Tour of Sicily

Pick-up in Giarre 08h00, after typical sicilian breakfast (granita con brioche), visit of hamlets around the Etna Volcano such as: Piedimonte Etneo, Santa Venerina, Zafferana. Raise to 2200m at Etna, lunch in typical restaurant, then visit of hamlet of Milo where we will ride the quad around the Etna. Return back in Giarre by 18h00

Etna: Etna that dominates Catania from above, draw the contours of the landscape, offers his land to reap the rewards, reminds his incessant power: there is an inextricable link between Etna and Catania, eastern Sicily gem. The coastline, whose beauty has nothing to envy the other “ladies” of the coast, overlooking the waters of the Ionian Sea, the other natural border of the province. According to legends of Omero, Polyphemus, the Cyclops at Ulysses (Odysseus) blinded as stated in the ninth canto of the work and, furious, wanted to cut off his retreat by throwing huge rocks at his ships, the result is the Riviera of the Cyclops as it is said that they lived above the volcano. The volcano was added as a Unesco heritage since 2013 and is the highest in Europe with its 3345m

What do you visit:

1. Bar Cali’, which became l’incontournable of the Sicilian dispora with its famous ‘zeppole di riso al miele’
2. Silvestri craters (2000m altitude)
3. The cirneco from Etna, dog with prehistoric origins (if lucky)
4. The lava flow 2002
5. Honey tasting in Zafferana
6. Degustastion of limoncello in Santa Venerina
7. Ilice di Carrinu (the tree with longest branches in the world)
8. Castagno dei Cento Cavalli tree (one of the biggest trees of Europe)
9. Vista Panoramica di Milo, when once top artists such Dalla and Battiato used to meet to inspire themselves

Day 3: Pick-up in Giarre 08h00, after typical sicilian breakfast (granita con brioche), visit of the Port of Etna Riposto, then go to Taormina considered to be the jewel of the Ionian Sea, for visit in the morning, in the afternoon Castelmola, return in Giarre for 18h00.

A short walk from the strait separating Sicily from the Italian peninsula, on a natural terrace overlooking the Ionian Sea, raises the splendid Taormina, the ancient Tauromenion. With its characteristic appearance of medieval town, its ancient Greek soul, the colors and scents of the Mediterranean vegetation, Taormina is one of the most beautiful places on

earth. Besides the Sicilian climate it makes it a perfect destination at any time of year. The visitor will be fascinated by the immense beauty of this place, as did Johann Wolfgang Goethe, when during his trip to Italy visited the Greek Theatre (III Century BC), symbol of the city. Amid the cypress and fig trees, with the cavea carved into the rock, the Hellenistic theater of Taormina, transformed into arena (where the shows were developed struggle) by the Romans, it offers a spectacular view of the turquoise sea to the coast of Calabria, the city of Syracuse and the smoking summit of Mount Etna. Castelmola is a village that remains above from which you can enjoy other wonderful scenery.

What you visit:

1. Hellenistic Theater
2. The palace Corvaja
3. Church of San Pancrazio
4. The Odeon
5. Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria
6. In Fiumefreddo Castello degli Schiavi which was used for the legendary movie The Godfather

Day 4: Pick-up in Giarre 08h00, Sicilian breakfast, ride towards Siracusa for visit in the morning, in the afternoon visit of Noto, dinner in Marzamemi. Return back in Giarre around 22h00.

Syracuse: Traces of ancient civilizations still exist by Baroque architecture. The sky, the sun and the sea surround it with their shining. One journey in this corner of Sicily arouses deep feelings, it’s like passing the confines of time and travel thousands of years ago. This is what is experienced walking through the streets of Syracuse, where hard evidence relive precious glow of Magna Grecia and, step by step, accompany the visitor for the following periods have also had a major impact on the history of Syracuse .Romans, Byzantines, Arabs and Normans, Swabians and Aragonese, all have written their part. A leading man known as Archimede with its catapults that rejected the Romans and mathematical inventions left until today the largest military heritage and intellectual wealth of this city. Neapolis, Akradina, Ortigia, Tyche, and Epipoli are neighborhoods of the ancient city. His name is enough to get into another dimension.

What you visit:

1. Neapolis with the Greek Theatre and the Roman amphitheater
2. Ear of Dionysius
3. Ortigia Island
4. Fountain of Arethusa
5. Church of Santa Lucia with the Caravaggio painting
6. Cathedral of St. Lucia
7. Temple of Zeus

Noto: Noto and Palazzolo Acreide are two of the eight cities in the Val di Noto, declared World Heritage Site by the richness and quality of the architecture of the eighteenth century, considered among the best expressions of late Baroque in Europa. Nicknamed the stone garden and when you walk through the streets of the city is understood that: buildings, churches, stucco decorations and friezes show the luxury that took Sicily in the eighteenth century.

