World Heritage Sites in Sicily

Sicily for its natural and artistic beauties has been awarded by UNESCO with seven 'World Heritage' sites: the Aeolian Islands, the Archaeological Area of Agrigento, the  Roman Villa del Casale in Piazza Armerina, the late-Baroque cities of the Val di Noto, Syracuse and the rock necropolis of Pantalica, Mount Etna,   Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedrals  of Cefalù and Monreale.

 

 

The Aeolian Islands are a handful of 7 volcanic islands, scattered in the Mediterranean northeast of Sicily, each with its own individuality:

 

 

 

 

 

 

And in this volcanic land, in the province of Catania, stands Mount Etna - a World Heritage Site since 2013 - which dominates Sicily and the Mediterranean, the highest (3300 meters) and the most imposing volcano in Europe, constantly monitored and studied by scientists all over the world for its millenary activity. On its slopes vineyards are cultivated that give a fine wine and the famous Bronte pistachio, while on its summit, before reaching the volcanic desert, there are beech and oak forests that can be reached with exciting excursions both by jeep and trekking.

 

 

 

 

Among the millenary sites, a place of honor belongs to Syracuse, on the Ionian coast - founded by the Greeks in the eighth century BC - which Cicero called 'the most beautiful city of Magna Graecia', so much so that it competed with Athens. The center is formed by the Ortigia Island, connected to the mainland by two bridges, an architectural jewel where the Sicilian Baroque dominates, a style in which the city was rebuilt after the violent earthquake of 1693. The Greek presence is present in various monuments such as the Greek Theater, the Temple of Apollo, the Ear of Dionysus and, on an ancient temple dedicated to Athena, now stands the Cathedral , also a fine example of island Baroque. The city has inspired myths and poems since ancient times, also because it was dedicated to the nymph Arethusa, who gives her name to the famous fountain in the center; here to visit there is the Archimedes Technopark, which presents the inventions of the famous mathematician who was born here.

 

 

40 kilometers from Syracuse is the rock necropolis of Pantalica with over 5000 tombs carved into the rock dating back to the period between the thirteenth and seventh centuries BC. The Anaktoron ruin, or Prince's Palace, is interesting for its Mycenaean influences that show the relationship between this area and Greece.

 

 

 

 

And again an archaeological area, the most important and perhaps well-known in Sicily is The Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, along the southern coast of the island: a very well preserved site in an archaeological park with a vastness of 1300 hectares, with extraordinary Doric temples that denote the greatness in antiquity of the city also founded by the Greeks in the sixth century BC and soon became an important commercial and cultural center.

 

The valley is a magnificent example of Greek architecture, with numerous temples - there are 11 - dedicated to Hellenic gods, such as the Temple of Juno, Athena, Zeus and  Heracles and is among the most important sites in the world of Doric architecture, as well as being one of the largest.

 

The Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina is the symbol of a more recent era: the greatest example of a late-imperial Roman luxury villa; famous for the richness of its mosaics from the fourth century AD. which testify to the cultural exchanges in the ancient Mediterranean between the Roman and North African worlds. There are 3500 square meters of this splendid villa, which is divided into 48 rooms with mosaics still intact in their splendor and representing hunting scenes, as well as depictions of gods and heroes. Between the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries the villa became an agricultural center, so it still bears the name of Casale.

 

 

 

And another wonder of Sicily are the eight late-Baroque cities of the Val di Noto which, in addition to this and Catania, have the names of Caltagirone, where artistic ceramics are produced, Militello in Val di Catania, Modica, also famous for its chocolate, Palazzolo, Ragusa and Scicli, all rebuilt in the typical Sicilian late-Baroque style After their destruction by the terrible earthquake of 1693: sumptuous palaces, churches with rich interiors and inlaid facades, made of local honey-colored stone, represent one of the greatest expressions in the world of this evocative style.

 

 

 

And there is also an Arab-Norman Sicily, with the beautiful city of Palermo and the Cathedrals of Cefalù and Monreale. Present on the island in the twelfth century, the Normans had the merit of converging cultures of various origins on the territory: Western, Byzantine, Islamic, which gave life to true masterpieces with an original architectural style: the palaces, churches, the Admiral's Bridge in the city, as well as the nearby Cefalù and Monreale, testify to this.

 

 

In the city, the Royal Palace or Norman Palace , built by Roger II, King of Sicily, is still intact in all its splendor, with the extraordinary frescoes of the Hall of Roger representing hunting scenes and the evocative Palatine Chapel shining with Byzantine mosaics depicting scenes from the Old and New Testaments. Also notable for its Byzantine-Norman style is the Orthodox Church of the Martorana.

 

 

Cefalù, a beautiful seaside town that denotes the passage of various civilizations over the centuries, still shows off Byzantine mosaics with gold background decorations inside its Cathedral, an evocative crossroads of Arab-Norman and Byzantine art, mosaics also present in the Cathedral of Monreale, this one just 5 km from Palermo, built between 1172 and 1176 by the Norman William II king of Sicilytag.

 

 

Monreale was in fact a favorite place for the Norman kings who loved to spend their moments of rest here. The interior of the Duomo is covered for more than 7500 square meters. of splendid mosaics, especially in the apse dominated by a monumental Christ Pantocrator, a symbolic image of the Orthodox religion. The adjoining Benedictine cloister is an architectural jewel, where the columns and ogival arches recall the motifs of Arab art.

 

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