Sicily 2011

Places & Attractions

• 1 Marsala, Italy Aug 28, 2011 - Sep 5, 2011

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  The town is situated on the Mediterranean coast, in the south-western side of Sicily. It lies on the road between Trapani and Mazara del Vallo. It is best known as the source of Marsala wine.

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• 2 Calatafimi-Segesta, Italy Aug 31, 2011

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  High up in a mountainous area towards the west of Sicily is the beautiful and frankly magical Segesta archaeological complex. Segesta was originally founded by the Elymian people, one of the native people of Sicily. They later integrated with the Greeks, making Segesta an important Classical town.

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• 3 Erice, Italy Aug 31, 2011

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  Erice is a historic town and comune in the province of Trapani in Sicily, Italy. Erice is located on top of Mount Erice, at around 750m above sea level, overlooking the city of Trapani, the low western coast towards Marsala, the dramatic Punta del Saraceno and Capo san Vito to the north-east, and the Aegadian Islands on Sicily's north-western coast, providing spectacular views.

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• 4 Monreale, Italy Aug 30, 2011

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  Monreale is a town and comune in the province of Palermo, in Sicily, Italy, on the slope of Monte Caputo, overlooking the very fertile valley called "La Conca d'oro" (the Golden Shell), famed for its orange, olive and almond trees, the produce of which is exported in large quantities. The town is located 15 km south of Palermo.
  The Cathedral of Monreale is one of the greatest extant examples of Norman architecture in the world. It was begun in 1174 by William II, and in 1182 the church, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, was, by a bull of Pope Lucius III, elevated to the rank of a metropolitan cathedral.
  The church is a national monument of Italy and one of the most important attractions of Sicily.

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• 5 Palermo, Italy Aug 30, 2011

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  Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old. Palermo is located in the northwest of the island of Sicily, right by the Gulf of Palermo in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

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• 6 Mondello, Italy Aug 30, 2011

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  Mondello is a small seaside resort with a wonderful beach just a short bus ride from the centre of the Sicilian capital Palermo.

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• 7 Sferracavallo, Italy Aug 30, 2011

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  Sferracavallo is a small seaside village in the suburbs of Palermo which lies between Mount Billiemi and Pizzo Santa Margherita. One of the particularities of Sferracavallo are the numerous restaurants located along the seaside promenade. These restaurants offer a rich menu of local fresh fish.

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• 8 Agrigento, Italy Sep 1, 2011

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  Agrigento is a medium-sized city on the south coast of Sicily, Italy, famous for its Greek Valley of Temples. The Valley of Temples is an archaeological site in Agrigento (ancient Greek Akragas), Sicily, southern Italy. It is one of the most outstanding examples of Greater Greece art and architecture, and is one of the main attractions of Sicily as well as a national monument of Italy. The area was included in the UNESCO Heritage Site list in 1997. The term "valley" is a misnomer, the site being located on a ridge outside the town of Agrigento.

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• 9 Ragusa, Italy Sep 1, 2011

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  The city has two distinct areas, the lower and older town of Ragusa Ibla, and the higher Ragusa Superiore (Upper Town). The two halves are separated by the Valle dei Ponti, a deep ravine crossed by four bridges.
  Ragusa is one of the most picturesque towns in Sicily. The view from the upper town over Ragusa Ibla on its own separate hilltop is quite breathtaking. One of the UNESCO-listed Baroque towns of south-eastern Sicily.

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• 10 Noto, Italy Sep 1, 2011

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  Situated in the south-eastern corner of Sicily, Noto is famous for its Baroque architecture, and since 2002 it has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site 'Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto'.
  Generally listed as one of the 'must-see' tourist attractions of this part of Sicily, Noto is a pleasant and attractive little town, with a historic centre that is composed almost entirely of crumbling Baroque palaces, churches and houses. The town's striking architectural coherence is due to the major earthquake that struck Sicily in 1693. The old town of Noto was almost completely destroyed, and it was decided to to reconstruct a splendid new town several miles away. Thus Noto was rebuilt on its present site, carefully designed for functionality and architectural harmony.

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• 11 Monte Etna, Italy Sep 2, 2011

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  Mount Etna is an active volcano on the east coast of Sicily, close to Messina and Catania. It is the largest volcano in Europe, currently standing about 10991 ft (3350 m) high, though it should be noted that this varies with summit eruptions (the mountain is 71 ft (21,6 m) lower now than it was in 1865). It is the highest mountain in Italy south of the Alps. Etna covers an area of 460 square miles (1190 km²). This makes it by far the largest of the three active volcanos in Italy, being nearly three times the height of the next largest, Mount Vesuvius.
  
  Mount Etna is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and is in an almost constant state of eruption. Although it can occasionally be very destructive, it is not generally regarded as being particularly dangerous, and thousands of people live on its slopes and in the surrounding areas. The fertile volcanic soils support extensive agriculture, with vineyards and orchards spread across the lower slopes of the mountain and the broad Plain of Catania to the south.
  
