Palermo was founded by Phoenicians who sailed there from their native Carthage. Cheap flats in Ragusa The Greeks colonized the whole island, leaving some of the most beautiful and best-preserved temples they ever built at Agrigento, Selinunte and Segesta. Egadi Islands Tours and Excursions. Around those glorious sites they planted Sicily's first olive trees and grape vines. Farmhouses in Acireale Traces of the Roman period in Sicily can be found in the amphitheatres at Taormina and Siracusa, as well as in that city's Christian catacombs. But perhaps Rome's most lasting (and infamous) contribution to the island came in fostering the great land ownerships which eventually impoverished the peasantry and led, many centuries later, to the founding of secret societies aimed at destroying the fabulously wealthy landlords. Egadi Islands Tours and Excursions. In Palermo, these groups were known as mafia. Cheap accommodation in Acitrezza  

As elsewhere in the Roman Empire, the Romans were replaced by the Vandals and the Ostrogoths, who demolished far more than they built (one rare example is the villa of Piazza Armerina) and were swept away by the Byzantines. Cheap accommodation in Erice The Arabs who followed them moved the capitol from Siracusa to Palermo, renamed most of the existing towns, and planted the first carobs, date-palms, citrus trees, jasmines and melons. Egadi Islands Tours and Excursions. The Normans took over in 1061. Egadi Islands Tours and Excursions They tore down almost all signs of Arab culture. Trapani Accommodation They brought the island to a new level of prosperity and planted a different kind of seed, still visible today in the blonde and red tresses of many Sicilians. Egadi Islands Tours and Excursions. It is to the Normans that we owe the most spectacular of Sicily's architectural treasures. Hostels in Eolie Aeolian Islands From the cathedrals of Cefalù, Messina and Monreale to Palermo's Zisa and Cuba, the churches of San Giovanni degli Eremiti, San Cataldo and the Martorana. Under the realm of Frederick II, the Swabian king, Sicily became one of the centers of the Western world, and perhaps it is not surprising that the principal architectural endeavors of this era. These lasted only from 1220 to 1250, were of a military nature, such as the castles in Siracusa, Catania and Salemi. Egadi Islands Tours and Excursions. When Frederick died in 1250, his successor Manfred was murdered by the ruthless Charles of Anjou, whose French allies streamed into the island and established a new aristocracy so despised that it led to the popular uprising called the Sicilian Vespers. Last minute accommodation Campo Bello di Mazara Eventually, in 1302, the French gave way to the Aragonese (part of the same dynasty which sponsored Christopher Columbus), who dominated until 1734. Egadi Islands Tours and Excursions. The aristocracy created during this realm left their magnificent homes, such as Palermo's Palazzo Sclafani and Palazzo Chiaramonte, scattered all over the island. Calendar of events in Marsala The Aragonese clergy, while wielding the heavy arm of the Inquisition, effectively conspired to keep almost all artistic traces of the Renaissance out of the island.

The Aeolian Islands off the coast at Milazzo are well worth a visit. Egadi Islands Tours and Excursions Mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey and thought to be the home of Aeolus (the god of the wind) by the ancient Greeks, they offer spectacular volcanic scenery and fine beaches. Egadi Islands Tours and Excursions. The island of Lipari is the most developed. Agritourism in Cefalu Sample some of the island’s sweet white Malvasia wine while here. Head for Taormina – Sicily’s most picturesque town. Panarea Accomodation Its magnificent setting on a terrace of Monte Tauro overlooking the sea and its views of Mt Etna have long made it a top tourist destination. Egadi Islands Tours and Excursions. The town was an important centre for trade and art through successive Roman, Norman, Spanish and French rules. Booking Hotels Ustica

Egadi Islands Tours and Excursions