Local Reviews to Plan Your Tour of Sicily

Free Resources to Help You Plan You Vacations in Sicily

2008-06-17T06:19:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Sicily Tours.org a non commercial website dedicated to promoting all unique Sicilian experiences.

As a network of locals we keep sharing our tips to help You organize your tour of Sicily.

You can read unbiased reviews of trips and send us your inquiries for suggestions.

Real advices to get only what You need

Here You can find info about:

Where find good places to stay
What are the best attractions to visit
How to choose the most trusted tour companies
What You need to know before leaving
Or just ideas or inspiration...

Looking Sicily from the local point of view, could give You the opportunity to find unusual travel experiences and save up on your tour budget.

I.e. We could help You find a direct contact to cross the agencies intermediation.

How do I start?

1. Learn what to Know before a visit
2. Know the places to tour
3. Compare what the other tourists say about Sicily
4. Read Our tour reviews with tips to find the best adventure trips and local travel operators

Travel Ideas:

Travel Diary: Bike tour in Eastern Sicily

2008-06-16T00:02:00.000-07:00

Type: 8 days Self guided Bike tour
Skill level: medium
Price per person: 540 Euro
Number of participants: 2

An amazing bicycle tour in the most famous Sicilian places.

The highlights of this route were: Noto Valley and the surrounding cities such as Syracuse, Ragusa included in UNESCO world heritage list, the natural reserve of Vendicari, Cavagrande Canyon with its deep gorges cut on the rock by a river, Palazzolo Acreide with its Greek Theatre and the ruins of the Temple of Aphrodite and the Funeral Temples.

Nature, culture, historic Greek testimony for an unforgettable bicycle trip.

Of course, all this was joined with the taste of the local food!

The first day we arrived to Catania, from here we transferred to Palazzolo Acreide for bicycle delivery.

The next morning wake up, breakfast in our hotel and started our adventure: 60 km of route!

The highlight of this first stage was the beauty of Cavagrande (the big canyon), one of Europe’s deepest canyon.

In the afternoon a visit to the ruins of Noto Antica was very interesting.

Return to Palazzolo Acreide.

Today just 40 km and we arrived to Modica where we enjoyed a breathtaking panoramas.

After having taken accommodation in hotel in Modica, we visited the historical centre with its impressing baroque churches and breathtaking views over picturesque valleys and stairways. Now i can't lose the occasion of tasting the famous chocolate of Modica!

The day after we biked along the Irminio river’s valley to Ragusa Ibla. I won't forget the splendid old centre of this town also included in the Unesco World heritage list.

Return to Modica Hotel.

Today we've biked for 30 km

This is the day for discovering the Sicilian inland: a long bike through almonds fields and cherry tomatoes cultivations (39 km). We reached Noto, wonderful baroque town. The old village of Noto was completely destroyed by the earthquake in 1693.

The present site of Noto was rebuilt almost entirely in the Baroque style.

Accommodation in a wonderful B&B in the centre of Noto.

Today the hardest route: 48 km to reach the magnificent fisherman village of Marzamemi, famous for its very old tuna fisheries.

In the afternoon, on the way back to Noto, we have had time for relax at Vendicari Natural reserve, with its uncontaminated beach.

It is a wonderful natural reserve where many birds stop here during their migration from Africa to North Europe.

Overnight stay in Noto.

Now it is time for historic attractions: Syracuse, the old Greek colony that i studied at school when i was a boy!

Here i remembered that Syracuse is also the birthplace of Archimede.

Now the overnight stay is in Syracuse, in its old centre called Ortigia.

Free time for discovering the centre of this city, even if we're tired because the 43 km of the route of today!

Accommodation in a lovely B&B with a classic Sicilian breakfast included.

Today....it's the end.

After breakfast delivery of the bikes and return to Catania airport

The services were very good: food, road maps, baggage transportation.

Fortunately there was a nice mild climate the allowed us not to suffer.

I suggest all biker of all the world to do a Sicily bicycle tour, because you will find all the kind of attractions in the same place: nature (reserves, parks, canyon), archaeological testimony (Syracuse, Noto, Palazzolo Acreide) and the famous Sicilian food!

What was included on the price:

Transfer from Catania airport to the first accommodation
7 accommodations with breakfast included
Maps and detailed description of the routes
Baggage transportation

Sicily shore excursion

2008-06-11T08:47:00.000-07:00

The best of Sicily in four stages: Mount Etna, Palermo, Taormina, Agrigento. A complete trip thanks to the possibility to jion different experiences: Nature of Fauna and Flora of etna Regional Park, History of Agrigento and Palermo, and aside history too, Taromina as the best Sicily summer resort.

What to visit in sicily? Top Attractions

2008-06-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

Sicily has a great thigh to be an island containing all the types of attractions for different tours: archaeological sites, natural reserves, natural regional parks, volcanoes, mounts, sea and beaches, historical cities and village, food tasting. Well, all this things worth a visit allow you to organize more than one tour, making Sicily tour an experience full of new thing to discover.

You can do a mixed tour joining various attractions. For example you can organize five stages each of which will consists in different thing to see: the first day you can do visit to Catania, the second pay a visit to Vendicari Natural Reserve, the third go to Valley of the Temples, the fourth pay a visit to Palermo and mondello beach, the fifth return to east part of island to visit Etna and its regional park.

The coloured things here you can see make Sicily unique in the world, allowing you to come here and relax, doing excursion, tasting food, visiting museums and living local folk-lore.

I suggest to search information about the things you can visits, so you can organize your tour in the best way.

Here you will find all the types of attractions attending in the island.

Nature

Nature is a great Sicilian resource. The variety of the landscape give you the possibility to chise different types of trip: you can climb a volcano or mount, you can do an excursion in the more than two hundred Etna's grotto, you can visit the Vendicari Reserve and do an original activity such as Birdwatching, or you can enjoy of the beautiful view of Sicilian coasts such as jonic coast, tirreno coast, south coast where there is the famous summer resort of Marina di Ragusa.

Other interesting thing done by many foreign tourists is a Sicily bicycle tour through the most beautiful place of the island.

You will find well-preserved natural attraction: remember that Sicily house three important protected areas such as Etna Regional Park, Madonie Regional Park, Nebrodi Regional Park, Alkàntara Regional Park. You will live the sensation that here man has never come

Volcanoes

Volcanoes are the more interesting things. They show a lunar landscape and make you live an unforgettable experience.

Many tourists that have climbed Etna talked of the landscape that is possible to admire from that altitude: the Jonic coast from Messina to Syracuse, Calabria, Eolie islands. Goethe climbed until Monti Rossi, not until crater, but also a low altitude allowed him to enjoy the same view.

You can climb Etna until main crater at 3340 m. Sea level, or visit the other craters. A guide is indispensable for this excursion, because the route is dangerous for the inexperienced people.

Etna has a natural view that doesn't run out in the lunar landscape of summit or of craters, but also worth a visit that Pine forest near Linguaglossa Pineta Ragabo, where you can admire its old trees immersed in the fog forest. But you could see also animals such as viper of Etna.

Grottoes are the goal of interesting excursions: Etna has more than 200 grottoes!

Grotta del Gelo at 2000 m sl, (in Randazzo territory). It is difficult find this grotto without the help of a guide, also becasue there are not signs tha allow you to reach the destination.
This grotto is famous for its everlasting ice, some cracks and stalactites.

Moving inside is difficult and the visit here are not possible until spring, because the entrance is covered by snow.

Other grottos: Grotta delle Femmine, Grotta delle Palombe, Grotta comune (in Trecastagni village), Grotta La Fenice (Zafferana) and many others.

Visit Etna means see the places of past lava casts: casts of 2002 and of other years . You will admire the gathered whole of lava that make the view wild such as the territories of Belpasso, Nicolosi. But most famous wild region of Etna is Valle del Bove

Other volcano is Stromboli. It gives the name to the island where it is found and the summit crater reach 926 m of altitude. It has 400 Inhabitants.

Twice during the 20th century (in 1919 and 1930) there have been large eruptions that caused significant damage and killed people.

The last eruption happened on 2003: strong explosions followed by lava flows into the sea, the collapse of a part of the Sciara del Fuoco produced a tsunami that caused serious damages.

Vulcano island. Here is possible visit the crater and the signs of its past geological life.

Ferdinandea Island, emerged in 1831. It appeared such as a great steamy volcanic rock.
Positioned between Sciacca and Pantelleria island, Ferdinandea island isn't today visible because it is covered by water.

This submarine phenomenon is not unusual in Sicily, in fact all the island around Sicily have a volcanic origin.

The main activity to do in Sicilian volcanoes is hiking, trying to climb and reach the summit craters. This activity needs of an expert guide, because go there alone can be difficult and dangerous.

Natural Regional Parks

The vegetation and animals of this natural paradise will be the more interesting attraction the many excursions you can do.

You will walk through paths with amazing and uncontaminated landscape, the whole immersed in a wild atmosphere as man here has never come.

Cities and villages

Archaeological sites

Sicily is full of archaeological sites, and this is a testimony of past Greek dominance. Many finds are well-preserved, and see them will be an amazing experience.

Where are the best beaches?
Here are the complete list of the most beautiful beaches:

Mondello Lido (Mondello), near Palermo. The sandy beaches extend for 2 km.
Mortelle, the best beaches in the north-east of Sicily near Messina.
Black Sands Beach (Volcano), unique of their kind, are the beaches of black sand volcanic Aeolian Islands.
Lido Mazzarò (Taormina), the best Sicilian beach. It 'a language of beach on board the coast. Linked to 15 of Taormina and cable car with its historic center.
The beach of Giardini Naxos, Just below the promontory on which resides Taormina. (link Gardens)
Marina di Ragusa, south-east near the city of Ragusa.
The beaches of Catania. Catania has the peculiarity of having 3 different types of beaches.

