I have always had an interest in Ancient Greece and all the Gods and heroes but I had no idea of the profound presence of ancient cultures on this rugged and mountainous island. 
In 2004, when John Como’s wife, Shari, was offered an opportunity to work as a Nurse/Educator in Palermo, Sicily, the only thing he knew for certain was that he was going with her.He knew that Sicily was the large island just off the toe of the Italian boot and that at its closest point, it resides just two miles from the mainland. But the author knew little about Sicilian culture or its ancient past.
“I had known that the city of Syracuse on Sicily’s southeastern coast was the original Greek settlement but once there, I was to learn that there are temples and amphitheaters throughout the island, some in better condition than the Parthenon in Athens.”
In the time they lived in Sicily, the Comos would discover Roman Villas dating back to the 2nd Century AD, resplendent with mosaics and castles, cathedrals and art to rival that of Rome and Florence. “Sicily would be one of the most conquered islands in history. As we explored the steep mountains and rugged valleys of the island, which we did at every opportunity, we would travel back through time to see traces of the Phoneticians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans and Spanish.”