ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the cliches related to south-eastern Sicily (SES), and describes the innovative trends one can find in this remote corner of Italy. It evaluates the socio-economic outlook of SES and its tessera, by analysing several data related to Demographics and Economics. Among the regions of Southern Europe, Sicily, in the last 30 years, has transformed itself from a land of emigrants into a land of immigrants, becoming the gateway to Europe, especially for the people arriving from North Africa. In effect, in SES the immigrant population is concentrated in rural areas and engaged in seasonal agricultural activities, especially in the summer-autumn period. Looking at the population trends, the south-eastern tessera has long been a place to move away from, and thus does not comply with van den Berg's urban lifecycle theory. In recent years, things have started to change, as SES now hosts several small or medium towns with increasing growth rates, most of them close to Ragusa.