The beach of San Giovanni licuti, near the nerve centre of the city, characterized by the presence of volcanic sand.
The beach Playa, one long smears of yellow sand that extends south to Syracuse
The reef, which also includes the towns of Acicastello and Aci trezza, characterized by the rocks resulting from lava flows of Etna.

How to Arrive in Sicily and Move Around

2008-05-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

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How to Arrive b y plane:
In Sicily there are 2 main airports. That one of Catania and the one Palermo.

The airport of Catania Fontanarossa.
The airport of Catania Province has daily connections with the main Italian and European cities.

To get a complete overview of flights just look at this site:

How to reach the airport of Catania:
The airport of Catania "Fontanarossa", is located south of the city towards San Giuseppe La Rena. The airport is accessible by taxi and bus Office Amt departing from the train station.

How to reach Catania:
There is a link Alibus society AMT municipal connecting the port, railway station and the airport every 20 minutes.
For more information please visit Amt
It 'also a Taxi service: +39 095 330966 Radio Service night +39 095 386794

The services at the airport:
Links suburban bus: (The bus terminals are located directly at the airport)

A.S.T. | Tel. +39 095 7461096 www.aziendasicilianatrasporti.it connects the airport with the municipalities of Avola, Caltagirone, Carlentini, Grammichele, Ispica, Lentini, Mazzarrone, Mirabella Imbaccari, Modica, Noto, Palagonia, Piazza Armerina, Pozzallo, Rosolini, S. Michele di Ganzaria, Scicli, Sigonella
CIRCUMETNEA | Tel. +39 095 541250 ww.circumetnea.it connects the airport with Adrano, Misterbianco, Paternò and Randazzo, Linguaglossa, Fiumefreddo, and other neighbouring municipalities.
ETNA TRANSPORT | Tel. +39 095 532716 www.etnatrasporti.it Connect the airport with Aidone, Fiumefreddo, Gela, Giardini Naxos, Recanati, Licata, Piazza Armerina, Ragusa, Marina di Ragusa, S. Croce Camerina, Taormina, Valguarnera, Vizzini
GIUNTABUS | Tel. 39 090 673782 / 675749 - 39 090 679677 Fax www.giuntabus.it Connect from April to September the airport to the port of Milazzo coinciding with ships and hydrofoils for the Aeolian islands
INTERBUS | Tel. +39 095 532716 - +39 0935 565111 www.interbus.it Connect the airport with Agira, Avola, Catenuova, Leonforte, Nicosia, Nissoria, Noto, Pachino, Portopalo, Priolo, Regalbuto, Syracuse
MOLICA | Tel. 39 0941 301461 From June 15 to September 15 connects the airport with Porto Rosa, Gioiosa Marea and Capo D'Orlando.
SAIS Transportation | Tel. +39 095 536201 www.saistrasporti.it Connect the airport to Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Canicattì
SAIS AUTOLINEE | Tel. +39 0935 524111 - Fax +39 0935 500520; 095-536168 www.saisautolinee.it Connect the airport to Enna, Messina, Palermo

The airport of Palermo:

Travel to Airport

By car:

From Palermo: Highway A29 direction Trapani, exit "Puntaraisi - Airport Falcone and Borsellino"
From Trapani: A29 motorway towards Palermo, exit "Puntaraisi - Airport Falcone and Borsellino"

By Taxi:
Info: +39 091 225455
The Trinacria Express connecting the city of Palermo directly with the Terminal. The cost of a ticket is € 4.50 Tickets: 199-166-177

By bus:

Train Links with Palermo every 30 minutes fare € 5: Bus Prestia and Comandè tel. +39 091 580457
Links to Trapani: Bus Segesta tel. 091 6167919. From Trapani hours 09.00 From 12.45 hours Except Sundays and holidays Rate: 6.40 €
Links to Agrigento / Porto Empedocle: Bus Ps tel. 0922 401360 Except Sundays and holidays Rate: 8.20 €
Links with Sciacca Ribera: Bus Gallo tel. 091 6171141 Except Sundays and holidays Rate: 7.25 € for Sciacca, for Ribera € 7.75

For more information, please visit the website at Palermo here: http://www.aeroporto.palermo.it "Falcone and Borsellino - 90045 Punta Raisi - Cinisi - Palermo

Arriving by ferry in Sicily:
The connections via ferry are:

Palermo to Naples, Cagliari, Genoa, Civitavecchia, Tunis, Ustica, Salerno
Trapani to Cagliari, Tunis, Egadi islands, Pantelleria,
Catania to Naples, Livorno, Ravenna, Malta

These are all companies that deal with transfers for the Aeolian Islands, the Egadi Islands, pelagie The islands, Pantelleria, Ustica,

Here is a list of the main links and shipping companies ferry in Sicily:

Tirrenia - (Call Center - Phone +39-010-5731800)
Grandi Navi Veloci (Call Center - Phone +39-010-5731800)
Snav (Call Center - Phone +39-010-5731800)
Lauro Lines Ferries: (Call Center - Phone +39-010-5731800)
Siremar (Call Center - Phone +39-091-7493111)
Ustica Lines (Call Center - Phone +39-0923-222000)
TTT Lines Call Center - Phone +39-010-5731800)
Charon and Tourist (Call Center - Phone +39-010-5731800)
Adriatica di Navigazione: (Call Center - Phone +39-041-781611)
Virtu Ferries: (Call Center - Phone +39-095-7222295)
Ma.Re.Si.: (Call Center - Phone 356-233129)

Ferry crossing the Strait of Messina:

Italian General Navigation: (Call Center - Phone +39-090-679141)
Tourist Shipping: (Call Center - Phone +39-090-364463)
Tourist Ferry-Boat: (Call Center - Phone +39-090-3718511)

For more information about how to find and book tickets for the ferries to Sicily you can visit this website: http://www.traghettionline.net

Arriving in Sicily by train:
The Strait of Messina can be crossed by train. The railway lines linking Milan, Rome and Naples to Messina, Palermo, Catania and Siracusa. The lines Milan-Rome-Naples and Milan are linked by 'eurostar; From Rome to Naples is the Intercity. For more information you can visit the official website of Trenitalia.

The internal connections between the Sicilian city:
The backbone more traffic, which affects the two poles urban Palermo and Messina also reaching the town of Trapani, is that tirrenica, so called because it faithfully follows the coastline of the Tyrrhenian Sea, the northern side of the island. This ridge is divided into lines Palermo-Messina and Palermo-Trapani, thus fully covering the Tyrrhenian side of Sicily.

This is the second most important line of the island, after the Palermo-Messina railway. It is 182 km long from Messina Central in Syracuse. The first was planned that the line passed behind Etna, as it does now Circumetnea, while the line was built between 1867 and 1871, with the same pattern today when excluding variations between Fiumefreddo and between Catania and Messina Central and Messina Giampilieri.

The center line, Today, convoys departing from Palermo are then sorted in Roccapalumba, where most go to Agrigento, while others continue to Caltanissetta and Enna.

The station is located in Catania:
Piazza John XXIII - Catania - tel. +39 095 532226
Call Center tel. 892021
Switchboard tel. +39 095 532710
Tickets tel. +39 095 532227
From the station at the airport bus service AMT Alibus every 20 minutes.

The railway station of Palermo is located in Piazza Giulio Cesare. It is also the station of origin of service of metropolitan cities and for liaising with the Palermo Airport-Punta Raisi.

The Circumetnea:
The circumetnea is a railway that since 1859 makes the rounds of villages that are located on the slopes of the volcano.
The service is open Mondays to Saturdays, and you can start from the station of Catania Borgo, in Via Etnea, or Giarre, near the train station.

Getting on Etna from Catania:
You can reach Etna by Train (circumetnea). Leaving the station in Catania, Giarre or Acireale and descend to Randazzo stops or Linguaglossa (cost 1.77 €)

Via car, from Catania take the road to Nicolosi or take the A18 motorway Catania-Messina, exit Fiumefreddo and continue until Linguaglossa

You can take the bus departing from the railway station of Catania arriving in Linguaglossa Nicolosi or until the square of Rifugio Sapienza (The bus line and 'Catania-Nicolosi-dell'AST Etna, and part to 8.15 from Catania to Rifugio Sapienza and to 16.30 from Rifugio Sapienza back to Catania.)

How to reach the various towns in Sicily:
Bus SAIS:

Link from Catania (Railway or Airport) in Palermo: Daily
Link from Catania (Airport) in Agrigento: Daily
Link from Catania (airport or rail station) in Messina (railway station): Daily
Link from Messina (Piazza della Repubblica) in Palermo (Train by paul Balsamo): Weekdays

Travel Diary: Etna and the Aeolian Islands Volcano Trek

2008-05-16T00:17:00.000-07:00

Type: 8 days Self guided Walking tour
Skill level: medium
Price per person: 300 euro
Number of participants: 2

The best period to do this trip is from April to October

A wonderful experience of 8 days around the most suggestive Sicilian places.

The trekking through the amazing natural attractions of Sicilian soil is something to do once in own life-time.

The highlights of the trip were the Aeolian Islands. Here I’ve seen the amazing scenario of the small fisherman villages and the unforgettable ascension to the Stromboli's crater during an eruption, it was unforgettable!

Also Etna ascension was a great trek experience: the trekking in the Silvestri craters was a high level trip.

