Climbing up the crater of Stromboli, one of the few active volcanoes in the world, is a unique and unforgettable experience. The crater consists of a cluster of five mouths. A few hundred metres away, you can observe the regular spray of incandescent..

The night-time sight of Stromboli's magnificent natural firework display will leave an indelible impression (during the day the eruptions do not create such a stark contrast). Indeed, after dark is perhaps the best time to appreciate the different as..

The mosaics are the work of Venetian and Sicilian masters (12C and 13C). They tell the story of the divine plan of universal salvation, from the creation of the world and of man up to the intervention of God (central nave). The coming of Christ incar..

In this room in the Villa Romana del Casale , the Room of the Small Hunt, five paintings illustrate the significant moments of a hunt. In an attempt to win favour with Diana, goddess of hunting, who is depicted on a column in the centre of the secon..

This immense gallery in the Villa Romana del Casale , the Corridor of the Great Hunting Scene, contains fine mosaics. On the ground an astounding hunting scene depicts panthers, lions, antelopes, boars, ostriches, camels and elephants being captured..

Three semicircular exhedras open onto a large, square central hall. The central part is decorated with mosaics depicting the Twelve Labours of Hercules , for example the Hydra of Lerna, with Hercules depicted cutting off its heads. At the centre of ..

The Norman palace stands at the centre of a series of squares, in gardens laid out at the end of the 19C. Previously seat of the emir of Palermo, the old qsar was enlarged and improved by the Norman kings, then abandoned before being restored under..

The district developed under Arab rule, around the citadel of the emir. It retains its Arabic name “ al haklisah ”, meaning “the chosen one, the pure one”, and its oriental atmosphere, emphasised by its Arab-Norman monuments. Centred on Piazza della ..

This private chapel is a Baroque masterpiece, attributed to Giacomo Serpotta . During your visit, you will be surrounded by putti , the small cherubim that were so dearly loved by Italian Baroque. The entire interior is sculpted in the stucco, to a..

The chapel is the masterpiece of Baroque sculptor Giacomo Serpotta who worked here from 1686 to 1718. Angels and joyful putti cavort with total liberty of movement and expression; playing, sleeping, crying, laughing, climbing up the window frames..

Austere, yet possessed of a disconcerting beauty, this island is home to the famous Stromboli volcano, which at intervals spurts out plumes of smoke and flames accompanied by explosions. Walkers (of a strong disposition, and making sure to equip them..

Spectacular views from the top of its volcano, black sandy beaches and other beaches where the fumaroles (smoke-holes) heat the water to boiling point, an underground cave (la Grotta del Cavallo), the muddy pool of Venus where you can roll around in ..

The villa was built in the 3C-4C AD in a verdant valley to the south of the village of Piazza Armerina. This lavish residence, located at the heart of a vast estate, charms visitors on account of its exceptional and prodigiously lively mosaics: hunti..

This 5C BC theatre, one of the largest monuments from antiquity, was carved into the rock using the natural slope of the Temenite hill. Inaugurated with Perseus by Aeschylus (think about it), it was built by Damocope, also known as Myrilla. Transfo..

Caravaggio christened this amazing cave in the Latomia del Paradiso quarry: as a result of its exceptional acoustics, the tyrant Dionysus could, it is said, hear everything his opponents whispered. A legend, of course: nevertheless this place, crea..

Do not search for the valley! The temples (a dozen of them) erected in 5 BC, are located on the ridge to the south of the town, . Set on fire by the Carthaginians in 406, they were restored in their original style by the Romans. Earthquakes, fanatica..

The temple, which has been kept intact, dates from 430 AD. but we forget the person to whom it was consecrated. This is a great example of optical illusion. The columns become narrower at the top to make them appear larger but have a bulge two thirds..

The temple stands on a butte surrounded by a deep valley. It is one of the most perfect monuments that have come down to us from antiquity. It was built in 430 BC, in the Doric style and has proportions of a rare harmony. 36 worked columns in a magni..

Apart from the Acropolis in Athens, this ensemble is perhaps the most powerful and evocative site bearing witness to the Ancient Greeks. It has the largest Greek theatre in the world, the amazing “ear of Dionysus” , a Roman amphitheatre and the Gr..

The cathedral was built in 1172 by William II, grandson of Roger II. It was built to rival the largest European cathedrals using the best workman and without stinting on materials. The end result? Luxury. Its exterior has superb motifs characteristic..