Welcome to a different kind of Sicily: a Sicily far from the sandy beaches and the shimmering blue seas; an often unseen Sicily, which lies right in the center of the island; an authentic and unspoilt Sicily, the cities of which conserve artistic treasures of untold value and indescribable beauty.
We start our expedition of inland Sicily in Caltagirone: a city famous for the production of artistic ceramics. The city is a living advertisement for this ancient art. The shops brim with every genre of ceramic ornament, tableware, and souvenir, and even houses are faced with brightly colored majolica. The most impressive sight has to be that of the monumental flight of steps leading up to the Church of Santa Maria del Monte: 142 steps, the riser of each, embellished with exquisite, hand-painted majolica tiles. Those in the city during the last two weeks of May will be able to witness the Infiorata: when the steps are laden with flowers, in honor of the Madonna. On July 24th and 25th and August 14th and 15th the steps are again the focus of another of the city's annual celebrations: that of the Luminara. For the occasion, the majolica steps are lit up by some four thousand flickering candles.
The town of Piazza Armerina is known, worldwide, for its mosaics. The mosaics, depicting female athletes, hunting scenes, and animals, adorn the floors of an ancient Roman villa, built as a sumptuous country residence between the 3rd and 4th century A.D. The Villa del Casale and its 3500sqm of mosaics have survived the passage of time exceptionally well and have now been transformed into a museum complex. To best preserve the art works, a series of raised walkways has been created, thus allowing visitors to admire the mosaics from above.
Enna is often described as the "omphalos", or "naval" of Sicily. Situated right in the center of the island, the city is also the highest provincial capital in the whole of Italy, standing some 1000 meters above sea level. The position of Enna, on the Erei Mountains, is so strategic that the ancient Romans referred to the city as "urbs inexpugnabilis". The city's Lombardia Castle, named after the Lombard troops who were once stationed there, is equally "indomitable". Its construction, like that of the 24m high octagonal Torre di Federico II, dates back to the 14th century. It was at this time that the Emperor of Swabia elected to be crowned King of Trinacria and unite his parliament in the castle. During the Bourbon period the fortress was transformed into a high security prison. Today Lombardia Castle is open to the general public and it is well worth making the climb to the top of the Torre Pisana from where a view over the whole of Sicily, as far as Mount Etna, can be seen.
Our journey draws to a close in Caltanissetta. Whilst the name of the city derives from the Arab "Qalat-an-Nisa" or city of women, Caltanissetta's is best known not for its female population but rather for its sulfur mines and, up until a few decades ago, the economy of the city was fuelled almost entirely by the sulfur mining industry. The town's Archeological Museum testifies to the importance of the areas mines. For art lovers the historic center of Caltanissetta is an unexpected treat: its streets are home to any number of baroque churches, built around the 17th century, and adorned with frescoes by the Flemish painter, Guglielmo Borremans. Borremans arrived in Caltanissetta around about 1720 and left his mark in many of the city's houses of worship, in particular in the Cathedral dedicated to Santa Maria La Nova and San Michele.
