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Wednesday September 7 |
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Arrivals in Palermo throughout the day. Transfer to the hotel.
Check into the Grand
Hotel Piazza Borsa, Palermo.
3:00 pm Afternoon orientation tour of the city by bus including the port, Quattro Canti, Via Maqueda, Corso Vittorio Emmanuele, the Fontana Pretoria, Porta Nuova, Porta Felice, the Loggiato diSan Bartolomeo and other points of interest.
Palermo
The old city centre of Palermo is one of the largest in Europe and also one of
the richest and most varied. It contains over 500 palaces, churches, convents,
and monasteries, plus seven theatres. The city has steadily expanded since the
period of Phoenician colonisation, with successive waves of Greeks, Romans,
Byzant
ines,
Arabs, Swabians, Normans, and Spaniards, until the more recent town-planning
initiatives in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. As a result,
Palermo is extremely variegated and complex in its layout, although it has also
succeeded in maintaining a clearly recognisable overall uniformity of structure
and character.
Private welcome reception at the hotel followed by dinner.
Overnight: Grand Hotel Piazza Borsa, Palermo.
The 5-star Grand Hotel Piazza Borsa is the result of the extensive restoration
of three ancient “palazzi” in the historic centre of Palermo. The hotel
consists of an old convent and the majestic church of the Mercede Fathers, the
cloister of which remains intact in the new structure as well as the monumental
staircase. The building also comprises the old bank Cassa di Risparmio. The
rooms and suites are all individually designed with beautiful, large bathrooms.
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THURSDAY september 8 |
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Buffet breakfast in the hotel.
Transfer to Palazzo dei Normanni for visit of
the Palatine Chapel.
The history of the palace can be traced to the 9th century and the days of the
Arab emirs and their harems, but perhaps goes back even further. The Arabs
built the palace on an earlier Roman and Punic fortress. Over time, the palace
was abandoned by the Arabs, but the conquering Normans restored it to a
sumptuous residence. The most significant addition that has come down to
us is the exquisite Cappella Palatina (Palatine Chapel) built by Roger II from
1130 to 1140, adorned with extraordinary Byzantine mosaics. The chapel features
a nave and two aisles divided by oval arches.The central area is surmounted by
a hemispheric dome set on corner niches over a mosaic floor with walls of
marble wainscoting. At the entrance to the nave is a monumental royal throne.
Biblical scenes cover the walls and ceiling with the image of Christ
Pantocrator, surrounded by angels in the cupola.
Continue to the Cathedral.
The cathedral was built by the Normans on the exact spot of an early Christia
n
sanctuary. This was later transformed into a Christian basilica and then an
Arab mosque. The building has undergone some drastic transformations over the
course of the centuries. The most important changes were in the 15th and 16th
centuries, when the beautiful southern portico in Catalan-Gothic style was
created (1453), and the 18th century, when the cupola was added.
The vast interior, now in neoclassical style, conserves the sarcophagus of Frederick II, together with those of Roger, Henry VI, and Constance of Hauteville, as well as numerous works of art, including a silver urn with relics of Santa Rosalia, Palermo's patron Saint.
Visit of Museo Archeologico Regionale
.
Housed in a former monastery of the Filippini, Palermo's Regional
Archaeological Museum is one of the most important archaeological museums in
Italy. The museum is filled with artifacts from prehistoric times to the Roman
era.
Lunch at La Cambusa in Piazza Marina.
A visit of the collection of Palazzo
Abatellis.
Erected in the late 15th century, Palazzo Abatellis was Francesco Patella’s grand
residence and is one of the best-known and most important palaces in Palermo.
Construction of the palace began in 1495 and was supervised by Matteo
Carnalivari, a key figure of the period, who 
designed
a truly innovative building by introducing new forms in the Gothic-Catalan
style. After the palace was severely damaged by bombing in the Second
World War, restoration work began with the aim of turning the building into a
museum. The task was given to Carlo Scarpa, who in 1953-54 fully restored the
palace’s former splendor by revealing its exquisite 15th century architecture.
Palazzo Abatellis now houses the Sicilian Regional Art Gallery and an important
Department of Prints and Drawings. We will visit highlights of the collection
including the famous Triumph of Death by an unknown artist, as well as
works by Antonello da Messina, Laurana, and many others.
Dinner at leisure. Overnight: Grand Hotel Piazza Borsa, Palermo.
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FRIDAY september palermo |
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Buffet breakfast in the hotel.
Transfer to Monreale.
Visit of Monreale Cathedral and cloister.
