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Palermo was founded by Phoenicians who sailed there from their native Carthage. Piazza Armerina Agriturismo The Greeks colonized the whole island, leaving some of the most beautiful and best-preserved temples they ever built at Agrigento, Selinunte and Segesta. Hostels in Caltanissetta. Around those glorious sites they planted Sicily's first olive trees and grape vines. Cheap hostels in Catania 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. Hostels in Caltanissetta. In Palermo, these groups were known as mafia. Lipari Agriturismo

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. Flats in Ustica 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. Hostels in Caltanissetta. The Normans took over in 1061. Hostels in Caltanissetta They tore down almost all signs of Arab culture. Hotels Eolie Aeolian Islands 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. Hostels in Caltanissetta. It is to the Normans that we owe the most spectacular of Sicily's architectural treasures. Cheap Ustica Hotels 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. Hostels in Caltanissetta. 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. Cheap guesthouses Eolie Aeolian Islands Eventually, in 1302, the French gave way to the Aragonese (part of the same dynasty which sponsored Christopher Columbus), who dominated until 1734. Hostels in Caltanissetta. The aristocracy created during this realm left their magnificent homes, such as Palermo's Palazzo Sclafani and Palazzo Chiaramonte, scattered all over the island. Last minute holidays Sicily 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.

Hostels in Caltanissetta Sicily, a beautiful island located in the Mediterranean Sea, with its rich natural heritage, represents one of the most interesting tourist destinations. Hostels in Caltanissetta. Sun, blue sea, and beaches, are the natural attractions of a place full of history and culture. Celebrated throughout the centuries by writers and poets, who have spread its fame from ancient times up to the present. Discount accommodation Lipari You must Visit Taormina. Founded by the Greeks on the promontory of the Tauro Mountain, Taormina is one of the jewels of Sicily. Hostels in Acitrezza Dominated from Etna and to lean over on the sea. Panarea Accommodation Famous for his Greek Roman Theater from which there is such a feeling of being suspended between the sea and the sky. Hostels in Caltanissetta. Taormina is a tourist and pleasant town which leaves an unforgettable memory to whoever arrives in Sicily. Panarea Accommodation

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