www.Sicily-Traveller.com - Itineraries

Sicily's hidden treasures

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Even on an Island like Sicily, until the arrival of automobiles there were entire populations who had never seen so much as a glimpse of the sea. This was so for the Sicilians who lived inland, in cities like Enna, often referred to as the "umbilical of Sicily" due to its central position, or Caltanissetta, the economy of which for centuries has relied on sulfur mining.

Ceramics form the basis of the economy of another well-known Sicilian city, situated far from the island's coastline. In Caltagirone even the houses are faced with colorful majolica and its shops filled with every genre of ceramic container and ornament. The most famous of the city's buildings is the Church of Santa Maria del Monte, the entrance of which is preceded by a breathtaking flight of 142 majolica-tiled steps. The tiles have been painted to illustrate the principal events in the history of Sicily, from the arrival of the Arabs to the modern day. The monumental flight of steps is the focus of two...

Sicilian Baroque

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0200

A journey discovering the intimate soul of Sicily, an island where heartfelt sentiments and firmly held beliefs find their ultimate expression within the most theatrical of baroque edifices. This whirlwind tour of 18th century Sicily, takes us from Noto to Ragusa, visiting any number of elaborately decorated churches and palazzi, the ornately carved facades of which, at sunset, blush a delicate shade of pink.

Our adventure begins in Noto, the capital of Sicilian Baroque, and in the city's principal square, Piazza Municipio: an authentic treasure chest brimming with baroque jewels. The piazza is dominated by the Cathedral: an immense edifice preceded by a magnificent flight of steps. Other important works of architecture facing onto the piazza, are the Palazzo Ducezio, Palazzo Landolina, Palazzo Vescovile and the Church of San Domenico, this latter built by Rosario Gagliardi, the Siracusa-born architect responsible for many of the baroque masterpieces in the area. San Francesco...

Sicilian islands

Wed, 13 May 2009 00:00:00 +0200

From the sea, Palazzo Florio is visible long before we reach the Island of Favignana where it was built, in the distant 1874. The building was constructed by the influential Sicilian industrialist Ignazio Florio, soon after his coming in to possession of the Egadi islands and Favignana's tuna fisheries. Until the tourist boom, the economy of the island was based on tuna fishing and tuff quarrying and, to this very day, from the bay of Cala Rossa, signs of where the great blocks of tuff were extracted from the rock can still be seen. One of the best ways of exploring Favignana is by boat, sailing past the island's many spectacular seacaves and the enchanting bays of Cala Azzurra, Cala Rotonda and Cala Grande.

A particularly fertile island where now extinct volcanoes once regularly erupted, Pantelleria is famous for its passito wine, capers and dammusi (the islanders' traditional low stone dwellings). The Specchio di Venere, testifies to the geological activity of the island and has...

Under the watchful eye of Etna

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0200

A journey in the company of Mount Etna, the volcano which rises up above the city of Catania and gazes out over the sea of Taormina. The much-traveled writer Guy de Maupassant described this part of eastern Sicily as "a landscape in which it is possible to find all that which has ever been made to seduce the eyes, the mind, the imagination". In fact, if Taormina's beaches never fail to enrapture lovers of the sea, the historic center enamors both those wishing to visit the city's many historic edifices and those eager to indulge in some serious shopping.

A city which for decades been attracting all the major protagonists of Italy's dolce vita and the international jet set, Taormina is the perfect spot for a little celebrity watching. For those who would rather admire the many ancient monuments in the historic center than the movie stars, our tour commences with the splendid Greek Theater, used in Roman times as stage for every genre of raucous entertainment, including...

Wind and fire: the essences of the Aeolian Islands

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 00:00:00 +0200

Lipari, Vulcano, Panarea, Stromboli, Salina, Alicudi, and Filicudi: the names of the splendid islands of volcanic origin which together form the Aeolian or Lipari archipelago, a territory which falls under the jurisdiction of the province of Messina. A few numbers: twenty towns, 4 districts, a population of 12.000, a total surface area of 115 square kilometers. The best way to reach the islands is to take a ferry boat or hydrofoil from Milazzo, the closest port. An alternative route is that from Palermo to Salina, with stops available at both Alicudi and Filicudi. Boats also depart from Naples for Stromboli, Panarea, Salina, Lipari, Vulcano and Milazzo. The islands are perfect to explore by boat.

Our journey across the archipelago starts on the largest of the islands, that of Lipari, located between Salina and Vulcano. The towns of Canneto and Acquacalda are situated by the coast whilst Pianoconte and Quattropani are located on the mountainside. The town of Lipari is situated...

The sea beyond the strait of Messina

Tue, 15 May 2007 00:00:00 +0200

For those arriving from the Italian main land, Messina is the first place they will see; the native city of Antonello, considered to be one of the greatest masters of 15th century Italian painting. In the Peloritano Museum, his San Gregorio Polyptic is conserved. Among the other works housed in the museum, one also finds the 'Adoration of the Shepherds' and the 'Resurrection of Lazarus' by Caravaggio, and the 'Scylla' by the sculptor, Giovanni Montorsoli.

From Messina to Palermo the coast is a succession of fascinating seaside villages and indeed, it is the sea the common denominator of this, an itinerary along one of the most beautiful stretches of Sicilian coastline. Once beyond Capo di Milazzo, the first section is covered by foot along the Tindari promontory, where to admire the salt lakes of Marinello and the landscape which provided the inspiration for Andrea Camilleri's 'Trip to Tindari'; one of the author's most successful novels recounting the adventures of his Inspector...

Arab Settlements and Doric Temples in Sicily

Wed, 02 May 2007 00:00:00 +0200

The historic center of Palermo is home to an impressive number monuments and a market, that of Vuccira; immortalized by Renato Guttuso and which, to this very day, offers a veritable explosion of color, whilst filling the air with the pungent scents of the fresh Mediterranean produce cramming the stalls.

Three monuments, dating back to Palermo's Norman era, are particularly worthy of mention; the Palatine Chapel, situated on the first floor of the Palazzo dei Normanni; the Cathedral; and the former church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti.

Sicily's most important example of Arabian-Norman architecture can be seen not in Palermo but Monreale, just eight kilometers away from the island's capital city. The Cathedral of Monreale was built in 1174. The walls of the naves are covered in thousands of tiny tiles which, together, depict the cycle of the Old and New Testament whilst, in the cloisters of the edifice, there are some 200 ornately sculpted columns.

Half way between Palermo and...