The first day, after hotel accommodation, I started with a cultural trip around the splendid baroque city centre of Catania.

Churches, Palaces, old streets, all the historic testimonies of the reconstruction after the earthquake of 1693.

Before going to sleep a nice tour to enjoy the Sicilian nightlife and taste local food in the pubs and restaurant of Catania: pasta alla Norma, Cannoli or Granita have been the best food I’ve ever tasted.

After this, Overnight in a story hotel of the centre near the Dome.

At morning wake up and had a typical Sicilian breakfast. Transfer to Milazzo to take the hydrofoil to arrive to Lipari, the first of the Aeolian islands. Arrival at accommodation in a hotel near the harbor of Marina Corta.

This day i had a suggestive hike in the west side of Lipari and I saw the thermal Spring of San Calogero.

It wasn't a difficult excursion, just 4 hours walking, and 290 to 430 mt.

Overnight stay in Lipari hotel.

This is the day to pay a visit to Vulcano, my first Sicilian volcano in the Aeolian archipelago.

Also the way to go there was a great part of the tour for my first Sicilian trip: I've never taken the hydrofoil!

Trekking to Volcano’s crater until "Fumarole". But the amazing experience of today don't end here: I’ve gone to the beach and thermal spring. Today just 3 hours hiking, 390 - 390 mt. I’ not tired yet!

Return to Lipari hotel by hydrofoil

Overnight stay at the same hotel with breakfast included.

The fourth day I’ve discovered the beauty of Lipari and its Archeological Museum.

After having been leaved Lipari arrival to Stromboli. Baggages in the hotel and go to the black beach of Stromboli!

The trekking excursion started in the late afternoon, with the amazing ascension of the Sciara del Fuoco, a particular valley where through which passes the lava before ending its course at sea.

The route was of 4 h hiking, and 400 mt.

Overnight in a Stromboli hotel.

Another day in the Stromboli highlights

After having had breakfast, another day of trekking doing a visit to the villages of San Vincenzo and "Ginostra".

In the late afternoon start the trekking to the volcano with an expert guide. Just 6 hours hiking (924 mt.) to arrive to the wonderful scenario of Stromboli's night-eruption.

This is a difficult and dangerous trekking route, so the guide can decides not to climb the Stromboli according to the safety measures that are constantly monitored and the weather.

Overnight in Stromboli.

Now it's time to leave the magic scenario of Aeolian island and continue the trekking tour returning in Sicily.

Go to a hotel in the southern side of Etna at 1900 mt, near Nicolosi. Short trek in the Silvestri craters to discover the particularity of the etnean soil. (1 hour hiking, 100 mt.)

Accommodation in hotel with breakfast included.

Arrival to Linguaglossa. Excursion at 2900 mt to discover the big crater opened during the eruption of 2002/2003.

A wonderful panorama under my feet: the jonic coast from Messina to Syracuse. Trek until "Valle del Bove" (Valley of the Oxen), the Etna's most important caldera. (7 hours hiking, 1000 mt.)

Free choice of going by cable way and 4x4 (one way ticket 25 Euros) to reach the summit area with an expert guide.

This is my best trekking tour: walking along the Etna's landscape is something of unspeakable: the lunar landscape, the mould of lava, the wonderful pine forest....

Overnight stay in mountain accommodation near Linguaglossa.

Well, the end of my unforgettable adventure!

Return to Catania airport by private transfer and go home

The tour operator provided all accommodations, baggages, transfers, except the first transfer from airport to Catania hotel and Hydrofoils.

Some dinners were included, other not, and this was a great occasion for free time to chose the best restaurant for tasting local food.

If you decide to do this unforgettable experience take with you the right Equipment: trekking boots, Frontal torch with batteries, Trekking trousers and shorts, Bathing suit, Hat and gloves, Anorak (quilted ski jacket during April, May, September and October), Sun glasses and sun cream, Multitask knife trekking sticks.

Review: 1 Day Tours and Excursions

2008-05-11T09:59:00.000-07:00

Full Day Private Tour - Palermo and Monreale - 8 hours

Palermo is the capital of Sicily and lies in the middle of the Mediterranean sea. The cradle of ancient civilizations - has always been a crossroads of cultures between East and West and has always enchanted visitors and foreigners alike with the charm of its location, the mildness of its climate, and the splendor of its buildings.

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North Etna and Cyclops Riviera Day Tour, Sicily - 8 hours

Soak up the beauty and colors of this landscape with this private tour. See rocky terrain, pebble beaches, archaeological ruins and splendid view of vineyards and pine forests. There will be a stop at Acicastello, which take its name for the Norman Castle built in lava stone which is located on a basalt cliff standing over the sea. A visit up to the slopes of the volcano before stopping at a local winery to sample some local Etna wine.

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Full Day Private Tour - Cefalu' and Castelbuono - 8 hours

Cefalu is one of the Mediterranean's undiscovered jewels. It's a medieval town built on the site of an ancient Sicanian and Greek settlement nestled between the Madonie Mountains and the sea. Also visit Castelbuono, a small medieval village developed in the 14th century around a castle built by the Ventimiglia noble family.

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Full Day Private Tour - Agrigento (Valle Dei Templi), Sciacca and Selinunte - 8 hours

Agrigento was founded around 582 BC and is famous for it's Valley of the Temples, which are included on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Continue to Sciacca, a picturesque seaside town overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, well known for ceramics, thermal baths and beautiful beaches. Later, visit the city of Selinunte, an Archaeological Park which is the biggest in Europe.

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Full Day Private Tour - Erice and Segesta - 8 hours

Segesta will give you an insight to life in Sicily in ancient times. See the 5th Century Doric Temple held up by 36 columns and the Hellenistic Theatre - carved in the rock. Then you reach Erice, an ancient Punic and Greek town surrounded by ancient walls, it is a labyrinth of clattered old stone streets and medieval churches adorned by beautiful buildings.

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Full Day Private Tour - The Salt Road - 8 hours

The salt marshes are characteristic of the western coast of Sicily for centuries and they represented a very productive industry as the whole economy was based on the production and exportation of sea salt. Visit the Museum of Salt Activity which is rich in archaeological findings for the 5th and 6the Century BC.

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Full Day Private Tour - Noto and Marzamemi - 8 hours

Noto is considered Sicily's Baroque City and is famous for beautiful 18th Century baroque buildings and churches. See Noto's grand main street, Corso Vittorio Emanuele, which offers an architectonic overview of Baroque style unique to the world and truly splendid. Then explore Marzamemi, a small fishing town built around an old tuna fishery.

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Palermo City Hop-on Hop-off Tour - 24 Hours

Explore Palermo with a 24 ticket aboard an open-top double-decker bus. See all the main sights of Palermo as you hop-on and hop-off 9 conveniently located stops around the city.

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Full Day Private Tour - Catania and Taormina - 8 hours

A famous attraction of Catania is the view overlooking the Greco-Roman amphitheater, one of Sicily's largest, with Mount Etna and the sea in the background. The second most important city of Sicily, Catania has been damaged by lava flows and earthquakes from Mount Etna over the years but today stands as a fine example of Sicilian baroque architecture.

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Full Day Private Tour - Noto and Marzamemi - 8 hours

Noto is considered Sicily's Baroque City and is famous for beautiful 18th Century baroque buildings and churches. See Noto's grand main street, Corso Vittorio Emanuele, which offers an architectonic overview of Baroque style unique to the world and truly splendid. Then explore Marzamemi, a small fishing town built around an old tuna fishery.

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Full Day Private Tour - Palazzolo Acreide and Siracusa - 8 hours

Palazzolo Acreide is a town full of folklore, religious festivals and a lively cultural life. See the Greek Theatre with it's panoramic position, Buscemi, a living village museum with authentic artisan workshops from the 19th Century. Afterwards travel to Siracusa which was built on an ancient Greek settlement founded by Corinthians in 734 BC and was considered the most important city in Magna Graecia at that time.

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Full Day Private Tour - Piazza Armerina, Morgantina and Caltagirone - 8 hours

Experiencing Piazza Armerina you'll visit the historical quarter including beautiful churches and the Baroque cathedral, but most visitors come to see the Roman Villa. One of the largest Roman dwellings of its kind to have survived antiquity. Following on from this, visit Morgantina founded during the Bronze Ages around 1300 BC. Later, arrive at Caltagirone, rich in Baroque monuments most famous for its ceramic art.

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Full Day Private Tour - Ragusa Ibla, Modica and Scicli - 8 hours

Ragusa is two towns, Ragusa Ibla, or simply Ibla, was the ancient city and Ragusa Superiore, the new city. Ibla's best-known church is the imposing Basilica of St George, while Ragusa Superiore is constructed in the Baroque and New-Classical styles. Later, visit Scicli which is one of the loveliest cities in the province of Ragusa thanks to its elegant palazzi and churches.

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Full Day Private Tour - Noto and Siracusa - 8 hours

Visit Sicily's "Baroque City" of Noto which was rebuilt from scratch after being destroyed by an earthquake in 1693. Continue to Siracusa where you will see Arethusa Fountain, the Greek Theater, Latomie of the Stone Paradise and the Orecchio of Dionisio, amongst other sights.

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How visit Sicily? Review of Tours and Trips

2008-05-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

Review of Sicily Tours

Here you can find some tour of Sicily, enjoying the magnificent attractions of the island and its unique way of life

To Fill

Culinary tour of Sicily
Historic and Cultural tour of Sicily
Highlights of Sicily tour
Sicily shore excursion
Sicily: Island in a sea of light
West Sicily
East Sicily
Sicily Bike Tours
Cycling Sicily - The bicycle tour of western Sicily
Sicily Bus Tours
Sicily Boat Tours

When visit Sicily? Weather and Climate Chart

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Sicily can be visited all the year. The mild climate allow you not to find difficult about the weather.

