What is "siciliana"

n. 1 A Sicilian dance, resembling the pastorale, set to a slow and graceful melody in 12-8 or 6-8 measure. 2 The music to this dance.

The siciliana or siciliano (also known as the sicilienne ) is a musical style or genre often included as a movement within larger pieces of music starting in the Baroque period. It is in a slow or time with lilting rhythms, making it somewhat resemble a slow jig or tarantella, and is usually in a minor key. It was used for arias in Baroque operas, and often appears as a movement in instrumental works. Loosely associated with Sicily, the siciliana evokes a pastoral mood, and is often characterized by dotted rhythms that can distinguish it within the broader musical genre of the pastorale.