  

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• 12 Giardini Naxos, Italy Sep 2, 2011

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  Giardini Naxos is a comune in the Province of Messina on the island of Sicily in Italy. It is situated on the coast of the Ionian Sea on a bay which lies between Cape Taormina and Cape Schisò. Today it is a popular seaside-resort.

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• 13 Taormina, Italy Sep 2, 2011

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  Taormina is a comune and small town on the east coast of the island of Sicily, Italy, in the Province of Messina, about midway between Messina and Catania. Taormina has been a very popular tourist destination since the 19th century. The present town of Taormina occupies the ancient site, on a lofty hill which forms the last projecting point of the mountain ridge that extends along the coast from Cape Pelorus to this point. The site of the old town is about 250 m above the sea, while a very steep and almost isolated rock, crowned by a Saracen castle, rises about 150 m higher. But by far the most remarkable monument remaining at Taormina is the Ancient theatre, which is one of the most celebrated ruins in Sicily, on account both of its remarkable preservation and of the surpassing beauty of its situation.

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• 14 Isola Bella, Italy Sep 2, 2011

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  Isola Bella is a small island near Taormina, Sicily, southern Italy. Also known as The Pearl of the Ionian Sea, it is located within a small bay on the Ionian Sea; it was a private property until 1990, when it was bought by the Region of Sicily, being turned into a nature reserve, administrated by the Italian branch of the World Wide Fund for Nature. There is a narrow path that often connects the island to the mainland beach. The island has a small and rather rocky beach which is a popular destination for sunbathers.

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• 15 Siracusa, Italy Sep 3, 2011

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  Syracuse is a historic city in Sicily, the capital of the province of Syracuse. The city is notable for its rich Greek history, culture, amphitheatres, architecture, and as the birthplace of the preeminent mathematician and engineer Archimedes. This 2,700-year-old city played a key role in ancient times, when it was one of the major powers of the Mediterranean world. Syracuse is located in the southeast corner of the island of Sicily, right by the Gulf of Syracuse next to the Ionian Sea.
  In the modern day, the city is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site along with the Necropolis of Pantalica.

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• 16 Caltagirone, Italy Sep 3, 2011

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  Caltagirone is one of the most lively Baroque towns in central Sicily. It’s known in Italy as “The city of Sicilian ceramics” due to its thousand-year-old tradition. The name itself – Caltagirone – derives from an Arabic word meaning the Castle or Fortress of the vases. Ceramic is everywhere in Caltagirone, strictly combined with architectural works: in ancient and modern buildings, churches, monuments, parks and squares.
  The main landmark of the city is the 142-step monumental Staircase of Santa Maria del Monte.
  
  Caltagirone ceramics have been used for centuries to decorate parks and churches, streets and squares. The typical colours of local pottery, sage green and yellow, are the colours of Sicily itself, of its sun and breathtaking beauty.
  A visit to the Regional Museum of Ceramics is a must to appreciate the artistic value of Sicilian pottery and its evolution over the centuries.
  Caltagirone is definitely worth a visit. You’ll be able to enjoy its lively traditions, folklore and beautiful buildings. Not to mention the great Sicilian food and wine.
  In order to protect its beautiful Baroque building and churches, the city has been inserted together with the surrounding territory in an area protected by the UNESCO World Heritage program.

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• 17 Lentini, Italy Sep 2, 2011 - Sep 3, 2011

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  Lentini is a town and commune in the Province of Syracuse, southeast Sicily (southern Italy).

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• 18 Enna, Italy Sep 4, 2011

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  Enna is a city and comune located roughly at the center of Sicily, southern Italy, in the province of Enna, towering above the surrounding countryside. It has earned the nicknames "belvedere" (panoramic viewpoint) and "ombelico" (navel) of Sicily. At 931m above sea level, Enna is the highest Italian province capital.

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• 19 Cefalù, Italy Sep 4, 2011

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  Cefalù is a popular tourist resort on Sicily's northern coast, beside the Tyrrhenian sea, with a sandy beach, and an appealing old town

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• 20 Castellammare del Golfo, Italy Sep 4, 2011

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  Castellammare del Golfo is a town and comune in the Trapani Province of Sicily. The name is roughly translated "Sea- Fortress (castle (on the) sea) of the Gulf", deriving from the medieval fortress in the harbor.

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• 21 Mazara del Vallo, Italy Sep 4, 2011

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  Mazara del Vallo is a town and comune in southwestern Sicily, Italy, which lies mainly on the left bank at the mouth of the Mazaro river, administratively part of the province of Trapani. It is an agricultural and fishing centre and its port gives shelter to the largest fishing fleet in Italy.

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