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Sicilian art witnesses a rich and articulated past, a crucial key for interpreting the present.
Starting from Palermo/Monreale/Bagheria to Syracuse and Taormina,
through the moving ruins of Selinunte, the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento,
the Roman Villa del Casale in Piazza Armerina,
we'll cross four ages.
You'll be mesmerised by this island,
formidable syntesis between East and West
Itinerary of 9 days
Palermo and its surroundings
Our steps will lead us to "unmissable" monuments such as Palazzo dei Normanni where is located the Cappella Palatina masterpiece of Arab/Norman architecture, and proceed through the baroque Quattro Canti, the churches of Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio (also known as Martorana) with its mosaics showing the coronation of Roger II, first king of Sicilia, and S. Cataldo, the royal norman Solatium of Zisa (from theArab el aziz = the splendid) and the former church of S. Maria dello Spasimo, on the remparts of the city, one of the symbols of the new Renaissance in Palermo.
We'll go to Monreale for its Cathedral, considered as the highest expression of Italian medieval because of its mosaics and the enchanting Arab-Norman cloister.
We'll take the time to enjoy the sweetness of the island with an ice-cream in Mondello, the sea reasort nearby the city.
We'll visit Bagheria where, between XVII and XVIII century, the most beautiful houses where built, according to the "villeggiatura" fashion. Amongst them, we'll visit the most bizzarre and intriguing, Villa Palagonia, better known as Villa of the Monsters.
Some of these monuments are open exclusively for us......
You'll have the chance to taste the specialities of the Sicilian haute cuisine in private historic houses, ....(for a more detailed program, please send the form About You).
Selinunte and Agrigento
Besides the temple of Zeus inn Olympia, Magna Grecia is undoubtely the place where the best examples of Doric style are kept.
We leavePalermo and head toSelinunte, one of the biggest and most interesting archaeological sitesof Europe. This visit is one of the most touching of the trip, specially in spring, when the temples are surrounded by wild flowers of all colours.
Not far from Selinunte, we take a rest and have lunch in a delightful cottage, where Mediterranean plants grow reaching a desert and pristine beach.
We'll get to Agrigento at the setting of the sun, for another "moment of grace" in front of the Tempio of Concorde, one of the best preserved of the Greek world, exemple of perfect armony.
Piazza Armerina and Siracusa
We leave the Greek world in the morning and drive towards Piazza Armerina, right in the middle of Sicily, where we visit a masterpiece of the imperial Roman age: the Villa de Casale, with its mosaics, extraordinary show of myths, public and private life of the Roman times.
In the evening we get to Siracusa.
Dinner is served in the most representative historic house of Siracusa, in the old centre of the town, the little island of Ortigia.
Siracusa and Taormina
Like Athens and Cartago, Siracusa was one of the main towns of theMediterranean, so powerful to impose its egemony on all the other Greek colonies of Sicily.
In the morning we visit the archaeological park and the museum.
The Greek theatre is one of the biggest buildings of the Greek world. The Persians by Aeschilus were played here for the first time in 472 b.C.
The afternoon is spent in Ortigia, with its legendary Aretusa spring.
The day after we leave for an excursion by boat in the river Ciane, an oasis of peace amongst papyrus plants and orchards. Once we reach the mouth of the river we have a wonderful view of the old town and the image of the Greek sailors waiving to the statue of Athena on the façade of the temple (now Siracusa's cathedral) will come alive in our minds.
In the afternoon we leave Siracusa and drive to Taormina..
Taormina and Catania
In Taormina it's relax time, walking along the delightful streets, shopping, sitting at a bar with an enchanting view.
The Greek/Roman theatre opens on one of the grandest landscapes of Sicily, with the sea below and the Etna in the background.
In the summer several happening s of top level take place at the theatre: concerts, ballets, dramas.
It's really the right place to stay before the end of the tour, leaving by plane from Catania.
Obviously this itinerary can be modified and extended.
For instance, in Palermo we can include mini cooking-stages with some of the best chefs in the island.
We can go searching the Phoenician traces in Motya, Marsala and Erice, passing by the beautiful Salt-pans in Trapani.
We can go on top of the volcano, organise lunch or dinner in private historic houses, leave for excursions to the South-East side along the Baroque Road, follow the itinerary of the Ceramics....
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Tours in Sicily 
Italian