Monreale is a town of Norman origin, famous for its art treasures and
craftsmanship. The Cathedral dedicated to Santa Maria La Nuova is world
renowned for the mosaic 
decoration
of the interior. The walls are entirely covered by outstanding mosaics totaling
more than 6,300 square meters, telling the long story of Man and his salvation.
This work of Byzantine artists and local craftsmen with clear Islamic influences
was completed in 1182. Greek and Latin inscriptions accompany scenes of
Creation and other Old Testament scenes in the nave, and scenes from the Life
of Christ in the sanctuary. In the choir are figures of apostles, saints
and archangels. The Madonna with Apostles and Saints, surrounded by hosts
of angels, is depicted in the central apse, while Saint Peter and Saint Paul
are represented in the left and right apse respectively. Above the royal
and bishop’s thrones, which flank the high altar, are the coronation of William
II and the consecration of the church to the Virgin Mary. Figures of
popes, bishops and doctors of the church are portrayed in smaller areas near
the arches and on the walls. The entire cycle is dominated by the enormous
Christ Pantocrator from the bowl-shaped vault of the central apse. Also of
interest is the bronze door by Bonanno Pisano of 1186, consisting of 42 panels
with Biblical scenes.
Lunch and afternoon at leisure.
Private visit, cocktails and dinner at Palazzo
Ugo with Baron and Baroness Camerata.
Palazzo Ugo was erected at the turn of the 17th century by combining earlier 
mansions
owned by several noble families. At the beginning of the 18th century it was
rebuilt by Vincenzo Ugo, Marquis of Favare. Descendents of this family are
still the owners. The façade overlooking the square, renewed and completed in
1713, has three entrances. The elaborate central doorway is flanked by columns
and surmounted by the balcony of the piano nobile. The opening of the
balcony is adorned with two statues which were once part of a sarcophagus. The
interior is composed of a series of rooms situated around a central courtyard.
Each room has a different color and style holds a different collection of
decorative or fine arts.
Overnight: Grand Hotel Piazza Borsa, Palermo.
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saturday september 10 |
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Buffet breakfast in the hotel.
Departure from Palermo transfer to Planeta Winery
“Ulmo” at Sambuca di Sicilia. 
Here we will enjoy a tour of the winemaking
facilities and a tasting lunch.
Planeta is one of the most renowned winemakers in Sicily. It is in fact
composed of four wineries located on 975 acres in four different areas of
Sicily. But everything began at Sambuca di Sicilia, on the Ulmo estate
which the family has owned since the 1600's. Ulmo is today devoted to the
great white wines - Alastro (Chardonnay and Grecanico), Chardonnay and Cometa
(Fiano) while the reds are produced in the other three wineries. The
architectural style of Ulmo’s 17th century farmhouse cohesively blends in with
the surrounding vineyards and olive groves.
Continue to Villa Athena in Agrigento. Check-in to our hotel. Dinner in our hotel.
Overnight: Hotel Villa Athena,
Agrigento.
The 5-star Hotel Villa Athena is the result of the restoration of a noble villa
of the late 18th century. It is set in an attractive garden, within the Valley
of the Temples Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.The building
is just 200 meters from the Temple of Concordia, a true masterpiece of Doric
style (5th century BC).
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sunday september 11 |
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Buffet breakfast in the hotel.
Short transfer to the top of the Valley of the
Temples.
The Valley of the Temples is one of the most important archeological sites in
the world displaying outstanding examples of Magna Grecia art and
architecture. The site has been listed as a UNESCO world heritage site
since 1998. Here are the ruins of numerous temples built to symbolize the
prosperity of the city, but also necropoli, houses, streets and everything else
one would expect to find in an ancient city including a small amphitheatre, as
well as several auditoria. Many of the temples are in ruins and several appear
to have never even been completed.
The term "valley" is a misnomer, the site being located along a
rocky escarpment on the bank of the Akragas River. Here stood ancient Akragas
and at the mouth of the river its harbor and emporion (trading-post) all dating
back to the 5th century BC. The site includes remains of seven temples,
all east-facing according to Classical criteria and all built in the Doric
style. The identification of the names, apart from that of the Olympeion, is a
mere tradition established in the Renaissance. Much of the excavation and
restoration of the temples was due to the efforts of archaeologist Domenico
Antonio Lo Faso Pietrasanta (1783-1863).
The temples are:
Temple of Juno, built in the 5th century BC and burnt in
406 BC by the Carthaginians. It was usually used for the celebration of
weddings. It is intact enough to be able to compare its style to that of
the temples at Paestum, near Salerno. 
Temple of Concordia, whose name stems from a Latin inscription found nearby, and which was also built in the 5th century BC. Turned into a church in the 6th century AD, it is now one of the best preserved in the Valley.
