Begin your Sicilian odyssey in its capital city - Palermo. 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. Diving holidays Capo Di Orlando Today Palermo has an air of faded grandeur and an unrivalled display of Norman art and architecture and Baroque churches. History of Acireale. 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. Greek remains Caltanissetta Don’t miss the magnificent 12th century Norman cathedral at Monreale, 8 kilometres southwest of the city. The inside of the cathedral is covered in breathtakingly glittering mosaics.  

Palermo was founded by Phoenicians who sailed there from their native Carthage; the Greeks colonized the whole island, leaving some of the most beautiful and best-preserved temples they ever built at Agrigento, Selinunte and Segesta. History of Acireale. Around those glorious sites they planted Sicily's first olive trees and grape vines. Entertainment in Caltanissetta 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. History of Acireale. In Palermo, these groups were known as mafia. Driving Holidays Acireale

History of Acireale