by Jane Parlane

Sicily is synonymous with sun, history, lemons and the mafia. But don’t let the mafia scare you into staying away – they aren’t interested in tourists. Instead you’ll get a warm welcome from most Sicilians who are more interested in showing off their treasures than depriving you of yours.

There are plenty of reasons to visit Sicily, the Mediterranean’s largest island, including gorgeous towns, fascinating archaeology from ancient Greek, Roman and Norman times and delicious seafood, wine and cassata.

The ancient city of Palermo, Sicily’s capital city, is a great starting point for a seven-day tour by rental car. Having arrived early on an overnight ferry from Naples we taxied to the main railway station where we caught a local bus for the 15km journey to Monreale, famous for its grand Arab-Norman cathedral adorned with colourful glass mosaics dating from the 12th century. The Roman Catholic and eastern orthodox cultures blend splendidly and there’s much to admire including the cloisters and bronze doors.

The bus back dropped us at the Piazza Indipendenza, the site of one of Europe’s most beautiful castles. The Royal Palace of Palermo, dating from the ninth century for many centuries housed Sicily’s rulers and even today it’s the seat of regional government. Local politicians are lucky enough to govern from such an architectural gem with its beautiful mosaics, painted roof and marble walls.

In 1599 a local nun was mummified in Palermo so all could still pray to her. Today her body has been joined by thousands more, all lined up like paintings in walls at the Capuchins’ Catacombs. There are bodies in their original clothes centuries old, skeletons and even children. It’s an eerie sight and afterwards we embraced fresh air, bright sunshine and a Sicilian light lunch of pepperoni, salami, olives, fried eggplant and polenta.

Ancient fishing village

In our rental car it was an easy one-hour drive east to Cefalu, originally a fishing port. Now it’s an attractive cobblestoned tourist town with a sandy beach – not completely lined with recliners. Our accommodation was in an old stone house just a minute from the cathedral and main square. It was easy to find a restaurant table overlooking the sea and over a chilled Sicilian wine watch the bright pink sunset explode while families paraded past.

Next day, after a croissant and cappuccino in the piazza, we chose the coast road as far as Tindari where we stripped off for a refreshing swim. Afterwards we headed for Taormina on the autoroute, through tunnels and past Messina until we climbed up the steep hill where the town spreads out. It took a while until we found the entrance to the main car park and its lift took us close to our hotel in the Corso Umberto, the pedestrian-free main street with its lovely alleyways and views down to the Ionian Sea 250 metres below and up to Mt Etna – Europe’s tallest active volcano which was gently blowing its stack.

Sicilians promenading

Taormina has many bars where you can sip a Marsala or Campari martini and just people watch. Most evenings you’ll see Sicilians decked out in their finery strutting the streets. Alternatively book an opera or concert at the Ancient Theatre dating from Greek and Roman times – sadly the opera was cancelled during our stay. But the swordfish at a trattoria washed down by a local wine and tiramisu to follow eased the pain.

Two days later we arrived at Syracuse, on Sicily’s south-eastern corner, once the most powerful city in the Mediterranean. We stayed at Ortigia island, the oldest part of the city, which is linked to Syracuse by a bridge. With its mix of splendid medieval buildings, including a cathedral dating from the 7th century, and Greek and Roman amphitheatres on the outskirts, it’s no wonder UNESCO has listed the entire area a World Heritage site.

It was an easy day trip the next day to the ancient limestone towns of Modica, Ragusa and Noto, the latter famously rebuilt in 18th century in the baroque style after an earthquake destroyed the town in 1693.

After two nights in Syracuse we drove through olive tree and vine-covered countryside to find the world’s largest collection of late Roman mosaics in situ at the Villa Romana del Castale near Piazza Armerina. Also UNESCO protected, the large villa was once owned by Emperor Maximian. Its mosaics are in such good state today because they were covered by a landslide that occurred in the 12th century.

A valley of Greek temples

Our final destination for the day was Agrigento, famous for its Valley of the Temples. It was exhilarating to look out of our hotel window and see Greek temples standing there. This once ancient city, Akragus, was dominated by seven great Doric Greek temples built in the sixth and seventh centuries BC. Today several are still wonderfully preserved making the area one of the world’s most important archeological sites. It’s easy to spend two hours with a guide wandering the site, especially in late afternoon when the sun lights up the temples. A bonus for us was the spectacular exhibition by world-renowned Polish sculptor Igor Mitoraj cleverly placed among the ancient structures.

