TOUR HIGHLIGHTS: CATANIA - SYRACUSE - THE BAROQUE CITIES - RAGUSA - PIAZZA ARMERINA - PALERMO - CEFALU' - MONREALE
DURATION: 7 NIGHTS / 8 DAYS
DAY 1: CATANIA
Arrival at the Catania airport and transfer to Catania. In the afternoon, we will visit the old city centre (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), whose artistic heart is the great Piazza Duomo with the Cathedral of Sant’Agata and the famous Elephant Fountain (the symbol of the city). We will take a walk along Via Etnea, the most elegant street in Catania, and through Piazza dell’Università. Later in the afternoon, we will head to Syracuse. Check-in to our hotel, with dinner and overnight stay.
DAY 2: SYRACUSE
After breakfast, there will be a guided tour of Syracuse (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). We start from the Ortygia Island district, the oldest area of the city, at the centre of which stands the Baroque Cathedral: the only church in the world open for worship set in a Greek temple (dedicated to the goddess Athena). The Greek columns that still support the Cathedral are visible both from inside and outside of the building. Then we will visit the Santa Lucia alla Badia Church to admire Caravaggio's spectacular “Burial of Saint Lucy”. Lunch at your leisure during the visit. Next we will head over to the large Neapolis Archaeological Park, an area that hosts the most beautiful treasures of Syracuse: the 5th-century BC Greek Theatre (the largest in Sicily and Magna Graecia with its 138 m diameter and 46 steps), the Roman Amphitheatre, the Altar of Hieron II (a massive stone basement, 200 m long, used for votive sacrifices) and the area of the Latomie (large stone tunnel-caves used since the time of Magna Graecia), the most famous one being the Latomia del Paradiso, notable for its unique Ear of Dionysus. Return to the hotel, with dinner and overnight stay.
DAY 3: BAROQUE CITIES
After breakfast, we will head to Noto, the “capital of Sicilian Baroque” (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), also known as “Garden of Stone” due to the distinctive local rose-coloured stone used to build many churches and houses. Among the many monuments it is worth mentioning the Cathedral of S. Nicolò (perfectly restored after the collapse of the central nave in 1996) and the Palazzo Ducezio (located in front of the Cathedral), with its large loggia formed by eleven arches. Lunch at your leisure. Next, we set out to Modica (a UNESCO World Heritage Site, 35 km). The Cathedral of S. Giorgio is considered one of the most successful masterpieces of Hyblaean Baroque. The interior, with its five lavishly decorated naves, contains remarkable works such as: a marvellous 16th-century polyptych, precious ancient paintings, a large organ and a sundial. Then we will travel to Ragusa. Dinner and overnight stay.
DAY 4: RAGUSA AND THE GREAT CINEMA
After breakfast, we will visit Ragusa (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Late Baroque architecture can be found in almost all the city’s churches, starting with the characteristic Cathedral. We will take time to visit the ancient quarter of Ragusa Ibla. Optional lunch in a typical restaurant (at an agreed price). We will continue our trip in the famous Donnafugata Castle (15 km), a majestic aristocratic residence from the late 19th century, built on the ancient fortification of the Chiaramonte counts, dating back to the 14th century. The structure has a large neo-Gothic facade, crowned by two side towers, and is divided into three floors, with a total of 122 rooms. The main rooms are open to the public and still contain original furnishings and furniture from the period (the villa was the set for the films “The Leopard”, “I Viceré” and the series “Inspector Montalbano”). Return to the hotel, with dinner and overnight stay.
DAY 5: PIAZZA ARMERINA - PALERMO
After breakfast, we will travel to Palermo, 256 km from Ragusa, along an unusual route in inland Sicily, with unique and evocative views. We will stop at Piazza Armerina, a famous city rich in archaeological attractions, the most striking of which is the magnificent Villa del Casale (3rd-4th century AD), one of the most enchanting among those still preserved, with rooms that have remained almost intact with splendid floor mosaics. The mosaic figures and decorations constitute a unique complex in terms of beauty and scope, and have just been brought back to their former splendour after a long period of restoration. The 17th-century Cathedral, which stands out in the city for its mass and dome, has Baroque features with Mannerist elements, such as the staircase, while the bell tower is in Gothic style. Lunch at your leisure on the way. Arrival in Palermo, dinner and overnight stay.
