 | Acireale
Noble and aristocratic, it shows proud, through his baroque architecture, the age of gold of the 18° century. It is famous for his Palaces and to his 100 bell tower. But above all, it is famous also for the his characteristic Carnival, between the most famous of Italy. |  | Catania
As one of the first Greek colonies, Catania was already founded in the year 729 a.d.. Not until the Roman epoch, the city became a bigger importance. Nowadays, only the ruins of the Amphitheater remember of the ancient past. Although the "Daughter of the Etna" lies the 30 km distant main-crater surrending to the feet, the "father" didn't spare it with his anger. The severest destruction dates back to the year 1669.
Then, lava flew through Catania and filled up the old port. Nowadays, Catania is a lively big city, which doesn't as a trade- and industry-center at all stand behind Palermo- unfortunately neither concerning slums, Mafia and daily violence. The traffic in Catania should be enjoyed with attention. Therefore, it's better to travel there by train. |  | Taormina
Taormina is a mythos. A mythos, on which the landscape, the theatre - the most famous ruins of Sicily- and the many travelers of past times, on whose traces the modern tourist is also moving, have an equal part on. On a 250 meters high plateau, Taormina is "suspended" over the sea, the jagged chain of the Monti Peloritani in the back. From the Greek-Roman theatre and from the places of the city, you can look right on the bay of Naxos, and behind the silhouette of the Etna rises. Besides that, the city has a lot to offer, even if the city is quite overcrowded during peak season. |  | Siracusa
Siracusa, the ancient Syracuse, is put together by two totally different city-parts: The open and friendly old town with the lanes full of corners was built on the bright, hard stone of the island Oritigia, that is connected with the mainland through two bridges. The ruins of the Greek-Roman Time is located a bit into the interior of the country. The Greek theatre, the "ear of Dyonisos" and the Roman Amphitheater are located right in the middle of a new building district that reaches up to the sea.
Siracusa is a very pleasant city, that is a total opposite of the hectic pace of Palermo or Catania. An almost small-town tranquillity is going out mainly from the historic center. The city isn't very suitable for a holiday at the seaside, because the sea is quite polluted. |  | Noto
Considered Sicily's "Baroque City," Noto is in the province of Syracuse, in the southeastern corner of Sicily. Old Noto was completely destroyed in the extremely violent earthquake that struck Eastern Sicily in 1693, a quake that heavily damaged Catania and Syracuse also. The present site of Noto was rebuilt from scratch, and almost entirely in the Baroque style, the prevailing style of building in Sicily at the time. What remains of the old town is located some 13 kilometers from the present town of Noto. Scholars have dated the earliest ruins to circa 800 BC. |  | Isole Eolie
Islands of wild aspect and sombre coloured coasts, which fall sheer into the sea, giving way to islands of soft configuration and with verdant slopes; vast sterile, bleak areas extend alongside fertile, pleasant gardens; inaccessible and winding coasts follow in antitheses to low and hospitable rivieras; bold shaped islets, vigorously outlined against the sky, rise beside others flat and slightly undulating. | | In addition to similar contrasts, characteristic peculiarities render the whole archipelago original and interesting: rocks where Nature has been satisfied to create strange perforated rocks resembling bold bridges and rampant arches; dykes which extend like agile spires and obelisks; azure, Parthenopean type grottos; areas of sea in ebullition (due to underwater fumaroles); extensive regions clothed in all the colours of the rainbow (due to the exhalations of underwater fumaroles); rocks with a network of clefts from which boiling water gushes; wild shaped hills issuing lava and pro jecting lapilli and incandescent scoriae. |  | Gole dell'Alkantara
The Alcantara river, in the course of the millennium, flowing in his natural bed of basaltic rock, it has dug of the impressive Throats making scenery indeed unique. For whoever love the uncontaminated nature, there isn't better landscape. |  | Etna
Etna is one of the most active volcano of the earth. Mongibelle, the mountain of the mountains, call the Sicilians the with 3350 m largest volcano of Europe. Its excact height is difficult to determine - it varies as with all active volcanos. It belonged to the large group of volcanos, which promote highly liquid melts, from which the gases can escape easily, that lowers its explosivity strongly.
Etna does not sleep by any means: Between 10 and 20 larger eruptions per century are counted. Etna does not only erupt from the central summit, frequently tears up fissures at the flanks of the mountain. The largest eruption, which destroyed also sections of Catania, occured 1669. Into the early summer the summit region is snow-covered. On the way from the sea to the summit one drives through most different vegetation and climate zones. In - owing to the volcanic rock - the extremely fruitful level oranges and lemons, a bit higher are vegetables and wine cultivated, later determine forests of chestnut trees the landscape. In the higher positions still brooms and juniper grow, in the summit region - because of the severe climate - almost exclusively lichens. From the north - as also from the south side daily jeep excursions up to approximately 2900 m height are offered (per person 25 euro). From "Rifugio" Sapienza leads an cable railway up to 2600 m height statin La Montagnola (15 euro). To go to the summit without a guide is highly dangerous |  | Caltagirone
Once the location of a Saracen fortress, this high mountain town was rebuilt following the earthquake of 1693. This means that the architecture of its churches is typically Baroque, and while that may be considered unexceptional in Sicily, many older towns here do have at least some medieval elements. Caltagirone has a certain small town Sicilian charm, but it's most famous for its ceramic art.
In fact, Sicilians refer to the "Caltagirone style" in ceramic pottery, characterized by ornate traditional motifs using a limited palette. Today, however, there's little difference between the style of Caltagirone and that of Santo Stefano di Camastra, Sicily's other traditional ceramics center. Being rather remote, Caltagirone is worth a stopover if you're passing through the area, but Santo Stefano is more conveniently situated off a main road between Palermo and Messina, and even has a beach. |  | Piazza Armerina
Founded during the Norman era, its historical quarter has some beautiful churches, including a Baroque cathedral, as well as a well-preserved fortress (Spinelli Castle), but most visitors come here to see the Roman Villa, with its magnificent mosaics. Located a few kilometers outside town, the villa is one of the largest Roman dwellings of its kind to have survived antiquity, and probably belonged to a wealthy patrician.
Depicting scenes from daily life, such as hunting, the mosaics are as remarkable for their sociological value as for their artistry. One of these, showing women clad in two-piece swimsuits exercising with barbells, could well describe a scene typical of the twentieth century. The "Villa del Casale" was built between 330 and 360 AD. |  | Palermo
To dominations suffer, Palermo, between the Sicilian cities, is richest for art and architecture; from the Gothic to the baroque, from the liberty to the neoclassicism. The Arabian domination has stayed of remarkable importance that has influenced not only from an point of view architectural and "botanical", but also in the same culture of the peoples of Palermo. Between the more famous monuments there is also the Massimo Theater (the biggest of Europe and famous for the perfect acoustics). |  | Agrigento
An indespensable leg of a journey for those who want to know the "Magna Grecia", a necessary stop off for pilgrims of eastern spirit, a votive place dear to phylosophers who went looking for knowledge even within the volcanos. Agrigento was a meeting point for all the civilizations that have influenced the scene both externally and internally of Sicily and its proud inhabitants. | |