Must-see attractions in Central Sicily

  • Piazza Armerina, Enna, Sicily

    Villa Romana del Casale

    Central Sicily

    Villa Romana del Casale is sumptuous, even by decadent Roman standards, and is thought to have been the country retreat of Marcus Aurelius Maximianus,…

  • Scalinata di Santa Maria del Monte

    Central Sicily

    Caltagirone's most evocative sight is this monumental staircase, which rises from Piazza Municipio to Chiesa di Santa Maria del Monte. Built in the early…

  • Triclinium

    Central Sicily

    One of a series of apartments on one side of the Ambulacro, the triclinium boasts a splendid floor illustration of the labours of Hercules, where the…

  • Panoramic view of the Greek archaeological site of Morgantina, in the interior of Sicily in Italy.
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carthaginian, tour tourism

    Morgantina

    Central Sicily

    A 16km drive northeast of Piazza Armerina (and a 4km downhill drive from the town of Aidone) lie the noteworthy remains of Morgantina, an ancient Greek…

  • Little Hunt

    Central Sicily

    Of the rooms on the northern side of the peristyle, the most interesting is a dining room featuring a hunting mosaic called the Little Hunt – 'little'…

  • Sala delle Dieci Ragazze

    Central Sicily

    Just off the southern end of the Ambulacro della Grande Caccia, in the Sala delle Dieci Ragazze, is the villa's most famous mosaic. It depicts nine …

  • Peristyle

    Central Sicily

    The main part of the villa is centred on the peristyle, a vast covered courtyard lined with amusing animal heads. This is where guests would have been…

  • Palaestra

    Central Sicily

    The palaestra wows with a splendid, sweeping mosaic depicting a chariot race at the Circus Maximus in Rome (the room is also known as the Salone del Circo…

  • Frigidarium

    Central Sicily

    The radiating apses in the the octagonal frigidarium contained bracing plunge pools.

  • Atrium

    Central Sicily

    This elegant space functioned as the Roman villa's forecourt.

  • Duomo

    Enna

    The Duomo is the most impressive of the historic buildings that line Via Roma, Enna's showpiece street. Built over 200 years after the original Gothic…

  • Cathedral

    Central Sicily

    You can spot the dramatically sited dome of the huge cathedral from a few kilometres away. It rises majestically from the hilltop and the terraced houses…

  • Museo Archeologico di Aidone

    Central Sicily

    This small archaeological museum in Aidone, a 10km drive northeast of Piazza Armerina, is worth a stop on your way to the nearby Greek ruins at Morgantina…

  • Pinacoteca Comunale

    Central Sicily

    Piazza Armerina's small, slick public art gallery showcases mostly local artwork from the 15th to 19th centuries, including altarpieces and frescoes from…

  • Castello di Lombardia

    Enna

    One of Sicily's most formidable castles guards Enna's highest point, at the easternmost edge of the historic centre. The original castle was built by the…

  • Rocca di Cerere

    Enna

    Just below the entrance to Castello di Lombardia is a huge rock, which was once home to Enna's Temple of Demeter (Ceres to the Romans), goddess of…

  • Parco Minerario Floristella Grottacalda

    Central Sicily

    Around 15km north of Piazza Armerina are the historic remains of sulphur mining that was active in the region until the mid-20th century. It's now…

  • Casa Museo del Contadino

    Central Sicily

    A labour of love for its founder, Mario Albanese, this small but meticulously detailed ethnographic museum recreates a typical Sicilian peasant house of…

  • Museo Archeologico di Palazzo Varisano

    Enna

    Enna's archaeological museum houses a good collection of local artefacts (labelled in Italian) excavated from throughout the region, as well as objects…

  • Tenuta Regaleali

    Central Sicily

    Near the village of Vallelunga, this is one of five wine-producing estates owned by the Tasca d'Almerita family, with some 400 hectares of vineyards, a…

  • Ambulacro della Grande Caccia

    Central Sicily

    This 64m-long corridor is emblazoned with dramatic hunting scenes of tigers, leopards, elephants, antelopes, ostriches and a rhino – animals that the…

  • Necropoli di Realmese

    Central Sicily

    Situated 3km northwest of Calascibetta, the Necropoli di Realmese is worth investigating, with some 300 rock tombs dating from 850 BC. To reach the site,…

  • Museo della Ceramica

    Central Sicily

    Down from the main historic centre, this museum is the place to learn about the Sicilian ceramics industry. Exhibits, which include Greek terracotta works…

  • Piazza Crispi

    Enna

    Just off Piazza Vittorio Emanuele is another small square, Piazza F Crispi, commanding sweeping views over the valley to Calascibetta. The piazza is home…

  • Chiesa di San Giovanni Evangelista

    Central Sicily

    Founded in the 14th century, the current Chiesa di San Giovanni Evangelista dates back to the 18th century. Its interior is lavished with the glorious,…

  • Torre di Federico II

    Enna

    Secret passageways once led to this octagonal tower, which now stands in Enna's pine-studded public gardens. Once part of the town's old defence system,…

  • Basilica

    Central Sicily

    After they had been received in the peristyle, guests were led through to the basilica, a building used for public assembly.

  • Tepidarium

    Central Sicily

    In the tepidarium you can see the exposed brickwork and vents that allowed hot steam into the room.

  • Xystus

    Central Sicily

    An elliptical courtyard.

  • Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore

    Central Sicily

    A reconstruction of a 13th-century church destroyed by a landslide in 1757, the current Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore made its debut in 1767…

  • Chiesa di San Francesco d'Assisi

    Central Sicily

    Caltagirone has an extraordinary number of churches, almost 30 in the historic centre alone. Most are baroque, dating to the building boom of the early…

  • Piazza Garibaldi

    Central Sicily

    Caltanissetta's historic centre converges on Piazza Garibaldi, a handsome square flanked by the Duomo, the town hall and the baroque Chiesa di San…

  • Museo Archeologico Regionale

    Central Sicily

    In the suburbs, sporadically signposted from the city centre, the Museo Archeologico displays a collection of prehistoric finds from all over Sicily,…

  • Giardino Pubblico

    Central Sicily

    Next to the Museo della Ceramica, the Giardino Pubblico is a lovely place to see out the late afternoon, perhaps with an ice cream or a glass of something…

  • Palazzo Trigona

    Central Sicily

    Flanking the southern end of Piazza Duomo is Palazzo Trigona, a baronial palace once home to the island's powerful Trigona family. Constructed of…

  • Cattedrale di San Nicolò

    Central Sicily

    Nicosia's cathedral dates back to 1340. It's built in the Gothic style and is capped by a beautiful, painted wooden ceiling. The interior includes a…

  • Chiesa Madre

    Central Sicily

    Calascibetta's most impressive sight is its 14th-century cathedral. Among its highlights are 18th-century paintings by Ludovico Svirech.

  • Museo d'Arte Contemporanea Caltagirone

    Central Sicily

    This small, sadly forlorn museum has an engaging contemporary collection, including works by the renowned local artist Gianni Ballarò.

  • Palazzo di Città

    Central Sicily

    Piazza's former town hall (closed to the public), this elegant, late-baroque palazzo (mansion) overlooks Piazza Garibaldi.