The rains are not much and winter is not very cold, in fact you could see people doing a swim in the sea also in january.

Summer is very hot, and the best thing to do is choise Sicily as a summer resort, bacuse visitign the cities under the hto sun will be very hard.

The best period to visit monuments and cities is spring

The Sicilian climate is usually mild, as is typically Mediterranean. In winter, the temperature is warmer than the rest of Italy and Europe. Indeed, during the winter, the rain is present for a few months. In autumn and spring, the weather is pleasantly warm.

The summer is very hot, especially in July and August, or when the Sirocco wind, coming from Africa, causes an increase in temperatures during some periods of the year.

In Sicily, minimum temperatures are between 5 ° C and 15 ° C from January to May and from October to December, while the highest in recent months are between 10 C and 25 C.

From June to September, minimum temperatures are between 15 C and 20 ° C and the maximum between 25 ° C and 35 ° C.

The most sunny months are from May to September, with an average of 250 hours of sunshine per month, except July who has 350. The rain is rarely from November to May, with an average of 50mm of rain per month.

The capital is Palermo, which is located on the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The weather here is usually sunny and there is little rain.

The second largest city in Sicily is Catania. And 'often hottest other Italian cities and is located on the eastern coast of the island, on the Ionian Sea.

About visiting Catania, can not miss the spectacle of Etna. Here, the climatic conditions are different compared to Catania. During the summer months, climate Etna is more cold then coastal and it's likely to find low temperatures.

Then, during an excursion on the mountain, we must have the right equipment. Of course, in winter, the mountain is covered with snow from November to March.

The Ionian Sea is also the city of Messina, considered colder then the other cities on the island because of its position close to the mountains (Peloritani).

Why visit Sicily?

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Most tourists ask "Why visit Sicily?"

Well, the answer is in what Sicily is: nature, landscapes, mounts, volcanoes, natural parks and reserves, coasts, sea, beaches, folk-lore, history, monuments, archaeological sites, cities and villages, local food...hey stop!

[The Coast of Trapani, West Sicily]

Sicily has the unique characteristic of being house of all the types of attractions for all the trips. In fact Sicily offers the possibility for historic itineraries thanks to its archaeological sites, monuments, cities and villages.

But nature won't disappoint your expectations: Natural Parks, Natural Reserves, Mounts, Volcanoes (Etna, Stromboli) are the best places to do interesting excursions through landscape.

Sicily has a wild atmosphere because preserves something of prehistoric and uncontaminated. The lunar landscape of the Etna soil over 2000 metres and the view you can enjoy will hit. Animals, vegetations, hidden paths, grottos, old trees and many other such as rivers and coasts.

Visiting Sicily means excursions, archaeological finds, but also relax in the many beaches and summer resorts thanks to the
Mediterranean climate that makes this place a natural paradise in the heart of Mediterranean sea.

[Trip on Mount Etna]

Many touristic facilities will escort your vacations with activities such as excursion in the small rocky archipelagos around the island.

Note also the vivacity of Sicilian nightlife with the many discos, restaurants, pubs, particularly in Catania and Taormina.

Taormina is the most famous summer resort of Sicily and goal of many tourists such actors, singers and many other important people.
The main street Corso Umberto connects the two archaic access gate of Porta Catania and Porta Messina. You’ll walk in a crowd of people that try to catch every piece of history, folklore, thanks to museums and the old structure of the village.

Catania is the most crowded city of Sicily, in fact here you will meet many types of entertainments: discos and pubs in every part of the city centre. Catania is particular thanks to its beach: the plaja, full of discos on sandy beaches: the morning you can join summer facilities that on night become discos and restaurants. The centre will offer to you a walk through the enlighten monuments and palaces.

Palermo

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The capital of Sicily, has undergoed the Arabs and Norman dominances. The effect of this is visible in the structuture and in the palace of the city. An example is the Norman Palace, that in its origin was an Arabs buildings, but it was modified by the Normans.

The Theatre
This neoclassical building is the largest theatre in Europe (7730 mq. Twenty five years for its costruction, made by Giovanni Battista Basile in 1875 and completed by his son Ernesto in 1897.
It is the lyrical temple of the city, stage of the opera and ballet.

Politeama Theatre
A neoclassical theatre built by Giuseppe Almeyda between 1867 and 1874.

Cathedral church

Norman Palace, site of sicilian Parliament

Zisa castle

Orto Botanico of Palermo

Palazzo Abatellis
IT was built in 1495 by Matteo Carneliveri, in the gothic-Catalan style.
On the ground floor you will admire sculpture of XII to XVI century.
Among the XV century works of art, there is the famous marble bust of Eleonora of Aragon, by Francesco Laurana.
The first floor features the picture gallery, housing works of art from the XII to the XVI century, representing the evolution of Sicilian painting schools.
Palazzo Abatellis display also "Our Lady of the Annunciation" by Antonello da Messina.

Villa Lampedusa

Villa Martorana Genuardi
It is possible to admire its large rooms, its stables and its gallery where interesting collections of ceramics, porcelains, carriages are on exposition, as well as its gazebo, its large terraces and its garden.

Villino Florio

Itinerary
An interesting thing to do in Palermo is visiting the buildings that recall the mixture of Arab-Norman epoch:
Cathedral church, Norman Palace, Palatina chapel, Vespri church, San Giovanni dei lebbrosi church, Zisa castle.

*Syracuse
Ancient Greek colony, the old dominance has its attestation in the archaeological attractions today visible.

What to see:

Greek Theatre dated at V BC.

Ortigia island, the place of the first Syracuse settlement.
This is the centre of the city, containing the Dome's church, wich inside is possible to see the rests of the ancient Atena temple of V BC. Other things to see are the Aretusa fountain and Maniace castle.

In the mainland other suggestive attracions worth a visit, such as archaeological site with rests of Roman and Greek period in Piazza della Vittoria.

Other ancient ruins are: Terme, Foro siracusano (the ancient Agorà, the main square of the Greek cities).

Vigna Cassia catacomb

Regional Archaeological Museum

Neapolis archaeological Park.

Ierone Ara, of III BC.

Grotticelli Necropolis

Monreale

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Castellaccio Castle, San Martino Abbey

Monreale, whose name means "Mons Regalis" (Royal Mountain), is a village of some 25,000 inhabitants place on the slope of Mount Caputo (764 Meters) about 7 kilometers south of Palermo.
Situated at 300 metres sea level Monreale overlooks the "Conca d'Oro," the beautiful valley of Palermo.

Monreale is world-renowned for its cathedral, a mixture of different artistic styles of Arab, Byzantine and Norman framed by traditional Romanesque architecture.

The beautiful mosaics in Monreale are said to be one of the world's largest displays of this art, surpassed only by Istanbul's famous Basilica of Saint Sofia.
Monreale's mosaics emblazon 6,340 square meters of the duomo's interior surface, more than those of the church of Saint Mark in Venice.

The mosaics of "Santa Maria la Nuova," the official name of Monreale Cathedral, are more extensive than those of the cathedral of Cefalù.

Work on the cathedral was started in 1174. In 1177, at the age of 24, King William married Joan, daughter of King Henry II of England.
The wedding made William the brother-in-law of two other English monarchs, Richard I "The Lionheart" and John "Lackland. In 1170, William's father-in-law had instigated the murder of Thomas à Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. Canonized in 1173, Saint Thomas Becket is depicted in a mosaic icon of the cathedral's main apse near the altar. This is believed to be the first public work of art honoring the English saint.

Externally, most of Monreale Cathedral is not particularly striking. Its front facade faces west, looking onto Piazza Guglielmo. Two massive square bell towers flank the main church entrance.

The two main doors
The cathedral's two main doors are outstanding. The double doors are made of bronze, signed and dated by their maker, Bonanno of Pisa who completed this masterpiece in 1186. The portals are divided into 42 panels. Bas relief panels which depict various scenes from the Old and New Testaments, and are only opened for weddings held in the cathedral and other festive and ceremonial occasions. The side portal was also built in 1186, by the artist Barisano da Trani. This door, also of bronze, has 28 panels on which are carved various religious figures amidst floral and other symbolic motifs.

The mosaics
The dazzling mosaics in the interior of Monreale cover all the surfaces of the cathedral's walls.
There are a total of 130 individual mosaic scenes depicting biblical events. The Old Testament is portrayed upon the walls of the central nave, starting from the Creation and ending with Jacob's Fight with the Angel. The mosaics on the side aisles illustrate the major events of the life of Jesus, from His birth to the Crucifixion, and include a cycle which portrays the miracles worked by Christ. Most of the mosaics are accompanied by written inscriptions in Latin or Greek.

The tombs
Monreale Cathedral also houses several royal tombs. King William II's mortal remains rest in the white marble tomb dating from 1575. William's father, King William I "the Bad" lies in the reddish porphyry tomb which dates to the 12th century and is, presumably, his original tomb. William II's mother, Margaret of Navarre, is also interred at Monreale.

Belvedere
The "belvedere" is another thing that worth a visit. You can reach it through a courtyard near the cloister. The entrance to the Antevilla and the Belvedere is located at the southwest corner of the piazza, passing through an archway. Proceed about twenty meters through this courtyard to another archway which brings you to the Belvedere and its spectacular view of Palermo and the Conca d'Oro, the valley below Monreale.