DAY 6: PALERMO
After breakfast, we enjoy a guided tour of the city of Palermo with its winding alleys and typically Arabian urban structure. We will visit the Teatro Massimo, the largest opera house in Europe, then stroll through the alleys and streets of the Arab quarter until we arrive at the Capo Market, Palermo’s most famous food market (even more famous than those of Ballarò and Vucciria), where many Palermo inhabitants meet to buy local products. It is very lively and famous for its colours, the shouts (“vuci” in dialect) of the vendors and the hubbub of the stalls, so much so that it has become an essential element of the city's character. Inside the market, there is also the Church of the Immaculate Conception, which contains a number of Baroque wonders. Of particular interest is the Cathedral, a majestic building erected in 1184 on the site of a pre-existing Muslim church, and whose 14th-15th century facade is bordered by two bell towers adorned with sculptural motifs that evoke Islamic themes with plant and abstract elements. You will also be able to see the Porta Nuova, created to celebrate the accession of Charles V, and the Palazzo dei Normanni, seat of the Norman and Swabian kings, and now the Sicilian Regional Assembly. Inside there is the Palatine Chapel, one of the most representative expressions of Norman art in the world. The religious monument, built in 1130, features the most significant expressions of 12th-century ornamentation and mosaic, including Christ Pantocrator with archangels and angels in the dome. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.
DAY 7: CEFALU' - MONREALE
After breakfast, we will head to Cefalù, with its magnificent 12th-13th century Norman Cathedral surrounded by two majestic towers, and the interior characterised by ogival arches and a splendid Byzantine mosaic decoration that illuminates the apse. Also of interest is the Osterio Magno, what remains of the Norman-era palace, believed to be the residence of Roger II of Sicily. We may visit the Mandralisca Museum, which houses the famous “Portrait of an Unknown Sailor” by Antonello da Messina. This interdisciplinary museum (with archaeological pieces, paintings, coins, a malacological collection, furniture and valuable objects) was founded by Enrico Piraino di Mandralisca, a fervent supporter of the ideals of the Renaissance. Lunch at your leisure during the visit. Next, we will make our way to Monreale and its cathedral, one of the purest expressions of Norman art, built in the 12th century: the mosaics covering the walls and the Christ Pantocrator crowning the main apse are of great value. The Benedictine Abbey is also worth a visit. Its most striking feature is the splendid cloister, adorned with twin columns supporting ogival arabesque arches, all embellished with mosaic decorations and lively sculptures on the capitals, the work of Byzantine and Islamic craftsmen. Return to Palermo. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.
DAY 8: PALERMO AND DEPARTURE
After breakfast, we will spend the day visiting one of the historical villas chosen among the many princely residences recently opened to tourists, Palazzo Abatellis, seat of the National Gallery of Sicily, and Palazzo della Zisa, a 12th-century building erected during the period of Norman domination (the Normans, who took over from the Arabs in the domination of the island, were strongly attracted by Arab culture and wanted residences as lavish and sumptuous as the emirs, so much so that they organised court life on the model of the Arab one, also adopting its ceremonials and customs). The name Zisa probably derives from al-Azîz (which in Arabic means noble, glorious, magnificent). The Palace also hosts the Museum of Islamic Art, where a number of significant Islamic artefacts from the countries of the Mediterranean area can be found. Lunch at your leisure during the visit. Transfer to Palermo airport for the return journey.
THE OFFER INCLUDES:
Accommodation at a four-star hotel in Syracuse, with 2 days half board
Accommodation at a four-star hotel in Ragusa or surroundings with 2 days half board
Accommodation at a four-star hotel in Palermo’s central area, with 3 days half board
English-speaking guide throughout the tour (or German, French, Spanish)
Gran Turismo bus for the whole tour (from CATANIA AIRPORT to PALERMO AIRPORT)
The offer does not include: anything not specified above.
Request a quote.
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