What you visit:

1. Three buildings of the nineteenthcentury – Vescovile, Lanolina and Ducezio

2. The monumental complex of SS.Salvador including the monastery, the basilica and the seminar 3. Church Montevergini
3. Palace Nicolaci Goldshire
4. Palace Trigona

The three “ACI ” again according to legend, Polyphemus that not walked by halves , and jealous of a shepherd called Acis with the love of one such Galatea killed him and chopped into nine portions spread disputed by all area and founded nine villages . Though, it is that basically had a good heart because everyone will put a name in his memory: Acitrezza, Acireale, Acicastello, etc. all in the province of Catania.

What you visit:

1. Faraglioni, stacks of Acitrezza (the rocks thrown by Polyphemus at sea)
2. Nespolo house, where once lived fishermen
3. Enjoy the granita, Acireale specialty typical in the bar Cipriani
4. The Duomo of Acireale
5. The Arab- Norman Castle

Catania: City that welcomes with its large squares and wide streets, with their architecture in lava stone that recall a past of destruction and reconstruction, with dark shades that seem to struggle with intense sunlight radiating earth. A historical and artistic heritage which, together with its friendly people, makes this city special for visitors. Traces of a story that breathed the influences of much domination, the same as we read through the architectural lines of palaces, churches and monuments. The magnificence of a story that blends with the beauty of nature that has shown generosity and benevolence, but also harshness and severity.

What you visit:

1. The Cathedral of Sant’Agata
2. Elephant Fountain, symbol of the city.
3. The University Square4. The Ursino Castle
4. The door of Charles V.
5. Benedictine Monastery of San Nicol l’ Arena
6. The avenue Crociferi
7. The Roman amphitheater
8. The Roman Baths

Etna: Etna that dominates Catania from above, draw the contours of the landscape, offers his land to reap the rewards, reminds his incessant power: there is an inextricable link between Etna and Catania, eastern Sicily gem. The coastline, whose beauty has nothing to envy the other “ladies” of the coast, overlooking the waters of the Ionian Sea, the other natural border of the province. According to legends of Omero, Polyphemus, the Cyclops at Ulysses (Odysseus) blinded as stated in the ninth canto of the work and, furious, wanted to cut off his retreat by throwing huge rocks at his ships, the result is the Riviera of the Cyclops as it is said that they lived above the volcano. The volcano was added as a Unesco heritage since 2013 and is the highest in Europe with its 3345m

Day 4. Piazza Armerina-Agrigento. Leaving the hotel at 9am return around 6pm.

Piazza Armerina, Villa romana del Casale: Set on a plateau almost 700 meters above sea level about 35 kilometers from Enna and a bit nearer Caltagirone, the city of Piazza Armerina is not without charm. Founded during theArab era, its historical quarter has some beautiful churches, including a Baroque cathedral, as well as a well-preserved fortress (Spinelli Castle), but most visitors come here to see the Roman Villa, with its magnificent mosaics. Piazza Armerina is a charming town known for its Norman Palio, an annual summer pageant of medieval events, but the major attraction is its ancient Roman villa. Located a few kilometers outside town, the villa is one of the largest Roman dwellings of its kind to have survived antiquity, and probably belonged to a wealthy patrician. Depicting scenes from daily life, such as hunting, the mosaics are as remarkable for their sociological value as for their artistry. One of these, showing women clad in two-piece swimsuits exercising with barbells, could well describe a scene typical of the twentieth century.The “Villa del Casale” was built between 330 and 360 AD. The identity of its owner remains a subject of debate. However, three individuals are usually mentioned: Proculus Populonius, governor of Sicily from 314 to 337; Caeionus Rufus Volusianus, also called Lampadius, an influential and wealthy man; and Sabucinius Pinianus, probably of Roman birth.There are 3500 square meters of mosaics on the villa’s floors, and some surviving wall paintings. Many of the structure’s walls are still standing. The style of the mosaics is said to be influenced by the North African motifs of the Romans. Some smaller finds from the site are housed in the Piazza Armerina archeological museum.

Agrigento, Valle deiTempli: Located on a plateau overlooking Sicily’s southern coast, Agrigento was founded as Akragas around 582 BC (BCE) by a group of colonists from Gela, who themselves were the immediate descendants of Greeks from Rhodes and Crete. The area was inhabited much earlier; a female skull (that of the “girl of Mandrascava”) found near Cannatello is half a million years old. A Mesolithic village at Point Bianca, farther down the coast toward Montechiaro Castle, dates from 6000 BC. The Sicanians may have descended from that civilization. Akragas was renamed Agrigentum by the Romans, and Girgenti by the Arabs, only to be christened Agrigento in 1927, but the place is the same. Greatly enlarged by Berbers beginning in the ninth century, the medieval city of Agrigento is not without a certain charm. High in the historical center of the city, the Romanesque Gothic cathedral, built during the fourteenth century, still displays some of its medieval character, as does the thirteenth-century Church of San Nicola (St Nicholas). Unfortunately, the Saracen fortress believed to have stood at Agrigento has not stood the test of time. The Greek temples, theatres and ruins, and even the archaeological museums, are located outside the city proper.