We planned to spend our last night in north-eastern Erice. I’d read that it was a medieval town near the coast but did not realise, until our ‘sat nav’ directed us up a hill, that it was situated on top of a mountain with a dramatic view 750 metres down over the wide plain and city of Trapani. Our hotel swimming pool seemed to be on the edge of a precipice and the town was hidden by an old stone wall. Erice, with its slippery polished flagstones, also tumbles down the hill, with bars offering tempting icy fruit granitas and excellent restaurants like the Monte San Giullano tucked away, vines concealing their stone entrances.

It was an easy drive on the autoroute to catch our flight from Palermo airport the next morning – just over an hour.

Our week in Sicily gave us a great taste of the place – its food, wine, fascinating archaeology and gorgeous medieval towns – we hope to return for a second course another day.

Wine Tasting and Sicilian Lunch at a Winery in Agrigento

2-hour Private Valley of the Temples Tour in Agrigento

If You Go:

By air:
You can fly into Palermo (Raisi Falcone Borsellino), Catania (Fontanarossa Vincenzo Bellini) or Trapani (Birgi “Vincenzo Florio) international airports with Rome and Milan being the most popular places for connecting flights.

By train:
There are many rail services to Sicily with the trains going on a barge for an hour over the Strait of Messina.

By sea:
Ferries and hydrofoils depart from several cities along the coast of Italy. A hydrofoil service from Naples takes five hours. Several ferry companies offer overnight trips and some will accommodate cars. Ferries go to Sicily from Naples, Citavecchia (Rome), Genoa, Livorno, Salerno, Calabria, Malta, Tunisia and Malta. One of the most popular ferries is from Villa San Giovanni in Calabria to Messina, in eastern Sicily. We traveled overnight on a Tirrenia ferry from Naples to Palermo (www.aferry.com/tirrenia.htm). The cabin was clean and tidy, the restaurant onboard canteen style. Arriving at 6.30 AM gave us a day of sightseeing in Palermo before we collected our rental car in the afternoon and drove to Cefalu on the coast for the night.

By car:
If you are an independent traveller, driving around Sicily is a great way to go, but because of some of Sicily’s narrow village streets, I recommend renting a small car. We rented a car from Europcar.

Our timetable:
Day 1 – Palermo and night at Cefalu
Day 2-3 – Taormina
Day 4-5 – Syracuse
Day 6 – Agrigento
Day 7 – Erice
Day 8 – flew out from Palermo

We stayed at the following hotels and booked most of them online at www.booking.com
♦ Palazzo Maria, Cefalu (Our accommodation was in an attractive old stone house)
♦ Hotel Taodamus, Taormina
♦ Hotel Gutowski, Ortygia, Syracuse
♦ Coleverde Park Hotel, Agrigento
♦ Hotel Belvedere, Erice

Restaurants we enjoyed were:
♦ Trattoria Don Camillo, Taormina
♦ Trattoria Archimedes, Syracuse
♦ Ristorante Monte Sa Guillano, Erice

About the author:
Jane Parlane is a freelance writer. She is author of ‘Wonderful Waiheke’ – a pictorial book about Waiheke Island, 30 minutes by ferry from Auckland, New Zealand, where she lives. She is also a published short story writer.

All photos are by Jane Parlane.

Southern Italy and Sicily

by Troy Herrick

Centuries before the Romans conquered southern Italy and Sicily, the Greeks had already colonized the hospitable coastlines here. The Greek population was so large that the Romans referred to these two regions as Magna Grecia (Greater Greece). The process of settling Greater Greece was the original “How the West was Won”.

Paestum on the Italian mainland plus Agrigento and Syracuse on Sicily are the three best Greek settlements for touring. Paestum has three of the most complete Greek temples in Italy. Agrigento boasts the Valley of the Temples; Syracuse showcases an ancient Greek theatre and several temple sites. Each of these UNESCO World Heritage Sites also has a museum displaying a wealth of Greek items. All three sites are easily accessible and make for great day trips into the past.

Paestum

Greeks established Paestum in 600 BCE as “Poseidonia” in honor of their sea god Poseidon. The Lucanians would conquer this city two centuries later but not before its Hellenic residents built three temples, now some of the best preserved in Italy.

All three temples face eastward, presumably to allow the rising sun to shine on any deity statues inside. Furthermore, they are close together on flat terrain which allows for easy comparison. Having these three large structures so close to the road as you arrive is intimidating. You almost feel like their respective deities are still inside demanding your worship and sacrifices.

