It’s simply after 4am once I open my eyes to an odd, dimly lit lodge room. After a 29-hour trek from Australia my physique clock is far and wide, however for as soon as, I’m happy to have a contact of jet lag. I throw the shutters of my room extensive open to search out Syracuse bathed in scrumptious golden mild and unusually quiet – a deep, nearly sinister, air of tranquillity that’s distinctively Sicilian.
After a fast bathe, I’m wandering the abandoned streets of this honey-coloured southern Italian metropolis. Digital camera in hand I snap nearly every part I see from the boat-bobbing harbour to the flowering oleanders, the grand squares, picturesque alleyways and Baroque cathedral.
I’d visited Sicily a few years in the past and carry vivid recollections of hanging out in Palermo earlier than taking a really sluggish practice (the place is Mussolini once you want him?) to Naples, through a ferry throughout the Straits of Messina.
Again then Sicily was sleepy, intriguing, a little bit run-down maybe, with pompous structure and a style for elaborate funerals. And like many travellers my view of contemporary Sicily is, maybe inevitably, largely formed by the prism of The Godfather films and blood-stained information protection of the Mafia, which culminated within the tortuous Maxi Trails of the Nineteen Nineties.
On this go to, I’m eager to see how a lot Sicily has modified, discover the island’s fascinating historical past and go to a few of the well-known archaeological websites, a few of the richest within the Mediterranean.
Join the Traveller Offers e-newsletter
Get unique journey offers delivered straight to your inbox. Enroll now.
I’m right here to affix an eight-day tour of the island run by Cox & Kings. Based in 1758, the corporate constructed its fame on these specialist, small group European itineraries, so I count on a busy schedule, respectable motels, dependable transport and professional commentary.
Whereas my desire is to journey independently, the corporate’s Traditional Sicily tour consists of a few of Sicily’s most necessary websites, together with the Valley of the Temples and Villa Romana del Casale, whereas additionally showcasing the island’s mountain villages, beautiful shoreline and impeccable Norman and Baroque cities – not possible to do as a solo traveller.
After a 60-minute drive from Catania airport, I be a part of my 14 journey companions, a pleasant English bunch of assorted ages, for a glass of prosecco and a chat within the lodge eating room. I additionally meet our tour information Rosalia Coci, a petite lady with enormous data of Sicilian historical past and a ardour for archaeology. Her English is superb and vibrant.
“We Sicilians have been so many issues over the centuries,” she explains. “Now we have been Greeks, Romans, Phoenicians – you title it. However I’m glad to say the Barbarians didn’t go away an enduring impression.”
DAY ONE | On the crossroads of conquerors | Syracuse + Noto
After a leisurely breakfast on the lodge, we board the minibus which might be our fixed companion for the subsequent week. There’s a brief drive to the Parco Archeologico della Neapolis on the outskirts of Syracuse. It’s simply after 9am, however the place is already packed. “Syracuse is a vacationer city,” says Rosalia. “It’s at all times very busy right here.”
Regardless of its garden-like look, the archaeological park is brimming with every kind of wonders, together with a Greek theatre, a Roman amphitheatre and an enormous quarry relationship again to the fifth century BC. The quarry’s most well-known attraction is the so-called Ear of Dionysius, a synthetic cavity within the rock, however the horror of this place is palpable. “Round 7000 Carthaginian prisoners of conflict have been despatched right here,” says Rosalia. “They have been used as slave labour and labored to demise.”
We return to Syracuse for lunch and are free to discover the outdated a part of the town, Ortigia, which accommodates a number of necessary websites, together with the Temple of Apollo and the spectacular seventh century cathedral. Returning to the lodge, I detect a small seashore full of sunbathers, a reminder that the European summer time is already right here.
Then it’s time for our afternoon tour of Noto, a UNESCO-listed hilltop city south-west of Syracuse. The unique Roman metropolis was destroyed by an earthquake in 1693 and rebuilt within the Baroque type. The usage of honey-coloured limestone offers Noto a way of heat, however its civic buildings are grand and opulent.
