BBC - Sicily Unpacked (2012) Part 2 Spanish Rule

Andrew Graham-Dixon and Giorgio Locatelli take us on a delightful journey around their beloved Sicily. Sharing a passion for all things Sicilian they make the perfect travel partners. Exploring the island through each other's eyes and hearts, they reveal how the layers of history have created a unique belnd of art and architecture. As well as the pleasures of an intense and vibrant culture, they experience the sadness the island has come through and the strength of the Sicilian people as they rose up and challenged the Mafia. Together they document how the various conquering forces and the rich variety of different heritages have helped to shape both the food and the culture of this beautiful Mediterranean island.

Part 2 Spanish Rule

They explore the legacy of Spain's 500-year occupation of the island and the influence this has had on art and culture.

It is Easter and Giorgio and Andrew get the chance to experience two of the island's most spectacular celebrations. On Good Friday in the city of Enna, hooded figures parade statues of the Madonna and Jesus. Then on Easter Sunday they go to Modica to see the Madonna Vasa Vasa procession, where a statue of the Madonna meets and kisses her son Jesus in front of a devoted crowd.

Andrew and Giorgio end Easter festivities with a traditional lunch courtesy of the Vannuccio family, who live in the countryside outside Modica. The sweet tooth of our presenters is indulged when they sample ice cream made exclusively with ingredients from Sicily. Further delights are served by the Bonajuto family, who for six generations have made exquisite chocolate inspired by techniques acquired from the Aztecs via their Spanish colonizers.

During the Spanish occupation, Caravaggio fled to Sicily from Rome. He is Andrew's favourite painter and together with Giorgio, he visits one of the great artist's masterpieces in Messina - a moving Nativity scene.

Giorgio and Andrew end this part of their journey in Marsala, where General Giuseppe Garibaldi arrived with his 1000 soldiers to unify Italy in 1860.

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