Castellaccio
About 5 kilometers north of Monreale up Mount Caputo at 764 meters above sea level there is a twelfth-century fortress erected by the Normans.
Its strategic position was intended to guard all the possible approaches to the city, either by land or by sea.
The fortress provides one of the most spectacular views of the area, so make sure you visit on a clear day if possible. The castle is well preserved owing to its rather remote location.

San Martino Abbey
The Benedictine abbey of San Martino delle Scale was probably founded by Pope Gregory the Great between VI-VII centuries. It was burnt down by invading Arabs in 829, and built anew over the ruins in 1346. Parts of the monastery, which is actually quite large, are clearly medieval, though many sections were reconstructed and expanded after the fifteenth century.

Mt. Etna Villages

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*Etna villages

The villages of Etna are interesting point about history and culture, but the most fascinate thing they hide is the life near the treat of the largest european volcano.

1-Maniace, a beautiful village where you can admire Catsle of admiral Nelson and the English cemetery

2-Sant'Alfio

This small village is between Linguaglossa and Zafferana Etnea.

Magic atmosphere when in winter it covered by fog.

The most famous attraction known all over the world is the tree Castagno dei cento cavalli
(chestnut tree of one hundred horses), wich its age is around 3600-4000 years.

3-Nicolosi

This is a village on the southern part of Etna at 720 m sl. It is famous for its ski resort of Rifugio Sapienza (at 1950 m sl), the more attended by foreign tourists.

The village is full of restaurant and pubs, and this make of Nicolosi an important point of attraction for Catania province night-life.
On summer it becomes an important resort, and this demonstrate that Nicolosi offer interesting thing all over the year.

One of the more interesting attractions is the ice rink situated in the middle of the central square.

You can climb Etna by your bike from Nicolosi to reach Rifugio Sapienza.

The slope will be very hard, because will start from an altitude of 720 m to arrive at 1950 m. But the landscape you will admire worthyour fatigue.

4-Randazzo

A medieval village at 765 m sl.

World War II.

In the 1943 German military chose Randazzo as their headquarter. This caused the bombardment by american military to hit german troops.
After the war Randazzo received the Silver Medal for rejection during german dominance.

What to see:

-Ancient wall of the village
-S. Maria, S. Nicola and S. Martino churches, containing objects of medieval art.
-Real Palace, seat of many important historic people

Grotta del gelo:

It is a freezing cold grotto with perennial ice. It altitude is at 2030 m
At 2030 m sl. Its access is more more easy in summer, becaus ein winter the snow cover the entry. Inside the temperature is always lower than -6°C.

5-Linguaglossa

A small village at 550 m sl of Catania province.

Tour bike
-From here, taking the Mareneve way, it possible reaching the summit of the crater, passing through ski resort of Piano Provenzana and the amazing Pineta Ragabo, where you can have a pic nic. You can bike inside the pineta, but it is necessary a MTB, because the road is not asphalted.

The lenght of the road that join Linguaglossa to Piana Provenzana is about 15 Km.

It is very difficult because the road is upgrade.

The height difference: 550 m of Linguaglossa, 1800 m of Piano Provenzana.

Food
-Linguaglossa is famous for its wine and sausage production

Eruption
-The last dramatic eruption is dated at 2002, when lava destroyed the ski resort of Piano Provenzana, part of Pineta Ragabo and Mareneve way.

Here you can follow the sicilian "wine road": bike and wine tasting along the nature fo Linguaglossa
Link Wine road of Linguaglossa

6-Zafferana Etnea

An amazing village at 574 m sl.

In its municipality different type of natural landscape are visible and worth a visit, such as magic woods and lava desert

On 19 october 1984 an eartquake hit the village, causing serious damages

Every october the Ottobrata takes place: it is a town festival of typical sicilian products:
grapes, wine, mustard, honey, apples, prickly pear, pistachio, mushrooms.

Interesting to visit is the beautiful park and the modern amphitheatre

7-Acireale

A village near Catania famous for its Dome, Granita and the natural attraction of Timpa, a promontory from wich aan amazing panorama can be enjoined.

Aciscatello and Acitrezza, isola dei ciclopi, castello normanno, vita notturna LINK

8-Bronte

The village was created by emperor Carlo V on 1520

Eruptions
About its history we can remember two the eruption: that one of 1651, and the most dramatic of 1843, when 59 persons died beacuse the invasion of the lava in a water tank.

History
A historic person linked at Bronte history is the british admiral Horatio Nelson, duke of Bronte and possessor of Castle Santa Maria church near Maniace, a village neighboring with Bronte.

On the 8 august 1860 an important historic event is known as Rivolta di Bronte (Bronte revolution): the peasantry revolted occupying owner's estates.

An important historic attraction is Bronte castle dated at 1174.

Food
Bronte is famous for Pistacchio production, that you can taste with pasta or in the sicilian pastries such as cannoli.

Catanis

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*Catania

The city was founded in the 729 a.C by the calcidesi
Undergoed other foreign dominances such as roman, arabs and norman
The first prestigious Sicilian university was Studium Generale of 1434.
During XVII century Catania was destroyed by the great eruption of 1669 and the catastrophic earthquake of 1693. This catastrofic events were the scusa to rebuilt the city in baroque style
The reconstruction saw the birth of a wonderful historical center in baroque style.

What to see

1-Baroque Buildings
Catania was destroyed nine times by natural disaster such as eartquakes and lava eruptions. Every time this city was rebuilded with great fatigue by its inahbitants. After the 1693 eartquake the city was rebuilded with a new style construction: the Baroque, expression that Catania wanted to reborn in a modern look.
2-The Dome
This is one of the most beautiful italian domes. The church take the name of Sant'Agata, patron saint of the city. It is a normann style building destroyed by eartquake of 1693 and rebuilted. Inside you can admire the Sant'Agata relics, the human rests of this girl martyred. In the square there is the Elephant statue, symbol of the City called "Liotru".
Another interesting monument is the Porta Uzeda (Uzeda Gate).
3-Roman Theatre.
This historic attraction is situated along via Etnea, in Stesicoro square, and represents the nether old roman city. In fact if you come down you will realize that many nether streets are joined to the amphitheatre. The nether city extend until Benedictine Monastry, about 2 Km away.
4-Benedictine Monastry, where nowaday there is the University of Literature and Philosofy.
The ancient monk cells are today the lecture hall of students.
You can also visit the monks kitchen and the Ursino-Recupero library, containing very old books in Latin and Greek languagge.
5-San Nicolò church.
Inside it you can admire a fantastic show because its ancient age, the Meridian and the Graves of soldier dead during World War II.
6-Palazzo Biscari, a marvelously beautiful ancient building in the heart of the city.
7-Castello Ursino (Ursino Castle). The Ursino castle was constructed for Federico II di Svevia between 1230 and 1250. Its origin come from the Orsini family, which were received in the castle when they were expelled from Rome for its Ghibelline ideas. The eruption of the Etna of 1669 changed the topography of the castle. In fact, before this, the castle was located on rock cape that dominated the sea, but after the eruption, it was completely reached and surrounded by lava.
See the interesting Civic Museum where where you can find 8043 pieces between archaeological finds, epigraph, coins, sculptures, paintings, sarcophagi, Greeks and Roman mosaics.
8-Porta Garibaldi (Garibaldi Gate), called "Il Fortino", is a costruction dated at 1768 for wedding of king Ferdinando IV di Borbone with Maria Carolina d'Austria.
9-Porta Uzeda (Uzeda Gate. Dated at 1500, in the 1696 became the official entrance of the city.
10-Crociferi street, an amazing baroque raod with old churchs and Law University.
11-The symbol of Catania is the Elephant Statue made of lava stone supporting an Egyptian obelisk on its back.

Folklore

The “Fish market” and “A fera o luni”
These are the most known markets of Sicily. Both are situate in the historical center of the city. They show the best part of the culture and folklore of Catania. It's easy to remain hit by the game of colors and sounds. There is no risk to being astonished if the vendors to draw your attention, call to you with an high tone of voice.

Sant'Agata festivity.
Two days (4/5 february) to celebrate the memory of Agata, saint patron of the city. The casket crosses the main streets of the city and people of all quarter pay homage to her relics. Fireworks, golden colour of the casket, grand crow of people, newsagents and may other things to impress all tourists from all over the world.
During the festivity almost one milion of people fill the centre of Catania.

Museums

1-Giovanni Verga Museum
It is the house in which the famous Sicilian writer Giovanni Verga born and died. It's a palace of XIX the century and it is made up of various atmospheres: the drawing-room, the library and the bedroom. Very interesting is the library, which conserve 2500 volumes belonged to the writer of the "Malavoglia".
Address: via Sant'Anna, 8 Catania Centre

2-Museum of the Sea
The Museum of the Sea collects tools and fishermen's nautical instruments. You can find vary types of fishing net, “fusi” used to hoist the net on the boat, containers to transport the fish captured. There are other things like amphoras for the wine transfers from the greek-roman age.
Address: Piazza Ognina, 14-17

3-Diocesans museum (Museum of sacred art)
There are nine rooms that represent several thematic like Sant' Agate and her ancient treasures of the Cathedral.
Address:via Etnea, 8

4-Museum of the Studies
A collection of documents and objects of the history and the Catania university. Her you can see pictures of illustrious university professors of Catania, and diplomas of XVII and XIX century.
Address: p.zza Università, 2

5-Museum of Sculpture in Lava Stone “Valenziano Santangelo”
What to see: sculptures in lava stone, volcanic ash and volcanic bombs. Moreover photos of natural sculptures found in Acitrezza and San Giovanni Li Cuti.