The Temple of Hera at the southern end of the archeological site was built around 550 BCE. All of the fifty greyish sandstone columns forming the peristyle remain upright. Unusual for temples at other Greek cities, remnants of a small sacrificial altar grace the front of the structure rather than the interior.

The neighboring Temple of Poseidon, dating to 450 BCE, is the largest and best preserved structure on site. Thirty-six honey brown travertine columns form the peristyle. This temple reflects the transition between the Archaic and later Doric styles. Again the remains of two altars are located in front of the structure. Only the larger altar is of Greek origin; the smaller is Roman.

The grey limestone Temple of Ceres, built about 500 BCE, is a short walk to the north. This temple with 34 columns is the first anywhere in the Greek world to display a transition between the Doric and later Ionic styles. Remnants of an altar are found in front of this temple as well. Three medieval Christian tombs were installed under the floor indicating that this temple was once a Christian church.

The Ekklesiasterion is located just inside the park fence, opposite the museum. The circular, limestone oratory was the site of democratic assembly for this city-state. This low-lying structure has 10 levels of seats.

Cross the road to the Archeology Museum of Paestum. This museum features local objects collected from the Greek, Lucanian and finally the Roman periods. Prized Greek items include metopes taken from another Temple of Hera several kilometres north of Paestum, 6th century BCE bronze vases decorated with rams and sphinxes, black and brown pottery, bronze helmets and breast plates.

Agrigento

The Valley of the Temples at Agrigento is all that remains of the ancient Greek city of “Akragas”. Founded in 582 BCE, residents would construct eight temples over the next century. Of these, only five are accessible on site.

Your step back in time begins with a panoramic view of ancient structures peeking out from behind groves of trees to pique your curiosity. The five Doric temples, in various states of disrepair, are set on a ridge and not in a valley. Arriving on site, you find that the park is divided into two separate sections, each with its own entrance.

The Temple of Concordia, constructed around 430 BCE is the best preserved. All 34 honey brown calcarenite columns remain standing. This structure was saved from destruction because it was transformed into a Christian basilica in 597 CE. A Christian necropolis used between the 3rd and 6th centuries CE is located nearby.

The Temple of Hera stands at the highest point of the ridge. Twenty five of its 34 honey brown calcarenite columns remain standing, making it the second best preserved temple in the park. This temple was constructed between 450 and 440 BCE.

Long ago earthquakes toppled the remaining three temples. Much of their debris was recycled for other structures in the area. The temple of Heracles is the oldest of these three temples, having been constructed about 500 BCE. Eight of its original 38 honey brown columns were partially restored in 1923 by the Englishman Alexander Herdenstel.

Exit this side of the park to visit the last two temples. The first is the Temple of Castor and Pollux (Dioscuri). Four of the 34 honey brown columns remain standing amidst fruit-laden olive trees. Here visitors find that Greek-style columns were not one solid cylinder. Rather they were assembled from several cylindrical drums. The end of one of these drums features a square indentation. A wooden peg may have been set in this indentation as a means of aligning and stabilizing the drums as they were stacked one upon the other. Visitors should note that some of the drums on site may have belonged to other structures at one time.

The Temple of Olympian Zeus is now in total ruins but in its time it was the largest Doric temple ever constructed. History records that construction was never fully completed. Unlike many other Greek temples of the period, the spaces between its columns were walled in. This was in part facilitated by incorporating 25-foot high human figures known as telamons to support the building. The telamon on site is only a copy; one of the originals is exhibited in the Archaeology Museum.

You can put the Valley of the Temples into perspective with a tour of the Archeology Museum.

This museum displays Agrigento-area objects from the pre-historic to Roman periods. Greek items include black and orange figured pottery, sarcophagi, coins, a bronze warrior helmet, wall paintings and 5th century BCE statues of various deities. You can also study a scale model of the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Note that each telamon only fills the upper half of each space between the columns. When you finish with the museum, tour the ruins on the grounds.

Syracuse

Syracuse was founded by the Greeks in 734 BCE. By 413 BCE, it had become the most powerful Greek city in the ancient world after defeating Athens in a great sea battle. Reminders of its Hellenic heritage are found throughout the city.