Temple of Heracles, who was one of the most venerated
deities in ancient Akragas and t
he
oldest of the temples here. It was destroyed by an earthquake and consists
today of only eight columns.
Temple of Castor and Pollux. Despite the fact that its remains include only four columns, it is now the symbol of modern Agrigento.
Temple of Vulcan, also dating from the 5th century BC. It
is thought to have been one of 
the
most imposing constructions in the valley. It is now however one of the most
damaged by time and natural phenomena.
Temple of Zeus Olympic, built in 480 BC to celebrate the city-state's victory over Carthage. It is characterized by the use of large size atlases or telamones.
Temple of Asclepius, located far from the ancient town's walls. It was the goal of pilgrimage of people seeking cures and healing.
The Valley is also home to the so called Tomb of
Theron, a large monument of pyramidal shape which scholars suggest was
built to celebrate the Roman victims in the Second Punic War. 
Lunch at Trattoria dei Templi.
Visit of the Archaeological Museum.
The regional archaeological museum of San Nicola is one of the most important
museums of Sicily. Designed by Franco Minissi, it was built in the 1960s on the
hill of San Nicola 
where
the villa of Ciantro Panitteri once stood, in the heart of the ancient city.
The building blends the old restored Cloister of St. Nicholas with the modern
structure. The museum offers a fine introduction to the splendors of ancient
Akragas and gives an insight into the life of the Greek settlers. Our guided
tour of the Archaeological Museum begins in front of the gothic portal of the
Cistercian Church of St. Nicholas with its magnificent Romanesque façade where
there is also a view of the Temples, the remains of the upper agora with the
ekklesiasterion (assembly meeting place) from the time of Timoleon and the
cloister of a Cistercian monastery. We continue inside and visit the main rooms
displaying figurines, ex- votos, local pottery (7 century BC) and Attic vases
including a crater with a scene of sacrifice, another with Perseus and
Andromeda and the "vase of Gela.” Particularly noteworthy are the
kouros from the severe period known as the Ephebe of Agrigento and the
Telamon giant statue from the Temple of Olympian Zeus.
Dinner at Ristorante Il Dehor.
Overnight: Hotel Villa Athena, Agrigento.
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monday september 12 |
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Buffet breakfast in the hotel. Transfer to Piazza Armerina. Coffee break on arrival.
Visit Villa Romana
del Casale. 
The Villa Romana del Casale is the richest, largest
and most complex collection of late Roman mosaics in the world. The Villa
Romana del Casale is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Villa Roman del Casale was constructed on the remains of an older villa
in the first quarter of the fourth century, probably as the centre of a huge
latifundium covering the entire surrounding area. How long the villa kept this
role is not known, maybe for less that 150 years, but the complex remained
inhabited and a village grew around it, named Platia, derived from palatium. It
was damaged, maybe destroyed during the domination of the Vandals and the
Visigoths, but the buildings remained in use, at least in part, during the
Byzantine and Arab period. The site was
finally abandoned for good when a landslide covered the villa in the 12th
century CE, and remaining inhabitants moved to the current location of Piazza
Armerina.
Lunch at Torre di Renda overlooking Piazza Armerina.
Transfer to Taormina and check into San Domenico Palace Hotel. Dinner at Osteria Nero d'Avola.
Overnight: San Domenico,
Taormina.
A former 14th century monastery, the San Domenico Palace Hotel offers views of
incomparable beauty, as described by Goethe in 1767. Historical patrons such as
Wagner and Guy de Maupassant found inspiration in the hotel's luxuriant
gardens, where fragrant orange blossom, rose and jasmine bloom in striking
contrast against the snow-capped backdrop of Mount Etna. Today, the unique
atmosphere and unsurpassed hospitality continue to attract the most discerning
clientele.
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Tuesday september 13 |
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Buffet breakfast in the hotel.
Historical walking tour of Teatro Greco and
other sites in Taormina.
Taormina dominates two grand sweeping bays with a breathtaking and dramatic
view of almost 100 miles of the Mediterranean. Noted for its mild climate, this
town was settled by the Siculi and subsequently occupied by Greeks, Romans,
Byzantines, Saracens, Arabs, Normans and Spanish. We will see the vestiges
of some of these civilizations as we explore the town. But today’s invaders are
certainly the tourists who flock here for dining, bar-hopping, shopping, and
enjoying the nearby beaches. Its first tourist is said to have been Goethe, who
arrived in 1787 and recorded his impressions in his Journey to Italy.
Other Germans followed, including a red-haired Prussian, Otto Geleng. Arriving
at the age of 20 in Taormina, he recorded its beauties in his painted
landscapes.