6-Historical museum of the Disembarkation in Sicily - 1943
The Museum remembers the life during the Disembarkation in Sicily. Through adequately reconstructed spaces, it proposes simulations and exposures of original exhibits.
Address: Cultural Center “Le Ciminiere”, Viale Africa

7-Museum of the Art of the Sicilian Chart
The Museum accommodates approximately 150 objects: parts of "carretto siciliano", the ancient means of carrying of the island.
Inside the museum there is also a laboratory of art to restore "carretto."
Address: via L. Capuana, 38

8-Museums of Botany
Address: via Antonino Longo, 19

9-Gallery of Modern Art
Address: Cultural Center “Le Ciminiere”, Viale Africa

10-Civic museum of Bellini
It's the house of Vincenzo Bellini with the ancient instruments of the musician
Address: p.zza S. Francesco, 3

11-Civic museum of Ursino Castle
What to see: private collections of prince Biscari and the Benedictines
Greek and Roman materials
rchaeological materials and objects of the missionaries.
Address: p.zza Federico di Svevia

12-Museum of Cinema
The museum accommodates a collection of first used spiders and travels over again a virtual tour through the world of the cinema.
Address: Cultural Center “Le Ciminiere”, Viale Africa

13-Museum of Zoology
The zoology museum includes more than 1500 exemplary such as colibrì, parrots, mammals and invertebrates.
Address: via Androne, 81

14-Museum of Mineralogy, Paleontology and Volcanology
What to see: sicilian fossils of the Paleozoico and the Mesozoico periods, collections of vegetables and molluschi fossils.
Address: corso Italia, 556-Historical museum of the Disembarkation in Sicily - 1943
The Museum remembers the life during the Disembarkation in Sicily. Through adequately reconstructed spaces, it proposes simulations and exposures of original exhibits.
Address: Cultural Center “Le Ciminiere”, Viale Africa

Catania province museums

1-The Norman castle in Paternò
The castle, date at XI century, today is well preserved thanks to several restorations .
Address: Collina Storica (Historical Hill)

2-Museum of Lava in Viagrande
Address: Via Dietro Serra, 6

3-Museum of Wine in Sant'Alfio
Address: p.zza Duomo

4-Museum of the Civilization Peasant and Craftsman in Acireale (Aci Platani)
An interesting anthropological museum
Address: via Vittorio Emanuele, 122

5-The Svevo castle in Randazzo
Dated at XIII century, the Svevo castle in past was called “Mastio” because it was a fortification. In the anciently it was the room in which there were the prisoners after they have been tortured.
Today take place the Museum of the Limbs Peasants.

6-Volcanological museum in Nicolosi
What to see: minerals, lava, volcanic bombs and science videos.
A collection of blowups describes the various eruptions of the last twenty years.

7-Museum of People of the Etna in Linguaglossa
The museum collects mainly objects and tools used in the past by ancient Etnean people. Here are rebuilt all the ancient environments disappeared.

8-Mediterranean Aquarius of Giarre in Giarre
What to see: fourteen tubs that host many sea organisms of the Mediterranean sea, coming from sandy depth, and from the abysmal sea environment.

9-The Nelson Ducea in Bronte

10-The Castle in Adrano
Site of the Archaeological regional museum.
The castle of Adrano was founded by the count Ruggero in 1070, and was built up like outpost for the conquest of the Catania plain.
Today, restored and center of the museum, it has become the most important attraction of the city.

11-The House of the Nespolo in Acitrezza
It is the house in which Giovanni Verga makes the Malavoglia reside, the family of fishermen protagonist of its novel.
What to see: -old tools used from the fishermen
-photos from the film of Luchino Visconti, the earth shakes, shot in 1948 and whose actors were the true fishermen of
Acitrezza.

12-Civic museum of Norman Castle in Acicastello
The museum of the castle is divided in 4 sections: Paleontology, Archaeology, Mineralogy, Aquarius of the Mediterranean.
Inside there is a garden with an exposure of species of plants like: begonias, roses and bouganville.
Address: p.zza Castello

Natural Attractions

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*Alcàntara Park
Between Catania and Messina provinces,along the 50 Km of Alcàntara river, this place can us live again the prehistorical life of an uncontaminated territory. The Gorges and the cold river carry us back when here an ancient river flowed on a pug bed covered by a lava cast that caused the downfall of these sediments. The result are the magnificent colonnades today visible.

Alcantara Gorges
At 1200 meters, on the slopes of the Etna, there is a little volcanic river formed by an eruption: The Alcantara river. Miles of years ago a lava eruption covered the bed of the river.
The magma, cooling off, formed prism basaltic high walls and the erosion of the river transformed it in a canyon. Between the high and black lava walls, flow limpid small lakes, cascades and small beaches. The excursion to the gorges demands approximately an hour.
In the summer months you can walk entirely the bed of the river between 50 and i 200 m.

*Etna Park

It was born on 17th march 1987.

The extent of the Park start from the summit of crater and reah the higher borders of the etna villages.

Etna is situated on a place where thousands of years ago were a gulf between Iblei and Peloritani Mounts. Thanks to the many eruptions under the sea Etna was formed, and with the years has reached the present form.

In the Etna park there is a variegated landscape: lunar scaenario of the many eruptions, woods, ancient trees and Grottos, such as Intraleo grotto (Adrano), Palombe grotto, Grotta del gelo (Ice-Freeze Grotto).

Vegetation
Vineyards, oak tree, chestnut tree.
Above 2000 m of altitude there will be beech tree and birch trees.
Between 2500 and the summit any form of life is possible, and the only scenario is the volcanic desert such as a lunar landscape.

Animals
Many animals are visible, and many other are dying out:
fox, wild cat, furetto, dormouse, hare, rabbit, weasel, bat, peregrine falcon, golden eagle, long-eared owl, hedgehog and Viper are example of the animal living on the Etna.

Activity
It's easy to walk in the park and fell the nature rinasance into the destructive scenery of the past eruptions, hear voices of animals and enjoy the peace. You can do an excursion in the paths inside the wood, or a walk until the grottos of the volcano.
Aside the classic pic nic in the pine forest, you can follow the suggestions for this itineraries:

-Piano Provenzana (in LInguaglossa territory).
Here it is possible to visit the pine forest "Ragabo", the scenario of a old lava eruption and some beech tree.
The lencht of the route is 4/5 Km and it is practicable by everyone

- Piano dell'Acqua - Monte Calanna (in Zafferana territory).
The landscape that you'll admire is the wild scenario of lava eruption that seems of being in a lunar soil.
The route's lenght of 1 Km is of a mild difficult level

One of the famous activity done by inhabitant of the Catania province is the mushrooms hand picking. For the safety of every one it is better abstaining from this activity for inexperienced persons. In fact it is possible pick up some poisonous mushroom, and the cases of poisoning are not rare.

*Nebrodi Regional Park

It is situated between Catania and Messina province
The highest summit is Soro mount (1847 m)

Attractions
Forestes, magnificent trees, its extension arrive until Maniace and Bronte with its
Pisatchio cultivation.

Lago Bivere is a magnificent natural attraction you can't lose, with its variegated flora and fauna.

*Madonie Regional Park

Vegetation: Fir tree of Madonie, oak chesnuts, beech tree.
The main paths for excursions are the three itinerary of southern, centre, northern part of the park

Also here it is possible seeing some mushroom, and its hand picking is a common activity

Natural Reserves

*Zingaro Natural Reserve (Trapani province)

Created in 1981, this wonderful area is one of the most interesting natural reserve of Sicily overlooking the Castellammare gulf.

Itineraries

Here two different itineraries are possible.
The first will consists in the visit of Naturalistic Museum, Equipped Area, Cala Capreria:

-Exhibition of local objects made by old craftsmans
-Herbarium, where all the types of veggies are preserved in the Zingaro
-Naturalistic Museum wich inside you will see all the fauna living in the reserve
-Area equipped for picnic where you can also cook.

Lenght
600 metres

The second will consists in a path near the sea with the view of Cala del Varo, Cala della Disa, Ethnographic Museum, Museum of marine Actvities:

-Specimen of dwarf Palm tree
-Water fount of Zingaro Reserve
-Ethnographic Museum containing traditional agricultural utensils. An activity that express the local folklore is the work of expert master doing different types of object by weaveing veggies fibres.
-Museum of marine Actvities will offer to you carrion-crowthe view of tolls used for fishing activity suc as the famous "Tonnara" used for tuna fish.

Lenght
6 Km

Other things worth a visit are:
-Pianello, the only artificial conifer wood attending in this natural area
-Speziale mount: from this panoramic point you can admire a large part of the reserve
-Tunnel and sunken grottos such as Colombaccio grotto, Corvina grotto, Craperia grotto, Mustia grotto and Ficarella grotto.
-Amazing is the view of the sea with its crystal-clear water and its particular fishes.
-The animals living here demonstrate how the creation of the Reserve has an important function for ecosystem. Amazing will be the view of Seagulls, Pigeons, grey Carrion-crow, Magpie, Nightingale, Hoot owl, Fox, Rabbit, Weasel

*Vendicari Natural Reserve

this magic place is situated on the Syracuse province, between Noto and Marzamemi.

The bogs of this place are useful as a break place for the migratory birds that come from Africa and are directed to other Europe places.

Landscape
-Rocky coast, sandy coast, Mediterranean scrub, bogs, salt mines, cultivated areas.

What to see
-Archaeological settlements, Necropolis
-Ruins of Byzantine period such as churches, catacombs, small houses and Necropolis
-Other hisotic symbol is the Sveva Tower, built under Pietro d'Aragona order.
-Vendicari Tonnara, a old bulding dated at XVIII century around.