I’m notably intrigued by the Triumphal Arch which dates from the Bourbon kingship. Noto is a pedestrian zone, and it’s nice to wander alongside Corso Vittorio Emanuele, go to a few church buildings, after which sit on a restaurant terrace with a chilly Messina beer and take in the ambiance.
DAY TWO | Within the shadows of Etna | Catania + Cefalu
Rosalia warns us that right this moment goes to contain a good quantity of journey as we enterprise north to Catania, a serious provincial centre, after which onto Palermo, the capital of Sicily, with a lunch cease at Cefalu, a well-liked seashore resort.
The distinctive form of Mount Etna looms over Catania, Sicily’s second-largest metropolis, and has performed a serious position in its historical past. When Catania was not being laid waste by invading armies, it was threatened by volcanic lava and earthquakes. An enormous quake in 1693 flattened a lot of the metropolis.
“The Greek historical past of the city is a collection of invasions and destruction, however it grew to become way more necessary throughout the Roman occasions beneath emperor Augustus,” explains Rosalia.
As we speak Catania is widely known for its festivals, avenue meals and fish market however will definitely wow lovers of architectural extra. I’m so smitten with the large elephant sculpture in Piazza Duomo that I turn out to be separated from the remainder of the get together. After just a few textual content messages we’re reunited, however I realise how dependent I’ve turn out to be on my fellow travellers.
Sadly, I miss out on each the large cathedral and Catania’s favorite snack of roasted peppers and tripe however do squeeze in a go to to the Roman Amphitheatre, one of many largest in Italy.
It’s a 185-kilometre drive north to Cefalu which gives ample time to be taught extra in regards to the Norman kings who unified Sicily and dominated over the island for 133 years.
After driving by wheat fields and rolling farmland we attain Cefalu. With its umbrella packed seashore and cobbled alleyways this sunny village is the perfect place to relax. I discover a small bistro and order a plate of sardines and a glass of chilled Sicilian white. Bellissimo.
DAY THREE | Sure, there is no such thing as a cannoli | Monreale + Palermo
Cox & Kings step up the lodging for our time in Palermo. Housed in a former financial institution, the Grand Resort Piazza Borsa is actually grand with a pleasant central courtyard and rooms like small flats. It’s additionally terribly formal – workers don formal apparel to serve breakfast.
Whereas the most important streets are busier and scruffier than I keep in mind, the cathedrals, palaces, squares and public gardens look newly scrubbed.
The day begins with a 30-minute drive as much as Monreale, a superbly preserved Norman city within the hills above Palermo. On the town outskirts we see a few of the nation estates that after belonged to Palermo’s richest households and one gifted to Lord Nelson, the place he scandalised English society by finishing up a passionate affair with Girl Hamilton.
The Cathedral of Santa Maria la Nuova in Monreale was a ardour mission for William The Good, King of Sicily, and blends Islamic and Norman architectural influences. This outstanding construction, which is superbly preserved, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Web site since 2015.
Returning to Palermo we go to the Norman cathedral, or duomo, and the sprawling Palazzo dei Normanni, which incorporates the Cappella Palatine.
The inside of the chapel is roofed with elaborate Byzantine-style mosaics representing scenes from the Previous Testomony. “This chapel was commissioned by Roger II [in 1130] and is kind of outstanding,” says Rosalia. “The mosaics depict all of the church fathers. Right here you see St John, St Gregory and St Basil.”
We cease for a light-weight lunch at a family-run restaurant earlier than persevering with our strolling tour of Palermo. I persuade Rosalia to take a detour to the Monastery of Santa Caterina which is famend for its cannoli – basic well-known Sicilian pastries product of tube-shaped, deep-fried pastry dough shells stuffed with ricotta cheese – however we go away empty-handed. “There is no such thing as a cannoli right this moment,” she says. “Palermo has a water scarcity and the bakery can not function.”
DAY FOUR | Of vanished cities and hilltop cities | Segesta + Erice
After one other luxurious breakfast at Grand Resort Piazza Borsa, we board the minibus for an extended drive that can take us throughout the highest of Sicily and down the east coast to Segesta, stepping off level for the Valley of the Temples.
