Several breeds of horses are endemic to the Mediterranean island of Sicily. Sicily's rich, volcanic soil grows excellent forage for horses, and the horses who grow there are, as the Sicilians describe them, "as beautiful as the Sun."
Sicily has been one of the centers of Mediterranean life for millennia, and during that time, many different cultures have settled there. Now a part of Italy, Sicily has been part of Rome and Greece, and may have been part of the Cretan culture in times past. Large populations of Judeans, Berbers, Arabs and Vikings and even Normans also inhabited the islands at some points. All these cultures brought their horses with them, and Sicilian horses retain the best traits of all of them. The Sicilian is what is called a "Baroque" horse, as far as general conformation goes. It is short-back and rounded overall, with a large head, carried proudly. There is usually a Roman Nose. The Sicilian, like other breeds on the island, is almost universally dark in color, and markings are small, or, more likely absent altogether. The eyes are large and round, and the ears small and quick-moving. The mane and tail are luxurious and often wavy. Sicilians are a hardy, long-lived breed, very agile and sweet-tempered.