Begin your Sicilian odyssey in its capital city - Palermo. Giardini Naxos Map Spectacularly situated along a wide sweep of bay at the foot of Monte Pellegrino, Palermo was the wealthiest and most magnificent city in Europe in the 12th century. Sciacca Accommodation Today Palermo has an air of faded grandeur and an unrivalled display of Norman art and architecture and Baroque churches. Giardini Naxos Map. Stroll along the Via Roma and Via Maqueda in the heart of the old town and get a sense of what Palermo is all about. Panarea Accomodation Don’t miss the magnificent 12th century Norman cathedral at Monreale, 8 kilometres southwest of the city. Licata Accommodation The inside of the cathedral is covered in breathtakingly glittering mosaics.  

Giardini Naxos Map Among the areas not to be missed are Agrigento (to see the Valley of the Temples); Acireale (to see puppets); Taormina (a unique beautiful town perched on cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean); and Mt. Etna (10 902 ft/3 323 m) an active volcano on the east coast—its crater is difficult to reach so bring a guide and dress warmly. Diving Centres Dive Sites and Schools Caltanissetta In April 1987 two people were killed when Mt. Etna erupted. Although it can erupt at any time — most recently in January 1992 — deadly incidents aren’t common. Giardini Naxos Map. There’s good winter skiing with great ocean views from the mountain; drive the 120 mi/200 km around its base to see a wide variety of scenery. Diving Centres Dive Sites and Schools Segesta Among the ancient Greek and Roman ruins on the island are the Taormina Greek theatre and San Domenico Monastery near Messina the Greek theater. Discount hotels Ragusa In Syracuse the 5th-century BC Temple of Concord in Agrigento and the Casale Armerina (a jewel of a Roman villa with wonderful mosaics) in the town of Piazza Armerina near Enna. Giardini Naxos Map. It’s also possible to visit the Pantelleria Islands, the Pelagian Islands and the Aeolian Islands from Sicily. Hotels Segesta There’s enough there to keep one busy for eight days.

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. Tourist Information office centre Marsala 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. Giardini Naxos Map. The Normans took over in 1061. Giardini Naxos Map They tore down almost all signs of Arab culture. Hotel Reservations Marsala 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. Giardini Naxos Map. It is to the Normans that we owe the most spectacular of Sicily's architectural treasures. Palermo Villa Rentals 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. Giardini Naxos Map. 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. Farmhouses in Lampedusa Eventually, in 1302, the French gave way to the Aragonese (part of the same dynasty which sponsored Christopher Columbus), who dominated until 1734. Giardini Naxos Map. The aristocracy created during this realm left their magnificent homes, such as Palermo's Palazzo Sclafani and Palazzo Chiaramonte, scattered all over the island. Sicily holiday packages 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.

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