The terrain is harsher and drier right here, however we’re quickly rewarded by our first glimpse of the Doric temple at Segesta, one of many best-preserved Athenian temples within the Mediterranean.
The distant, rural location provides to the sense of drama as we stroll as much as the temple which was constructed between 430 and 420 BC. Though Greek in type, the unique settlers are thought to have been Trojan exiles. “The temple appears spectacular, however it was by no means really completed,” says Rosalia. “There have been so many wars and different points occurring.”
Segesta was as soon as the centre of the enigmatic Elymian civilisation, stated to have been based by Trojan exiles who have been continually shifting their allegiance between Rome and Carthage.
As we speak’s customer enjoys a way of serenity that the unique settlers clearly by no means expertise. The town that after stood right here has vanished, so working your fingers alongside one in all these historical columns is a bitter-sweet sensation.
Subsequent cease is Erice, a flawless Sicilian village perched atop Mount Erice and commanding beautiful views over the town of Trapani. “I feel you’ll like Erice,” says Rosalia. “As a result of everybody likes it.” Followers of Erice embody the poet Virgil who mentions the city in his well-known work, the Aeneid, however its historical past stretches again to the Elymian and Phoenician occasions. Later got here the Arabs, Normans and Spanish.
With its cobbled streets, alleyways, cafes and memento outlets, Erice attracts loads of vacationers, however retains a relaxed, charming ambiance. Historical past buffs can discover the city’s two forts, one Saracen and the opposite Norman, or simply sit on the outdated ramparts and benefit from the views.
DAY FIVE | On an amble by antiquity | Agrigento + Valley of the Temples
The city of Agrigento serves as our base from which to discover the Valley of the Temples, the centrepiece of this Traditional Sicily itinerary.
This arid valley, dotted with almond timber, options eight Greek Doric temples relationship again to the sixth century BC. Misplaced for hundreds of years, these temples have been solely rediscovered by archaeologists within the 18th century.
“After the Greek interval, the Romans constructed a 12-kilometre wall across the park, however the temples later fell into disrepair – the Temple of Concordia was transformed right into a church and is the perfect preserved,” says Rosalia.
Our morning saunter by the Valley of Temples is probably the most arduous of the whole journey however is exhilarating and informative. Our legs and brains are each aching as we drive to a small trattoria within the countryside between Agrigento and Piazza Armerina. For lunch, we’ve got plates of hearty beef ragu and slices of chilled melon for dessert.
Two hours later we’re deposited at one more archaeological website, however one that just about eclipses the Valley of the Temples. Courting from the fourth century, Villa Romana del Casale was as soon as the centre of an enormous property. Buried beneath tonnes of mud by a flood within the twelfth century, the property was rediscovered 700 years later, its stunning mosaics as vibrant as ever.
Gazing down on the depictions of on a regular basis Roman life, sea voyages, unique African animals and girl athletes (the so-called bikini women) is actually spine-tingling, transporting the viewer to a world so faraway from our personal.
“We imagine this was a summer time residence for a rich man,” says Rosalia. “The property is split into a number of elements. There are the proprietor’s personal flats, an space for company, a gymnasium, a banqueting corridor and thermal baths which have been open to the general public.”
DAY SIX | Below the volcano | Taormina + Mount Etna
After the sensory and mental riches of the previous 5 days, I’d imagined that the tempo would decelerate. How unsuitable may I be? The earlier night we’d pushed to the medieval city of Taormina. A Sicilian model of Capri, this hilltop honeypot simply oozes type, sophistication and cash. An episode of The White Lotus was filmed on the 4 Seasons Resort right here and on the city’s magnificent Teatro Greco.
Over the centuries Taormina has attracted European royalty, artists, film stars and writers. D.H. Lawrence and his spouse Frieda lived right here for 2 years and I managed to trace down his outdated home – now locked up – which has positive views over the Ionian Sea. “We love Taormina and particularly our home,” he wrote. “I really like [watching] the solar rise over the open sea to the east.”
