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RICOTTA CHEESE AWARDED PDO LABEL

Rome - Rome's ricotta cheese was awarded the PDO label on Friday, pulling Italy further away from France at the top of the rankings of quality food recognised by the European Union to protect them against inferior clones.

Agriculture Minister Gianni Alemanno hailed the news, saying that the latest recognition confirmed Italian leadership in the food sector.

"With 149 PDO products against France's 141 we are the absolute leaders in Europe," stressing that the result was the outcome of Italy's "vigilant commitment to ensuring superior quality in the agriculture and food sectors."

DPO stands for Protected Designation of Origin while PGI is short for Protected Geographical Indication. Both labels certify the unique qualities of foodstuffs and specialities made or grown according to traditional methods in specific areas.

In February, saffrons from l'Aquila in Abruzzo and the towered Tuscan village of San Gimignano joined olive oil from Valdemone in Sicily in earning the prestigious PDO label.

They followed fatty bacon (lardo) from Colonnata near Florence, which got an GPI label late last year, and honey from the Lunigiana region of northern Tuscany with a PDO label - the first Italian honey to win such recognition Other recent Italian gains, have been five top olive oils, bergamot flavouring, Genoese basil, Roman suckling lamb or 'abbacchio' and goose salame from Mortara near Pavia.

In order to protect its culinary heritage, Italy has been mounting a concerted campaign to win more EU quality labels for its distinctive products including prickly pears grown on Mt Etna, apples from Val di Non in the far north and the tiny but tasty Pachino tomato from Sicily.

Most of the products in question have been labelled PDO. The PGI logo is slightly more prestigious.

Both mean they come from specific areas whose climate, conditions and local skills combine to make them the real McCoy, a cut above foreign clones which often pose as them to fool unwary consumers.

Italy's increased assertiveness is aimed at preventing its products' good names being tainted by counterfeiters. In 2003 an MP proposed riding the revived interest in Pinocchio sparked by Roberto Benigni's film to turn the boy puppet into an instantly recognisable label on all Italian export products.

Image aside, Italy has reeled off a string of impressively tough and creative initiatives aimed at beating back the impostors.

The Italian government and the nation's agriculture associations have been pressing the EU to take action at the World Trade Organisation to clamp down on 'wine piracy', while legal battles have been won for Parma ham and Parmigiano Reggiano (parmesan).

Another recent government scheme seeks to monitor the quality of food served at supposedly authentic Italian restaurants outside the Bel Paese.

A raft of products are still lined up for EU seals of approval, including artichokes from the Ancient Greek site at Paestum south of Naples.

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Sicily's Capital Palermo

Sicily's Capital Palermo is a place of beauty that is slowly being revived and restored by the determined city fathers to regain a semblance of its former glory. At various times during its varied and colourful history Palermo, beautifully sited on a wide bay under the bulk of Monte Pellegrino, has enjoyed a position as one of the greatest cities of Europe, particularly under Arab and Norman domination in the Middle Ages. The legacy of the past is evident today in its treasure-trove of Byzantine, Baroque and Norman historic buildings and relics in its many museums. Today the pulse of the city beats fast and furious even in the oppressive summer heat in its hectic street markets, cobbled squares and narrow alleyways, where sirens squeal and traffic roars indiscriminately. Old, historic quarters like Kalsa are being restored and restaurants, galleries and cafes are opening to cater for the tourist trade. Several days are required to appreciate the sights of the seething city before moving on to explore the rest of the island.

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Catania

The second-largest city in Sicily, Catania sits in the shadow of Europe’s highest volcano, Mount Etna, on the east of Sicily between Syracuse and Taormina. Ugly, decayed and crime-ridden today, it was once called the ‘city of black and white’ because of the use of white marble and black lava to construct its elegant buildings, many of which have since fallen into ruins or been destroyed by war, earthquakes and lava flows. In summer Catania sizzles; it is regarded as the hottest city in Italy with temperatures often soaring to 104ºF (40ºC). Despite its unattractive aspects, Catania is an ancient city, founded in 729 BC, and boasts some interesting historical relics. There are two Roman amphitheatres, one reminiscent of Rome’s Colosseum, and a 13th-century fortress, Ursino Castle, which is now a museum. The city’s cathedral contains some royal tombs and was built in the 11th century.

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Syracuse

Visitors to Syracuse may be forgiven for wondering whether they are in Italy or Greece. This city on the southeastern corner of Sicily’s Ionian coastline once rivalled Athens as the most important city in the ancient Greek world. Its Greek heritage can still be found in abundance in both the ruins of buildings older and more splendid than the Parthenon and in the myths and legends centred particularly on its oldest quarter, the island of Ortygia. Archimedes once strode the streets here and today tourists who stroll around the Neapolis Archaeological Park on the Terminite Hill can still get a feel for Syracuse’s golden age of power and prosperity. As well as the Hellenic relics, Syracuse also boasts more than its fair share of Roman ruins and some fine medieval Gothic architecture and art, all treasures to be singled out from among the uninspiring high-rises and motorways that make up the modern city. Parking is a problem in the city, particularly on Ortygia where most of the medieval sights and the best shops are located, and the heat can become unbearable in the height of summer; however no visit to Sicily is complete without exploring the antiquities of Syracuse. Most visitors prefer to make day trips to the city from the more comfortable surrounding resort areas, where soft white beaches and fine wines can be enjoyed on the shores of the Ionian Sea.

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