Sicily - Itineraries

Trip ideas

The sea beyond the strait

From Reggio Calabria and the Italian mainland, a short journey by ferry and we arrive in Sicily, in Messina, city where one of the greatest artists of the 15th century was born, Antonio di Giovanni de Antonio, better known as Antonello da Messina. His magnificent San Giorgio Polyptic is housed in Messina's Peloritano Museum, the same museum in which Caravaggio's "Adoration of the Shepherds" and "Resurrection of...

Mountains of fire

Known as "the home of the winds", the islands of the Aeolian Archipelago now have few permanent inhabitants but are a favourite haunt in season of many tourists, drawn here by the myriad beaches and azure waters. Listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, the islands are all volcanoes, each of a different age and having unique characteristics. All, except two, are now extinct. The shortest route to the islands is by ferry...

Sicilian islands

This itinerary takes us to a series of magical Sicilian islands, all rising up out of the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean sea, between Sicily and the African coast. We begin our Sicilian island cruise sailing in the direction of Favignana, one of the islands of the Egadi archipelago. Steadily observing our arrival, the 19th century Palazzo Florio was built as elegant residence for the powerful Palermo-born industrialist,...

Dominating Sicily

Palermo is a city which almost inevitably gives the tourist wandering through its ancient streets the impression of being immersed in a film set. The vibrant market of Vucciria is the symbol of old Palermo, where the air is filled with the intoxicating scents of the Mediterranean. Passing through the doors of the city's cathedral or those of the church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti, visitors are transported some 1000 years back in...

Sicilian Baroque

"Irregular, contorted, grotesque and bizarre": this is how Baroque has been described. The style which dominated Europe between the 1600's and 1750's was, without doubt, an exuberant and theatrical one, characterized by bold massing, the play of volume and void, and a profusion of decorative elements that had no parallel in previous architecture. Between the provinces of Siracusa and Ragusa, between the Val di Noto and the...

Sicily's hidden treasures

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...

Etna-watching

Greek tragedies, dramas, contests between gladiators: once upon a time Sicily's amphitheaters were used to stage all genre of theatrical performance and gruesome spectator sport. Many of these immense open air theaters have survived the passage of time and today provide stunning venues for concerts and shows. Each summer, Taormina's Greek theater is used for the Taormina Arte festival. The amphitheater is just one of the many reasons...