Activities |
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Sicily |
Lipari © Italian Tourist Board
For a long time, Sicily was ignored as a holiday destination, largely because of the Mafia stranglehold and because of the poverty of the people. Today, however, the island is experiencing a tourism boom and a surge in development as the destructive influences of the Mafia wane. Visitors discover that the Sicilian people are gracious, noble and welcoming, and that the island itself offers natural and historic attractions of great beauty and enormous interest.
The main cities of Palermo and Catania feature some of the most exquisite architecture in the world, a legacy of the many great civilisations that have vied for control of this strategically-situated island over the centuries, from the Greeks and Romans, to the Arabs and Normans, to (more recently) the French, Spanish and Italians. There are massive Romanesque cathedrals, the best-preserved Greek temples in the world, Roman amphitheatres and magnificent Baroque palaces. The continuous blue skies and temperate climate, lush vegetation and rich marine life all add to the island's appeal. Nature has given Sicily Mount Etna, Europe's tallest active volcano, a dramatic coastline and a fertile soil that gives forth much of the bounty on which the island's unique and delicious cuisine is based.
Resorts
See our separate guides to the following Sicily holiday resorts: Palermo, Syracuse, Lipari and Taormina
Attractions
Capuchin Catacombs © Sibeaster
Capuchin Catacombs
The subterranean catacombs that contain the mummified remains of about 8,000 ancient inhabitants of Palermo may be macabre, but are fascinating to visit. The Capuchin friars began mummifying and embalming the bodies of the city's nobles back in 1533, and the tradition continued for centuries with the last body (a seven-year-old girl named Rosalia) being embalmed in 1920. After embalming, the corpses were hung along the walls of the catacombs dressed in their best, which they still wear proudly, like the military officer in an 18th-century uniform complete with tricorn hat.Address: Piazza Cappuccini 1, Palermo; Telephone: +39 091 212 117; Opening time: Open daily from 9am to 12pm, and 3pm to 5pm (7pm in summer); Admission: €1.50
Il trionfo della morte © Sailko
Galleria Regionale
Palermo's largest art museum, devoted to medieval works, is housed within the gothic-styled Palazzo Abbatellis (built in 1488). The collection includes several particularly interesting works. The Bust of Eleanor of Aragon by Francesco Laurana, for example, dates from 1471 and is considered to be the epitome of Renaissance Sicilian sculpture; while the beautiful masterpiece painting Our Lady of the Annunciation is considered Antonello da Messina's greatest work. Also renowned is the chilling Triumph of Death fresco by an unknown 15th-century artist that covers an entire wall.Address: Via Alloro 4, Palermo; E-mail: gall.abatellis@regione.sicilia.it; Website: www.regione.sicilia.it/beniculturali/palazzoabatellis; Telephone: +39 091 623 0011; Opening time: Open daily from 9am to 1pm; and on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 2.30pm to 7pm as well; Admission: €6
Marionettes © Museo Internazionale delle Marionette
Marionette Museum
One of Palermo's most unique attractions is the engaging Museo Internazionale delle Marionette, a museum dedicated to the art of puppetry, an age-old Sicilian form of entertainment. Free shows are often put on in summer, but the museum collection itself, the greatest of its kind in the world, is entertainment enough. Most of the antique puppets on display evoke Norman Sicily, representing chivalrous heroes and Saracen pirates, knights, ladies and troubadours. The collection includes puppets from the Far East and even some English 'Punch and Judy' dolls.Address: Via Butera 1 (around the corner from the Palazzo Chiaramonte), Palermo; Website: www.museomarionettepalermo.it; Telephone: +39 091 328 060; Opening time: Open Monday to Friday from 10am to 1pm, and 3.30pm to 6.30pm; Admission: €5 (Adults). Concessions are available
Monreale Cathedral © Urban
Monreale Cathedral
