It was mid-February, and I felt like I hadn’t seen the sun for months when I arrived on the beguiling island of Sicily. Italy’s largest island shimmered with an intense shade of green, flecked with the occasional bright splash of orange, thanks to the citruses of the same name, as we drove through the endlessly winding roads of the southeast of the island.

The Sicilians may be incredibly welcoming, but the terrain to the south of Catania is far from it–that is until you head into the Piana di Catania. Flat and fertile, the piana is overlooked by a snowy (and fairly active) Etna, which has given the area the mineral rich soils that are perfect for growing orange trees.