Italian & Overseas Property Specialists

Palermo.

Palermo, encircled by mountains and the sea, is a city steeped in history, culture and architecture. Palermo which is over 2,700 years old is located in the north-west of the island of Sicily, right by the Gulf of Palermo in the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Palermo is undoubtedly the capital of Sicily, founded by the Greeks - who named it Panoramus meaning all port - is set on the sea and stretching along "La Conca d' Oro". This capital is energetic and lively, encompassing some of Sicily's most beautiful and interesting historical monuments. Palermo is set in its own wide bay underneath the limestone bulk of Monte Pellegrino.

Ragusa.

Ragusa is a Baroque city that was split in two by the earthquake of 1693, thus the city has two distinct areas - the lower and older town of Ragusa Ibla, and the highter Ragusa Superiore (Upper Town). The two halves are separated by the Valle dei Ponti, a deep ravine crossed by four bridges.

It is the Ragusa Ibla where you will probably while away much of the day. The main attraction is the church of San Giorgio, which is placed at the top of Piazza Duomo.

This is a busy and likable capital, where you will spend most of your time just endlessly wandering appreciating the stunning architecture.

Siracusa.

The city of Syracusa lies in a splendid position on the southeastern corner of the ionian coast. Siracusa is an ancient town of which the centre is the island of Ortygia (Ortygia, from the Greek for "quail", named for the birds past abundance in the area). At one time in the past Syracusa, rivalled Athens as the most important city in the greek world. The island of Ortegia contains most of the sights of Siracusa. Here you will find, among many other things, the fresh water Spring of Arethusa. The greek mythology states that when Artemis changed Arethusa into a spring water to escape the river god Alpheus, it was here that the transformed maiden emerged.

Siracusa whilst steeped in archeological tradition, is not a glitzy or expensive destination.

Catania.

Catania is situated at the foot of Mount Etna, the highest volcano in Europe (3300 meters), which every so often rains ash upon the streets of the city. The second largest city in Sicily by population, Catania spreads out over the Plain of Catania, between the Ionian sea and the slopes of Etna.

Catania has much to offer tourists, but is generally just used as a base for seeing the legendary volcano. Yet, it does have one of the best roman structures that can still be seen, the Roman Theatre in Via Vittorio Emanuele, and the round Odeon, a smaller auditorium nearby. Piazza del Duomo is Catania's principal square, in the centre of which the much-photographed, eighteenth century lava staue of an elephant, supporting an Egyptian obelisk can be seen.

Although, mostly used as a base to get to Etna, Catania does have something to offer those willing to unveil its historic treasures. Even during a brief itinary, this very special city is worth at least a morning or an afternoon.

Enna.

Enna is Sicily's highest provincial capital, with awe inspiring views. Enna is almost in the exact centre of Sicily and archeological finds attest that the area has been inhabited since prehistoric times.

Enna's main attraction is the Lombard Castle and Frederick's Tower, both built by Frederick II. Other attractions in Enna are the Alessi Museum which houses a wonderful coin collection and a collection of magnificent Renaissance jewellery.

Messina.

Messina is the third largest city in Sicily and is located on the northeastern side of the island. The ancient name of the city was Zancle, the greek work meaning sickle, which reflects the unusual curved shape of the harbour. Messina is also known as the gate to Sicily due to its location and is mainly a trading city.

Due to several violent earthquakes that have struck the city, and bombardment during the second world war, most of the city is relatively modern.

Whilst more a city as a means to explore Sicily, the city is a thriving town with many annual festivals and celebrations to celebrate its history.

Caltanissetta.

Caltanissetta is not a remarkable city. Set in central Sicily, if you are in these parts, it may be preferable to visit Enna. Although not uninteresting, there are a number of good trattorias in the old quarter, and the Passion Play held on Good Friday each year is famous throughout Sicily.

Agrigento.

Agrigento is just about on every tourist's Sicily itinerary for one overwhelming reason: The Valley of the Temples. This comprises a large sacred area on the south side of the ancient city where seven monumental Greek temples in the Doric style were constructed during the 6th and 5th centuries BCE. Now excavated, they make up some of the largest and best-preserved ancient Greek buildings ouside of Greece itself.

It may also be worth a visit to the Romanesque Gothic cathedral and the thirteenth-century Church of San Nicola.

Trapani.

Trapani is a fishing and ferry port situated on the western coast of Sicily, with a long history. The city is an important fishing port and the main gateway to the Egadi islands, Pantelleria, Sardinia and Tunisia.

Trapani has a summer music festival in July, and in Spring an annual tuna festival based on the mattanza. Seafod in this part of Sicily is extremely exceptional. Not only does Trapani produce excellent seafood but the province of Trapani alone produces more wine than the entire regions of Tuscany or Piedmont or such countries as Hungary, Austria or Chile.

Again, as with all its regional counterparts, there are some stunning sights to visit, such as the Cattedrale di San Lorenzo, the Santuario dell'Annunziata and the adjacent Museo Regionale.

The region of Sicily is where the roots of the entire Italian culture derive from and thus, therefore is rich in ancient history and heritage. Many peoples tried to conquer Sicily due to its superior geographical position, and many succeeded. Those who conquered amongst a few were the Romans, the Byzantines, the Barbarians, the Arabs, the Normans, and the Spaniards until Garibaldi who came and defeated the Bourbons. Since then, Sicily has belonged to Italy. In 1946 Sicily has been an autonomous region, but still remains part of Italy. All of these varied cultures mainly dominated by the Greeks have made Sicily the resplendent region that it has become.

There is so much to see and do in this magnificent region of Italy, with its rich and imposing history, but here are a few things we would recommend:

• Visit the Archaeological Museum, in Siarcusa which displays a venerable Etruscan collection, sculptures and metopes of the temples of Selinunte.
• The most imposing and dazzling artistic collection of the island can be viewed at The Regional Gallery of Sicily.
• Palermo's Cathedral.
• The Cathedral of Monreale with its sublime mosaics and Benedictine cloisters.
• Piazza Armerina - this is not actually a piazza but a beautiful town with amazing hilltop views and also you can view mosaics that date back from 4th century B.C.
• The Greek Theatre at Taormina - the most brilliant of all the theatres ever built by the Greeks.
• Mount Etna, the most active volcano in Europe. Excursions via Catania and Taormina.
• The Vucciria Market, in Palermo - this market is absolutely glorious for all hard-core foodies.
• Lipari.
• The Valley of the Temples.
• Take a helicopter flight over Sicily and the smoking Etna.
• Take dinner in one of the stunning restaurants in Taormina, with the most magical of views over the Ionian Sea, and Etna.
• Visit a Winery.

For the activity enthusiasts you can also do the following:

• Horseriding
• Trekking
• Mountain Biking
• Golf
• Skiing

Airports

Sicily has the following airports:

• Catania Vincenzo Bellini.
• Palermo Falcone e Borsellino.
• Trapani-Birgi Vincenzo Florio.
• Lampedusa.
• Pantelleria.

Railway

From the major cities you can catch services to Naples and Rome - yet, this is achieved by the trains being loaded onto ferries which then cross over to the mainland.

Palermo and Catania also benefit from an underground service.

Ports

Sicily is served by several ferry routes.

The two main passenger ports are based in Palermo and Catania.

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