Of all the many architecturally beautiful and fascinating places of worship in Palermo, probably the most renowned is the 12th-century cathedral in the suburb of Monreale, high on the mountain slope about five miles (8km) from the city centre. The dazzling cathedral is a mixture of Arab, Byzantine and Norman artistic styles, a blend of medieval Christian and Muslim architecture. The magnificent mosaics that cover 68,243 square feet (6,340 sq metres) of the cathedral's dome and all of the walls on the interior are unsurpassed. The adjacent Benedictine abbey features a cloister with 228 carved stone columns, many inlaid with mosaics depicting scenes from Sicily's Norman history.Address: Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, Monreale; Telephone: +39 91 640 4413; Transport: Bus 389 from the Piazza Indipendenza in Palermo (journey takes about 20 minutes); and other buses heading west from Palermo, such as Bus 819; Opening time: The cathedral: Open daily from 8am to 6pm; The cloisters: Open from 9am to 6pm (Monday to Saturday), 9am to 1.30pm (Sundays and public holidays); Admission: €4.50 to get into the Cloisters; €2.05 for entry into the Treasury; €1.55 for the Terraces; no entrance charge for the Cathedral itself
Ortygia © realloc
Ortygia
The Ponte Nuova (New Bridge) connects the mainland city of Syracuse to the island of Ortygia, where most of the area's worthy sights are located. The remains of the Temple of Apollo are sited in the Piazza Pancali: this is the oldest Greek temple in Sicily, built in the Doric style around 565 BC. The cathedral in the nearby Piazza Duomo is uniquely made up of the original walls of a 5th-century BC Greek temple known as the Athenaion, and near the sea, reached along Via Capodieci, is the mythical Spring of Arethusa. There are medieval relics on the island too, including Maniaces Castle dating from the 11th Century. Apart from the many historic sights, the island of Ortygia also offers numerous boutiques and craft shops, and restaurants and cafes galore. Several hours are required to explore the island fully.Transport: Across the Ponte Nuova bridge from Syracuse
Palazzo Mirto © Motivase
Palazzo Mirto
The excessive opulence of the Baroque period is nowhere better demonstrated than in the magnificent Palazzo Mirto, one of the few aristocratic homes of Palermo that is open to the public, offering visitors a glimpse into the lifestyle of Sicily's noble 19th-century families. The Palace was the residence of the Lanza Filangeri family, whose last heir left the estate to the Ministry of Cultural Assets in 1982. Most of the princely rooms and salons are furnished with original items that once belonged to the family.Address: Via Merlo 2, Palermo (off the Piazza Marina); Telephone: +39 091 616 4751; Opening time: Open from 9am to 1.30pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9am to 1.30pm and 3pm to 6pm. Open from 9am to 1pm on Sundays and public holidays; Admission: €3
Paolo Orsi Archaeological Museum
Paolo Orsi Regional Archaeological Museum
Syracuse's archaeological museum is one of the most extensive in all of Italy, preserving relics and remains from the Greek, Roman and early Christian eras of Sicily's history. The museum building itself is ultra-modern, consisting of glass-and-steel exhibition halls connected in a hexagonal shape. The exhibits cover a vast range, from the skeletons of prehistoric animals to the renowned Landolina Venus statue.Address: Viale Teocrito 66, Syracuse; Telephone: +39 0931 464 022; Opening time: Open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 6pm; and on Sundays from 9am to 1pm; Admission: €4.50
Greek Theatre © Dario Dado
Parco Archeologico della Neapolis
The Archaeological Park on the western edge of the city of Syracuse contains the celebrated rock-hewn Greek amphitheatre, capable of holding about 15,000 people, where Euripides and Aeschylus' works were performed in the days of antiquity. Today, Greek dramas are still played here on occasion. Inside a leafy quarry at the site near the theatre is the ear-shaped cavern the Orecchio di Dionigi, reputedly used by Dionysius as a prison. Nearby is the Roman Amphitheatre, built in the time of Augustus, where gladiators fought each other and wild animals in gory contests.Address: Viale Paradisa, Syracuse; Telephone: +39 0931 66206; Opening time: Open daily from 9am to 6pm (April to October); 9am to 3pm (November to March); Admission: €4
Regional Archaeological Museum © Dan Bock
Regional Archaeological Museum
Some of Europe's greatest archaeological treasures are tucked away in Palermo's somewhat musty museum, which is well worth visiting even though it's rather shabby. The collection is housed in several old convent buildings, dating back to the 13th Century, and includes artefacts from the Phoenician, Punic, Greek, Roman and Saracen periods found on the island. Highlights include two Phoenician sarcophagi dating from 5 BC, and the Pietra di Palermo, a black slab discovered in Egypt containing hieroglyphics and known as the 'Rosetta Stone of Sicily'. One room is devoted to the marvellous finds unearthed at the temples of Selinunte. There is also an interesting section devoted to underwater archaeology.Address: Piazza Olivella 24, Palermo; Telephone: +39 091 611 6805; Transport: Bus numbers 101, 102, 103, 104 and 107.; Opening time: Open Tuesday to Saturday from 8.30am to 6.15pm, and on Sundays from 9am to 1pm; Admission: €4.50 (adults), €2 (children)
