Sicily is an incredibly beautiful island, both her natural and historical beauty undeniable. At the same time, however, is has never been a tranquil land to live in; in the course of history, due to its position in the middle of the Mediterranean sea, it has been contended between and fought for by all the major empires that dominated the area, since the beginning of times: invasion after invasion, domination after domination, insurrection after insurrection the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Spanish, all left a long lasting influence both in the urban fabric of Sicilians town and in the human fabric of society. In the twentieth century, together with the rest of Southern Italy, very unfortunately Sicily has followed a slower development curve than the rest of Italy; emigration towards the richer Northern areas of the country, together with the influence of organized crime, misuse of public funds and corruption helped keeping the island in this state of relative backwardness compared to the rest of Italy, despite the attempts of many, who often lost their lives in the process. Despite all this, one of the most appealing thing for me going around Sicily is the openness, warmth and friendliness of the people one meets in the streets, shops, restaurants and hotels: in short, Sicilians are great. That, and the richness of life in the streets, makes for a very interesting place to be photographing around....