Arriving at the Neapolis Archeological Park you find little evidence of any ancient structures within. Your first impression is that of a quarry. Appearances are deceiving as the park actually includes the largest Greek theatre in Sicily. This theatre is hidden from view by trees. You only discover the structure when you arrive on site. Carved out of a limestone hill in the 6th century BCE, this theatre held 15,000 spectators in 67 rows of seats. A tunnel around the periphery may have allowed people to enter and exit the theatre quickly. The upper level of the structure features a number of arches carved out of the solid rock as small “grottos”. One of these holds a small waterfall inside. Compare this Greek theatre to the nearby 3rd century CE Roman amphitheatre. The Greek theatre is semicircular and open while the Roman structure is oval and enclosed.

A short walk outside the park brings you to the Paolo Orsi Regional Archeology Museum. Recovered items date from the mid Bronze Age to the 5th century BCE and include Greek statuettes, orange and black glazed pottery, spear points, ax heads and a sickle. Scale models of the Temples of Athena and Apollo put the remnants of these local structures into perspective.

Leave the Museum and walk to Ortygia Island, the historic center of Syracuse, for more Greek history. Your first destination is the remains of the 6th century BCE Doric Temple of Apollo. Only two of its 42 grey limestone columns and a section of wall remain standing. This temple is in a serious state of disrepair after last having been used as a church during the Norman period almost one thousand years ago. The temple grounds are fenced off from the public.

A short walk away, you find a 7th century CE Duomo decorated with a Baroque façade. Inside, ten greyish brown columns have been incorporated into the side walls of the nave. These columns are all that remains of the 5th century BCE Doric Temple of Athena.

In Summary

Paestum, Agrigento and Syracuse are three different perspectives of ancient Greek society. Their respective colonists were intent on permanent settlement and except for Paestum they were largely successful. None of these sites were cultural backwaters. Residents built all the amenities for self-sufficiency and eventually achieved a level of sophistication that was comparable to the cities that they left behind in their homeland.

Paestum Greek Ruins Private Tour

If You Go:

Paestum

♦ Paestum is 85 kilometers south east of Naples (39 kilometers south of Salerno) and is accessible by train. The train station is a 15-minute walk from the archeological site. Purchase the combination pass to the archeological site and the Archeology Museum of Paestum. The cost was 6.50 Euros at the time of my visit.
♦ Visitors cannot enter any of the temples at Paestum.

Agrigento

♦ Agrigento is 2 hours from Palermo by train.
♦ Take buses 1, 2 or 3 from the Agrigento train station to the Valley of the Temples. The bus fare was 1 Euro at the time of my visit.
♦ Purchase the combination pass for the Valley of the Temples and the museum. The cost was 10 Euros at the time of my visit.
♦ Visitors cannot enter any of the temples at Agrigento.
♦ The Archeology Museum is approximately 500 meters from the Valley of the Temples on Via dei Templi as you walk back toward Agrigento.

2-hour Private Valley of the Temples Tour in Agrigento

Syracuse

♦ Syracuse in at the end of the train line that also includes Messina, Taormina and Catania. Purchase the combination pass for the Neapolis Archeological Park (Parco Archeologico della Neapolis) and the Paolo Orsi Regional Archeology Museum (Museo Archeologico Regionale “Paolo Orsi”). The cost was 9 Euros at the time of my visit.
♦ The Neapolis Archeological Park is located at Via Del Teatro (off the intersection of Corso Gelone and Viale Teocrito).
♦ The Paolo Orsi Regional Archeology Museum is located at Viale Teocrito 66 approximately, 500 meters from the Parco Archeologico della Neapolis.
♦ The Temple of Apollo is located in the Piazza Pancali at Largo XXV Luglio and Corso Umberto in Ortygia.
♦ The Duomo is located in the Piazza Duomo.

Private tour to Syracuse – Archaeological Park and Ortigia with option of Food and Wine tasting

About the author:
Troy Herrick, a freelance travel writer, has traveled extensively in North America, the Caribbean, Europe and parts of South America. His articles have appeared in Live Life Travel, International Living, Offbeat Travel and Travel Thru History Magazines. He also penned the travel planning e-book entitled ”Turn Your Dream Vacation into Reality: A Game Plan for Seeing the World the Way You Want to See It” – www.thebudgettravelstore.com/page/76972202 based on his own travel experiences over the years. Plan your vacation at his www.thebudgettravelstore.com and www.plan-a-dream-trip.com

Photo credits:
All photos are by Diane Gagnon. She is a freelance photographer who has traveled extensively in North America, the Caribbean, Europe and parts of South America. Her photographs have accompanied Troy Herrick’s articles in Live Life Travel, Offbeat Travel and Travels Thru History Magazines.