Birdwatching
A particular activity to do in Vendicari is Birdwatching of that species of birds that take a break in Vendicari Reserve during their travel from Sarah to North Europe.

What kind of birds?
-Wading birds
-Storks
-Gulls
-Herons
-Cormorants

When?
The best period to do this activity is the month of December

Other animals are here visible, such as Green Toad, Biacco snake, turtles, fox, wild rabbit.

*Oasi del Simeto (Catania)

A protected area of Catania territory crossed by the longer Sicily river Simeto, that starts its route in the Nebrodi mounts.
The reserve is an ecosystem rich of fauna and flora where many interesting natural activities will accompany your visit.

The reserve was created in 1984 to preserve vegetation and animals dying out.
One of the most important thing after the institution of the reserve was the demolition of unauthorized constructions that treathened the life of flora and fauna of this area.

Description and landscape

The landascape consists in the view of dunas and pine forest immersed in a territory where sea, Simeto river and sandy beach dominate.
The flat country undergoes floods in winter and dehydration in summer, and a variegated flora and fauna will make you visit more interesting, in fact here you can admire the rare slimy soil vegetation such as wetland reed, stuoia bulrush, Lische with tight leafs.

Activity
-Birdwatching
One of the most practicable acitivity of the reserve is Birdwatching of the many birds that use this reserve such as a stage of their migration. The types of birds are Ash Heron cenerino, White Heron, Red Heron, goldfinch, chaffinch and mmany others

-Excursions
Your route will consists in a visit of the pine forest in front of the sea coast, the Gomalunga lake and the beautiful coast where Simeto ends its route. Thanks to the panorama your experience seems to be in a mediterranean paradise, an exotic and uncountaminated reserve where the green pine forest, the sea and the river encounter in a unique and amazing natural place.

How reach the reserve?
From Catania centre go the south part of the city (industrial zone), arouund 10m Km until Ponte Primosole. Here is the entrance of the reserve

Equipment
binoculars
camera
lotion against gnats
hiking boots

The right behaviour
It is better every visitor doesn't disturb the quiet of the reserve by an inadequate behaviours such as screaming, trampleing upon vegetation, bringing radios, bothering animals and dumping.

*Beaches
Sicily is the goal of who want to enjoy of the mediterranean scenario that none other place can offers.
The variegated sicilian coast wiil hit your attention offering to your the ppossibility of different types of landscape such as different types of sandy beaches and amazing rocky beaches.

Marina di Ragusa
* Marina di Modica, paradise for windsurfers
* Pozzallo, 30 km from Ragusa
* Sampieri, close to Scicli and Modica

Cefalù Some beaches of Cefalù, are:

* Salinelle, 7 km from Cefalù in Palermo direction, advised to who want to do windsurf.
* Capo Playa, 4 km from the Cefalù center.
* Mazzaforno/Ogliastrillo, 3 km from Cefalù.
* Caldura, 20 minute on foot from the historical center of Cefalù.
* S.Ambrogio, 6 km from Cefalù in Messina direction.
* Finale di Pollina, in Messina direction to approximately 12 km from the Cefalù center.

Catania

*Plaja beach (with a lengh of 25 Km in the southern part of Catania), with its many summer facilities that on night become discos the sandy beach.
*Fondachello, 25 Km in the northen part of the province
*Rocky coast of Acireale where you can visit the Timpa and its natural landscape
*Acitrezza, the fisherman villages famous for the setting of the Malavoglia Family, protagonist of the Verga's novel.

Other beaches worth a visit are Mondello in Palermo, Giardini Naxos and south Taormina

Archaeological Sites

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Marsala

The site show a gate and two towers. See also a house with rooms and mosaics dated at III BC.

-Segesta
The most magnificent find is the Doric temple immersed in a green landscape
The ancient people of Segesta asked to Annibale to destroy their main enemy Selinunte
But the distruction reache also Segesta by Agatocle in IV BC. Under Roman dominance this village revived.

See also the theatre dated at III BC. Today it is active for the shows of ancient drama.

-Erice
Another amazing site where you can admire the old walls, medieval fortress called "Venere castle" and the ruins of an ancient sanctuary dedicated to Venere Ericina dated at V-IV BC.

-Gela
In Capo Soprano there are defensive walls preserved in the Archaeological Park.
They are 350 metres, but once were probably more than 3 Km
In the Park there are ruins of some buildings of VII BCMegara Hyblaea
Other to see are the thermal bath.

-Megara Hyblaea ruins dated at VIII BC. (Syracuse)
Here it is possible to see the ruins of the old walls of the village.
Inside the walls there are the ruins of two temples.
In the Agorà are visible the ruins of the ancient civilization

-Solunto (Palermo)
An ancient punic village founded in the IV BC.
The town plane is the classic Greek one of Ippodamo da Mileto

What to see
Here it is possbile to see the base of that once could be a termal bath.
Other thing is the Way that bring to Agorà, the main square of a Greek city
Ginnasio, an ancient patrician roman house
Casa di Leda is another patrician roman house
Agorà, the main Greek square
Old Greek Theatre
The ruins of the Odeon, a small theatre for music shows.
The ruins of a Roman Villa

-Cava d'ispica (in the Ragusa province).
Here you can enjoy a splendid natural landscape consisting in a mediterranean vegetation.
The pit consists in two parts:
-The north part between Modica and Ispica is called Larderia and it is the site of catacombs of IV-V BC. An interesting thing is the inscription of the Cavallino acefaleo.
Here it is possible seeing the traces of ancient habitations, but you can't miss the amazing archaeological scenario of necropolis, the S.Maria church, two old habitation such as "Grotte Cadute" and "Castello", S Nicola church of byzantine epoch that contains old frescos such as "San Nicola" and "Madonna col Bambino". See also the ruins of the byzantine church of San Pancrati.

"Parco Forza" is the name of the second part of the pit.
The wonderful historical panorama will accompany you also in this site, where you can admire the Annunziata church that today preserves
sepulchre caves, and Scuderia Grotto. See also the rests of Marchionale palace.
Another interesting attraction is the visit of the Centoscale site, under river level, where many galleries are useful for water buildup.

-Syracuse

Syracuse is the most representative Greek colony.

What to see:
-Eurialo castle, built by Dionisio il Vecchio between the 402 and 397 BC. Ages ago this was a defensive building against carthaginian threat. The many other rulers brought about transformation to the castle.
-Greek Theatre, placed in the Temenite hill, a scenic historical demonstration of Greek civilization.
We have attestation of its existence before than V BC.
During roman epoch this wonderful attraction undergoed some transformation for typical roman shows.
-"La latomia del Paradiso" is a cave famous for its "Orecchio di Dionisio" grotto: a legend tells us that Dionisio locked his prisoners in, and from a hole in a high point of the cave he heard waht they said.
-Apollo temple. Attestation of the grandeur of Greek culture, during its long life undergoed the modification of the rules come in Sicily.
In fact this temple was modified in a byzantine church, arab mosque, and norman church.

Giardini naxos

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-Giardini naxos (Messina province)
It is the older Greek colony founded in 734 BC. From here started the colonization of the eastern part of the island.

Archaeological site
An archaic Greek settlement (VII-VI BC) with walls, ancient gates of lava rock, ruins of pagan altars, furnaces, and the rests of a small temple dated at VII BC.

In the Archaeological Museum of Giardini Naxos are preserved other finds of the settelment: ceramics of Neolithic (Stone Age) and Bronze Age, votive objects, small statues of Hera and Afrodite Appia, funerary dowry and other interesting things such as amphoras

-Patti (Messina province)
This village is situated on a pre-existing Greek-Roman area.
An important discovery is a roman villa that preserves interesting finds of IV AD such as mosaics representig animals and vegetables

-Palazzolo Acreide (Syracuse province)

The ancient Akrai was placed in a hill near Iblei Mounts and Anapo Valley, and was founded in the VII BC.
This settlements was probably a defensive village.

What to see:
-Here is visile the Acropolis with a small Greek Theatre dated at III BC
-Bouleuterion, assembly room of the ancient Senate
-Two ancient caves (Latomie) of Greek period modified by Christians in catacombs.
-Old quarters and the rests probably of a roman temple.
-Santoni, a site near Akrai where twelve rocky sculptures dated at III BC are visible.
-Ruins of an ancient temple dedicated to Afrodite

-Noto Antica ruins (Syracuse province)
The old village "Noto Antica" was situated in a different place of the present village. The old settlements was destroyed by the eartquake of 1693
What to see:
-The finds in the archaeological site consist in city walls, Agorà, Demetra temple, Demetra and Kore sanctuary (IV-VI BC)
-Rests of a Necropolises of the "Castelluccio Civilization" dated at XVII-XV BC and "Finocchito Civilization" of VIII-VII BC.
-Other finds are Carciofo Grotto (a Jewish catacomb) and "Cento Bocche Grotto" ( a byzantine catacomb)
-The ruins of the old Real Castle

Agrigento

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A striking scenario is that one of "The Valley of the Temples" (Valle dei Tempi), surely the most amazing attestation of Greek culture.

The ancient Akragas was an important colony, and its history is the attestation of important vicissitudes.

"Giove Temple"
The temple was built to remember the win against Carthaginian, and it today represents an unforgettable memory for humanity.
The most part of the building was destroyed by a new war aginst Carthaginian (V BC) and the eartquake of 1693.

Other finds are here visible: Demetra and Kore sanctuary (VI-V BC), the ruins of Dioscuri and Polluce temples (V BC).