Our lodging is known as Resort Splendid and shares the identical jaw-dropping vista that Lawrence loved. After breakfast, we’re off for a morning tour of Mount Etna, Europe’s highest (3327 metres) energetic volcano – its final eruptions have been in 2001 and 2002.
The drive takes us up by vineyards, citrus orchards and neat little villages. The wealthy volcanic soil is chargeable for the world’s abundance of cherries, hazelnuts, pears, strawberries, pistachios and, after all, grapes.
“A nationwide park was established in 1987 which covers Mount Etna and in addition protects all of the communities that exist on its slopes,” says Rosalia.
After pulling into the customer centre, we spend a contented hour clambering round its naked, greyish slopes and photographing the moon-like craters. Our lunchtime cease is at Murgo Wines, one in all 150 vineyards within the Mount Etna DOC, the place we take pleasure in platters of cured meats, cheese and pickled greens and get to pattern some property wines, together with a refreshing Etna rosso and an inky cabernet sauvignon from its Catania vineyards.
Gazing down over the plains under us this looks as if the proper place to say farewell to Sicily, however we’ve got a full afternoon of sightseeing in Taormina earlier than us. After seven days on the highway, we’re nonetheless wanting to see extra.
5 extra issues to see and do in Sicily
Escape to the Aeolian Islands
Older Sicilians go all misty eyed on the point out of the Aeolian Islands. Identified domestically because the Seven Sisters, the archipelago off the north-eastern tip of Sicily has been a favorite vacation hang-out for many years. Volcano Island, the closest to Sicily, affords the uncommon likelihood to hike on an energetic volcano plus taking a soak within the island’s health-giving thermal springs.
Sicily’s most charming village
Sick of preventing the crowds in Taormina? Then head up the hill to the medieval village of Castelmola. Constructed round a ruined Norman fortress, the village is remarkably unspoilt, with picturesque terrace homes, slender alleyways and a number of other historical church buildings. Guests who hike the 5 kilometres from Taormina are rewarded with sweeping views of Mount Etna and the Straits of Messina.
Enna: A metropolis within the sky
At 931 metres, Enna is Italy’s highest provincial metropolis and one full of historical monuments and archaeological websites. Often known as “the navel of Sicily” Enna is a surprising mountain city however attracts few vacationers due to its distant location. Over the centuries, Enna has been dominated by the Greeks, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Arabs and the Normans who’ve all left their mark. Its many points of interest embody Italy’s largest medieval fortress (Castello di Lombardia), a 14th century cathedral, and a temple website devoted to Demeter. It additionally levels a number of dramatic spiritual festivals, together with Madonna of the Visitation.
Hike Cavagrande del Cassibile
Cavagrande del Cassibile is a nature reserve close to the cities of Avola, Noto, and Syracuse. Eager walkers can be a part of a guided hike alongside a 10-kilometre stretch of the Cassibile River. The trail passes by canyons and scrub and ends on the Cavagrande lakes. Different points of interest embody the necropolis of Cassibile, an archaeological website boasting a big system of caves and tunnels.
The world’s most stunning metropolis
Destroyed by a 1693 earthquake, Scicli was rebuilt in Baroque type. The author Elio Vittorini described the resultant civic masterwork, 25 kilometres south of Ragusa, as maybe “probably the most stunning metropolis on the earth”. As we speak’s guests to the city take pleasure in a wealth of ecclesiastic structure, positive boulevards and imposing city squares set in a dramatic gorge.
THE DETAILS
TOUR
Traditional Sicily is an eight-day Cox & Kings tour of the Mediterranean’s largest island visiting the important thing historic and archaeological websites, from Syracuse within the east to Erice within the west. Costs begin from $5995 an individual and embody four-star lodging, all entrance charges, breakfasts and a few meals, personal transport and a tour information. See coxandkingtravel.com
FLY
Cathay Pacific flies from Sydney and Melbourne to Rome through Hong Kong a number of occasions every week, with connecting ITA Airways flights to Catania-Fontanarossa Airport. See cathaypacific.com
MORE
visitsicily.information/en
The author travelled as a visitor of Cox & Kings Australia.