Valley of the Temples (Valle dei Templi)
Although not technically a 'valley' and rather a ridge located just outside the Sicilian town of Agrigento, the Valley of the Temples (Valle dei Templi) is one of Italy's oldest and most interesting archaeological sites. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, the Valley of the Temples is filled with some of the most outstanding examples of Magna Graecia architecture in the whole world. The Doric-styled structures, built in the 5th century BC, are dedicated to gods and other mythological characters - including, quite rarely, an imposing structure dedicated to Vulcan; and there are also some fascinating commemorative structures, built in celebration of Rome's victory over Carthage, and in memory of Roman soldiers who were killed in the Second Punic War. In the tradition of Greco-Roman architecture of the period, all the structures face east to be illuminated by the rising sun. A must-see tourist attraction in Sicily, the site of the Valley of the Temples commands great views of Agrigento and makes for a wonderful half-day adventure.Excursions
Catania
The second-largest city in Sicily, Catania sits in the shadow of Europe's highest volcano, Mount Etna, on the east of Sicily between Syracuse and Taormina. Ugly, decayed and crime-ridden today, it was once called the 'city of black and white' because of the use of white marble and black lava to construct its elegant buildings, many of which have since fallen into ruins or been destroyed by war, earthquakes and lava flows. In summer Catania sizzles; it is regarded as the hottest city in Italy, with temperatures often soaring to 104ºF (40ºC). Despite its unattractive aspects, Catania is an ancient city, founded in 729 BC, and boasts some interesting historical relics. There are two Roman amphitheatres, one reminiscent of Rome's Colosseum, and a 13th-century fortress, Ursino Castle, which is now a museum. The city's cathedral contains some royal tombs and was built in the 11th century.Mount Etna
Sicily's greatest natural attraction is the (very) active volcano, Mount Etna, which has been spewing lava and shaking the earth for centuries, most recently in 2008, while ash eruptions occur almost continuosly. About 20 miles (32km) from Catania the craters below the summit can be reached from the town of Piano Provenzana at the base by mountain bus or on foot. This town also serves as a ski resort in winter, and during summer is a base camp for hikers intent on enjoying the wooded scenery and exploring the interesting caverns in the area. Various species of oak and stone pine, birch and beech trees cover the lower mountain slopes, while frogs, toads, tortoises and Sicily's ubiquitous lizards hide in the forest streams. Foxes, weasels, squirrels and other small mammals stalk the forests and a plethora of bird species fill the trees and the Gurrida Lake area.Solunto
The Roman ruins at Solunto overlook the coast near Santa Flavia, on the slopes of Mount Catalfamo. The site was originally a Phoenician village that was expanded by the Greeks who conquered it in 396 BC. By 255 BC it had fallen to the Romans, who rebuilt much of the original town. No complete structures remain and the ruins consist mainly of floors and the lower portions of walls and columns. Portions of mosaics and paintings are still visible. An impressive view of the Gulf of Palermo can be had from the hilltop above Solunto, and there is a small archaeological museum at the site, although most of the artefacts from Solunto are in Palermo's Regional Archaeological Museum.Address: 10 miles (16km) east of Palermo
Ustica
An underwater city and a landscape of petrified black lava are the characteristics of the unusual little island of Ustica in the Tyrrhenian Sea, just a short ferry ride of 36 miles (57km) from Palermo. The ancient volcanic island was originally inhabited by the Phoenicians and often fell prey to pirate raids during the Middle Ages. In the 20th Century Ustica became a penal colony. Today, the island is a designated national marine park and its crystal-clear waters and undersea treasures, particularly the submerged ancient city of Osteodes, attract divers from all over the world. Every year in July the island is the venue for an International Underwater Activity Show.Transport: Ferry from Palermo