Probably by plane you will land in the Sicilian capital. So know that the cathedrals of Cefalù (A) and Monreale (B) together with the cathedral of Santa Vergine Maria Assunta in Palermo (C), the Palazzo dei Normanni (D), the
chapel Palatina (E), the Zisa (F) , the Admiral bridge (G) and the churches of San Giovanni degli Eremiti (H), Martorana (I) and San Cataldo (J) form the incredible Arab-Norman route, which is the most recent Italian jewel now part of the Humanity World Heritage since 2015.
The fascinating and beautiful mosaics, the mosques transformed into churches, the mixture of architectural genres derived from the Arab domination and later the Norman one, created characteristic buildings.
If you land by plane in Catania, you can’t miss the volcanic complex (K). The millenary mountain site have an incalculable value from the scientific point of view, but Etna has also influenced the mythology and culture of the island, in addition to its geography.
Taking a ride on the cableway you can visit the authorized crater areas, at three thousand meters high.
The eight cities - Caltagirone (L), Militello in Val di Catania (M), Catania (N), Modica (O), Noto (P), Palazzolo (Q), Ragusa (R) and Scicli (S) – are some way part of a reconstruction that happened after the earthquake in 1693, according to the baroque style of that time. The churches and buildings built on that occasion created a real style, the Sicilian baroque, which was meant to have a rich decoration, as can be seen by admiring for example the church of San Giorgio in Ragusa or the Duomo of Catania.
Okay, it's in the middle of the island and therefore far from the sea, but it's worth it. This amazing house (T) was only discovered in 1950, but it was built around the middle of the 4th century.
The element that stands out for its beauty is the mosaic figurative flooring, created by different artists and present in many rooms of the structure, for a total of 3500 square meters that describe mythological stories and Homeric poems, as well as scenes of life in society of the Roman elite and of rural contexts.
In Agrigento, a city on the western coast of Sicily, you’ll find the largest archaeological park (U) in the world, 1300 hectares of land that offer visitors the remains of ten Doric temples marvelously preserved over time, as well as various necropolis and three sanctuaries , built around the fifth century B.C. You will immediately notice that the Temple of Concordia is in perfect condition, and the columns of what was the Temple of Juno, as well as those of the Temple of Hercules and of the others, are certainly suggestive, impressive remembrance of the settlement of the Greeks coming from Crete and Rhodes, which, in 580 BC, founded Akragas, today Agrigento. Spend at least one afternoon, if not a full day, to enjoy the near beach.
From the largest, Lipari (V), to the smallest, Panarea (W), each of these seven islands - the others: Vulcano (X), Stromboli (Y), Salina (Z), Alicudi (a) and Filicudi ( b) - are characterized by a wild and uncontaminated nature. But what makes them special is their "eruptive" nature: in Stromboli and Vulcano there are two active volcanoes, studied by scientists from all over the world. Salina was the famous movie set "Il Postino", Alicudi and Filicudi are destinations for incredible scuba diving, Panarea is renowned for its nightlife, Lipari is home to architectural wonders and equally formidable beaches, Vulcano is perfect to indulge in treatments based on therapeutic mud and finally in Stromboli the lucky ones can admire the Sciara del Fuoco, the impressive lava flow from the very active volcano that descends to the sea.
Cicero called it the most beautiful city of Magna Graecia, and certainly the historic center of Syracuse (c), with the magnificent Amphitheater, the remains of the temples, the Castle of Maniace and its baroque churches, to name just a few of the wonders of the place, have the right to wear this compliment. The Necropolis of Pantalica (d) instead, dating back to the 12th century BC, prove the passage from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age.