"Tempio della Concordia" (Temple of Concordance)is the best preserved one of the zone and ovetops the valley. It is dated at V BC.
Two important transfomations undergoed this building: the first is the reconstruction of VI century AD that modified the pagan temple in a Christian House of God; in 1700 a new modification reinstated the temple.

Giunone Temple.
Similar but samller than Concordance Temple, it undergoed damages by Carthaginians (V BC) and an eartquake of Middle Ages.

See also the ruins of the ancient Ercole Temple dated at VI BC

Another archaeological find you can't miss is the Greek-Roman quarter dated at IV BC. An important thing to notice is that it is a Ippodamo di Mileto system construction.

Taormina

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A village of Greek origin situated on a rocky hill where is possible enjoying a panoramic view.

Goal of the elite groups in the past, today it remains a elite tourism resort of international famous people.

What to see

1-The amazing Greek Theatre of Taormina.
It was built in a panoramic point where is possible admire the amazing landscpae of Etna and Jonio coast.
Probably it was built by Ierone II, Syracuse Tyrant of III Century BC. An interesting thing is the incision of the name of his wife Filistide on some steps of the theatre
Many shows are nowaday are done in this construction.

2-The Ethnicanthropologic Museum (Museo Etnoantropologico) inside Corvaja Palace, where objects of sicilian art of past centuries are exposed.
An example can of these are:
-objects used for pastry making,
-the "Carretto siciliano" , the old famous sicilian means of transportation

3-Duchi di Santo Stefano Palace

4-Badia Vecchia Palace, dated at XIV Century.
Inside you can admire a museum with some interesting finds such as three amphoras of roman and greek ages.

5-IX APRILE square, where you can admire Clock tower built on XII Century.

6-Porta Messina and Porta Catania(Messina Gate and Catania Gate), the access gates of the centre of the city.
This constructions are joined by the main central street Corso Umberto I, that was traced out the roman road Via Valeria to connect Catania to Messina.

7-Villa comunale, the green park of Taormina.Taormina

What to do
Taormina offers to you a variegated night-life with many discos and restaurant where tasting sicilian food.

The classic thing to do is a walk on Corso Umberto I that connect the two acces gates and enjoy of the medieval scenario well preserved in Taormina

The atmosphere that you can breath is that Taormina seems "only tourists place", for the scary numbers of people that crowd the centre and the seaside.

It is very difficult encounter people of the place, and tourists of all over the world walk through the streets to photograph this ancient village.

Don't miss the splendid experience of south Taormina, one of the most amazing sicilian summer resort.
The most famous attracion is Isola Bella (Bella island), an island on the seaside of Taormina frequented by a large number of foreign tourists.

Landscape
Amazing is the contrast between the ancient building and the light and colour of a nightlife resort.
See also the pamorama of IX Aprile square, where all the jonic coast is visible. It is possible also see the panorama by a telescope just paying with a coin of Euro.
From here it is possible to see the northen flank of Etna.

How reach Taormina
-If you come from Catania or Messina along the Highway Messina-Catania exit for Taormina. Climb up for 2 Km and you'll arrived.
-The main airport near Taormina is Catania airport Fontanarossa (65 Km)
-By train is another possibility. In case you'll arrive to Giardini-Taormina station, in the low part of the village

Worth a visit
* Palazzo Corvaja

Palazzo Corvaja was realized during the Arabic domination in Taormina.
The palace was realized in the beginnings of 1400 in order to allow the reunions of the first sicilian Parliament of 1411. Currently Palazzo Corvaja is the center of the "Etno-anthropological" Museum in which are exposed objects of the arts and traditions of the XVI and the XIX centuries.

Food

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Sicily is well known all over the world for its unmistakable local food.
After different influences by past rulers, the cuisin of the island has reached high level of pefection.
Greek and Arab lessons flowed togheter in an unique fantastic unit, but this doesn't mean that aren't differences in the different part of the island. In fact all the cities and villages has varieties of food that you can't find in the other part. An example is the famous Arancino, made with rise and fried, but while in Catania it is joined with ragout or pistachio sausace, in Palermo it is joined with ricotta cheese.
You have to taste the famous Pasta alla Norma, a Catania specialty made with aubergine and salty ricotta cheese.
You if are a pasta lover you can't miss Pasta con le sarde, a Palermo meal.

Also the Sicily's pastries worth a taste: you can taste cannoli with ricotta cheese, chocolate, cream, pistachio cream. Or tatste also
Cassata, ice cream, and Sicilian Granita at chocolate, almond, lemon tastes with croissant.

Food and History encounter in an unique experience when we talk about Modica chocolate. This specialty is made by an ancient Atech recipe bruoght here by spanish. The cocoa and sugar are not mixed to form a unit, but joined so you can distinguish their tastes separately

Caponata, a tasty salad made with eggplant (aubergines), olives, capers and celery, makes a great appetizer.

Sfincione is a local form of pizza made with tomatoes, onions and (sometimes) anchovies. Prepared on a thick bread and more likely found in a bakery than in a pizzeria, sfincione is good as a snack or appetizer.

Panella is a thin paste made of crushed or powdered ceci (garbanzo) beans and served fried. Maccu is a creamy soup made from the same bean. Crocché (croquet) are fried potato dumplings made with cheese, parsley and eggs. Arancine are fried rice balls stuffed with meat or cheese.

Sicily is renowned for its seafood. Grilled swordfish is popular. Smaller fish, especially snapper, is sometimes prepared in a vinegar and sugar sauce. Seppia (cuttlefish) is served in its own black sauce with pasta. Another Sicilian seafood dish made with pasta is finnochio con sarde (fennel with sardines).

Crispelle di riso, rice soped up in honey and fried.

Pasta con Pistachio, a Bronte specialty consisting in pasta with cream of pistachio sausace.

Pantalica

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-Pantalica

Pantalica is an archaeological site (424 m sl) on Iblei mounts in the province of Syracuse included on UNESCO World heritage list togheter with the city of Syracuse.

Amazing is the view of the Necropolis dated at Bronze Age, where you can see over than 5,000 tombs cut into the rock.

This place is one of the most important attestation of the ancient civilization of the island.

What to see:
-Filiporto Necropolis dated around IX-VIII BC

-North-West Necropolis dated around XII-XI BC

-Cavetta Necropolis dated around IX-VIII BC

-North Necropolis dateed around XII-XI BC

Another thing to see is Anaktoron palace, the remains of an ancient palace dated around XII-XI BC.

From this height you can admire an amazing panorama: Anapo river, classic vegetation of the place and valleys of Iblei mounts. But don't lose the view of wood with plane tree, willow tree and poplar.

Morgantina

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-Morgantina

This archeological site is near Aidone, in Enna province.
The ruins are the attestation of an old important city under Greek and Roman dominances.
The archaeological finds are of XIII century BC

What to see:

-Agorà placed up two levels joined by a stair. Here are visible the ruins that attest the old life of this site, in fact you can admire the old walls of the roman workshops, a sanctuary, a public granary, and the rests of an ancient market.
If you want to complete your knowledge of this finds, you can't miss to pay a visit to the Aidone Museum, where many other of these are preserved.

Caltagirone

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*Caltagirone
Once the location of a Saracen fortress, this high mountain town was rebuilt following the earthquake of 1693. As happened for Catania and Noto, also the caltagirone architecture is made of a baroque style.
It is famous for its ceramic art. In fact, Sicilians refer to the "Caltagirone style" in ceramic pottery, characterized by ornate traditional motifs using a limited palette.

Piazza Armerina

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*Piazza Armerina

Founded during the Norman era, its historical quarter has some beautiful churches, including a Baroque cathedral, and a preserved fortress (Spinelli Castle), but most visitors come here to see the Roman Villa, with its magnificent mosaics. Depicting scenes from daily life, such as hunting, the mosaics are as remarkable for their sociological value as for their artistic value.
The "Villa del Casale" was built between 330 and 360 AD.

The remains of another village, Sofiana, ancient Proedium Philosophianum, have been discovered about 6 kilometers south of the villa. This includes baths, as well as Roman and Byzantine cemeteries and the vestiges of a Paleo Christian church.

-Villa Romana del Casale, dated at III-IV centuries during Costantino's emperor.
Inwards many mosaics represent chase scenes and characters of mythology.
The most interesting rooms inside: that one that contains a decoration of Orfeo playing the zither, and the room that contains mosaics that represents "La Grande Caccia" (The Great Chase).

Selinunte

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-Selinunte
The ancient Greek name Sèlinon meant a smelling wild parsley that grew in that territory.
Founded in VII BC, Selinunte knew a short life.
Storic enemy of the neighboring Segesta, was destroyed by Annibale in V BC: more than fithy thousand of people were killed.
Annibale destroyed also temples and walls of the village.
Selinunte lived until the second punic war, when it was completely destroyed

Archaeological Ruins

An amazing landscape is joined to the view of a splendid coast.

The site is divided in three zones

-The first include three temples, dated at V BC.
"E" temple is the first, dedicated ot Hera, it is dated at V BC.
"F" temple probably dedicated to Athena
"G" temple was the bigger, dedicated probably to Apollo. Today only some ruins are preserved.

-The second is the Acropolis. Here is the place where once was the ancient village of Selinunte, with buildings and streets surrounded by city walls.

-The third include other temples. Here are the ruins of the more ancient Selinunte temple dedicated to Apollo or Eracle, dated at VI BC.
Here are visible the ruins of "A" temple and "C" temple. This one was dedicated to Apollo or Eracle and it is the oldest temple of the site.