colonna, Giovanni Alfonso Henriquez's daughter, viceroy on behalf of Spain, whom imposed to the town just the name. Even if Vittoria was founded recently, our territory wasn't a desert before being founded. People in Sicily have always been and vineyards too. Cretans were winegrowers here and they carried the cult of Dioniso; as well as Greeks and Romans but, when Arabs arrived, the viticulture fell down. Saracen, rather impulsive and radical, in obbedience to Mohammed's opinions, whom disliked wine, distroyed all vineyards which flourished for 3000 years. Not even more a grain of grapes. So Ruggero I, the Norman, was very disappointed, when pouced here in 1902 and defeated Muslims in battle. Not a glass of wine to celebrate the victory! Not a toast with him soldiers! Well, from that day, he began the restoration of the vineyards.
It didn't take much time that the vineyards were more than before. |
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