Day 5. Scala dei Turchi-Selinunte. Leaving the hotel at 9am return around 6pm.

Scala deiTurchi: The name evokes past myths and legends. Tells of pirates Saracens mooring the ships in their waters clear and calm, they scrambled for its white terraces. With gaudy robes ran, they raided and with rich spoils, always gentle slopes, escaped. As then even now the charm is breathtaking who comes along this stretch of shoreline. Agrigento between Eraclea and even from their fabulous past greek, in places Realmonte is jutting out into the sea the incredible scale of the Turks. Words are not enough; describe the enchantment of its intangible vision, smells of pristine waters and aromatic plants, and the sweet sensation to lie down with your back on pannose rocks. No, not just say it, we must go and see; find out for yourself and be struck by how the sea, the wind, the rain and the whole nature of geological ages have returned such a wonder. The impalpable material it is made is called Marne, sedimentary rock of limestone and clay with a distinctive pure white color.


Selinunte: Was an ancient Greek city on the south-western coast of Sicily inItaly. It was situated between the valleys of the Belice and Modione rivers. It now lies in the comune Castelvetrano, between the frazioni of Triscina di Selinunte in the west and Marinella di Selinunte in the east. The archaeological site contains five temples centered on an acropolis. Of the five temples, only the Temple of Hera, also known as “Temple E”, has been reerected. At its peak before 409 BC the city grew to 30,000 people excluding slaves.

Day 6. Palermo. Leaving the hotel at 9am return around 6pm

Palermo: Welcome to the city which was the capital of Europe in the thirteenth century.Niscemi’s Cave and Addaura Cavern, in the cliffs of Mount Pellegrino, were both inhabited in middle neolithic times and boast some remarkable wall drawings. This was the dawn of European prehistory. Palermo’s recorded history begins four millennia later.Founded by the Phoenicians, who named it Ziz, Palermo was settled in the eighth century BC as a port. Its development paralleled that of Solunto and Motia. Archeologists generally agree that the Phoenicians were compelled to develop these cities because they were forced out of eastern Sicily by the Greeks, but this civilization’s presence in western Sicily seemed inevitable. The Greeks called the city Panormos, meaning “all port.” The Latin name, still used in Catholic Church documents well into the nineteenth century, was Panormus.The Phoenicians’ descendants and successors, the Carthaginians, made Panormos a center of commerce, and it was their base port, in 480 BC, for the navy that was defeated in the Battle of Himera. In 276 BC, Panormos finally fell to the Greeks. The Punic Wars followed, and the city was part of the Roman Empire from 253 BC. Phoenician and Roman Palermo extended from the port area along what is now Corso Vittorio Emanuele to CorsoCalatafimi in the area beyond the Royal Palace (viewed from a distance in this photo of the Monastery of Saint John of the Hermits).The Paleo-Christian era left several early churches in the city. Its earliest faith was Orthodoxy. Following a brief Gothic occupation and occasional Vandal raids, Panormus was part of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire from 535 until 831, when it fell to the invading Saracen Arabs (“Moors”), who turned many of the churches into mosques. Thus began the reign of the Aghlabid dynasty of what is now Tunisia. From 948, as Bal’harm, it was the capital of the Emirate of Sicily of the Kalbite dynasty, and it is from that date that Palermo may be considered to have been the royal capital of Sicily. The first Parliament in Europe was in Palermo as same it was considered to be the capital of Europe in the 13th Century.

What you visit: 

1. Cathedral 2. Chinese Villa 3. Magione Church 4. Martorana Church 5. Mount

Pellegrino 6. Politeama Theatre 7. Quattro Canti 8. Royal Palace 9. St. Francis

Church10. St. John of the Hermits 11. Teatro Massimo 12. Zisa

Day 7. Palermo-Monreale. Leaving the hotel at 9am return around 6pm.

Monreale: One of Sicily’s top tourist attractions, the cathedral at Monreale was conceived as a political statement as well as an artistic one. The result is the most important monument to the artistic tastes of the Normans in all of Sicily. The entire concept of the Norman kingdom as the highest secular and religious authority is represented here in incomparable fashion. With its cycle of mosaics on a gold ground and its extraordinary cloister, the cathedral can rightly claim a place in the highest ranks of Europe’s art history.The cathedral was built by William II after the English archbishop of Palermo sought, with the solid backing of the Pope, to assert his authority over the king by refusing to honor his father’s wishes to be buried at Cefalù, instead interring him at Palermo Cathedral. William II immediately set about building a bigger and more artistically inspired cathedral, appointing his own archbishop, and making his cathedral the royal pantheon. The results survive today almost exactly as built in the 1100s.