Visit My-Sicily.com for Sicily Hotels, Holidays and Car Hire.

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. Places of interest in Messina 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. Lipari Villa Rentals. The Normans took over in 1061. Lipari Villa Rentals They tore down almost all signs of Arab culture. Capo D Orlando lodging 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. Lipari Villa Rentals. It is to the Normans that we owe the most spectacular of Sicily's architectural treasures. Car Hire Catania 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. Lipari Villa Rentals. 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. Discount hotels Marsala Eventually, in 1302, the French gave way to the Aragonese (part of the same dynasty which sponsored Christopher Columbus), who dominated until 1734. Lipari Villa Rentals. The aristocracy created during this realm left their magnificent homes, such as Palermo's Palazzo Sclafani and Palazzo Chiaramonte, scattered all over the island. Camping and Caravan sites in Enna 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.

Ironically, the earthquake that devastated the southeastern provinces in 1693 became the springboard for Sicily's most glorious period, the baroque. Campo Bello di Mazara villas It gleams in the cities and towns of Palermo, Catania, Siracusa, Ragusa, Noto, Comiso, Scicli and dozens more, all of which had to be rebuilt from the ground up. Cheap guesthouses Piazza Armerina After the Aragonese, Sicily passed briefly into the hands of the Austrians, to be willingly rescued in 1734 by the Bourbons of Spain, whose throne was actually located in Naples. Lipari Villa Rentals. During one forced exile in Palermo, the Bourbon king Ferdinand's wife Maria Carolina (sister of Marie Antoinette) built La Favorita. , A magnificent refuge in which to hide from the subjects she thoroughly loathed. Discount accommodation Panarea Sicily remained in Bourbon hands until 1861, when unification created the Kingdom of Italy.

Begin your Sicilian odyssey in its capital city - Palermo. Lipari Villa Rentals 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. Marsala Villa Rentals Today Palermo has an air of faded grandeur and an unrivalled display of Norman art and architecture and Baroque churches. Lipari Villa Rentals. 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. Discount accommodation Acireale Don’t miss the magnificent 12th century Norman cathedral at Monreale, 8 kilometres southwest of the city. Car Hire Sant Agata Militello The inside of the cathedral is covered in breathtakingly glittering mosaics.

Car Hire Campo Bello di Mazara
Eolie Aeolian Islands Car Hire
Self catering accommodation Eolie Aeolian Islands
Lampedusa Tours and Excursions
Erice Hotels