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These landscapes were exhibited in Paris and caused much excitement --
people had to find out for themselves whether Taormina was really that
beautiful. Another German, Wilhelm von Gloeden, arrived to photograph not only
the town but also naked boys crowned with laurel wreaths. His pictures sent
European high society flocking to Taormina. Von Gloeden's photos, some of which
are printed in official tourist literature to this day, form one of the most
enduring legends of Taormina. Souvenir shops still sell the pictures which,
considered scandalous in their day, seem tame - even innocent - by today's
standards. In von Gloeden's footsteps came a host of celebrities hoping to see
what all the excitement was about: Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, Marlene
Dietrich, Joan Crawford, Rita Hayworth, and Greta Garbo. Always in disguise,
sometimes as "Harriet Brown," Garbo used Taormina as a vacation
retreat from 1950 until her last mysterious arrival in 1979. Garbo and many
other stars stayed at a villa on the road to Castelmola owned by Gayelord
Hauser, the celebrated dietitian to Hollywood stars of the golden age. In time,
another wave of stars arrived, including Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton,
Cary Grant, and the woman who turned Grant down, Sophia Loren.
Teatro Greco
The Greek Amphitheater is Taormina's most visited monument, offering a view of
rare beauty of Mount Etna and the seacoast. In the Hellenistic period, the
Greeks carved the theater out of the rocky slope of Mount Tauro.
Subsequently the Romans remodeled and modified it greatly so that what remains
today dates mostly from the 2nd century A.D. Today, Taormina's Greek theater is
the site of the annual Taormina film festival.
Transfer to Il Biviere garden for a visit
followed by lunch with the owner Principessa Miki Borghese.
Preserved in the State Archives of Palermo is the Edict of King Martin, dating
to 1392, in which the fief of ‘Il Biviere di Lentini’ is granted to a maternal
ancestor of Scipione Borghese. From 1393 until 1930 this estate stood on
the edge of a lake. Land reclamation work begun that year was initiated
in the hope of creating more farm land. But the estate began to degenerate,
until it finally became the home of Scipione and Maria Carla (Miki) Borghese in
the 1960s.
A love and passion for plants has transformed what was once a desolate place, surrounded only by stones and dust, into a unique and particular Mediterranean garden. The dusty rocks have made room for the fertile soil trapped by the waters of the lake for thousands of years. The ancient port of the lake facing south, enclosed by enormous boulders hewn by hand, is now the charming and luxuriant welcome to the main façade of Casa del Biviere. On the jetties, restored with loving attention and grace, an extraordinary collection of succulents brought in from many far-off countries form what looks like a walkway of green statues.
Optional visit of Mount Etna with
vulcanologist.
Mount Etna is the second largest active volcano in Europe, currently standing
3,329 meters (10,922 ft) high, though this varies with summit
eruptions. It is also one of the most active volcanoes in the world as it is in
an almost constant state of eruption. Our visit with a local expert will
explore up-close the technical and geological aspects of this fascinating
natural phenomenon.
Transfer back to our hotel.
Dinner at leisure.
Overnight: San Domenico, Taormina.
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wednesday september 14 |
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Buffet breakfast in the hotel.
Transfer to Syracuse.
Visit of Archaeological Park on
the way into the city.
Syracuse's Archaeological Park contains the town's most important attractions,
all on the mainland at the western edge of town. Here the Teatro Greco
(Greek Theater) was one of the g
reat
theaters of the classical period. Carved from rock during the reign of Hieron I
in the 5th century B.C., the ancient seats have been largely eaten away by
time. But you can still stand on the remnants of the stone stage where plays by
Euripedes were mounted. The theater was much restored in the time of Hieron II
in the 3rd century B.C. Today, the Italian Institute of Ancient Drama presents
classical plays by Euripedes, Aeschylus, and Sophocles here. Outside the
entrance to the Greek Theater is the most famous of the ancient quarries,
Latomia del Paradiso (Paradise Quarry), one of four or five from which stones
were hauled to erect the great monuments of Syracuse in its glory days. Upon seeing
the cave in the wall, Caravaggio is reputed to have dubbed it the "Ear of
Dionysius" because of its unusual shape. You can enter the inner 
chamber
of the grotto, where the tearing of paper sounds like a gunshot. Legend has it
that the despot Dionysius used to force prisoners into the "ear" at
night, where he was able to hear every word they said. Nearby is the Grotta dei
Cordari, where rope-makers plied their craft. A rather evocative but gruesome
site lies on the path down into the Roman amphitheater. The Ara di Lerone, or
Altar of Heron, an immense altar used by the Greeks for sacrifices involving
hundreds of animals at the same time. A few pillars still stand as well
as the mammoth stone base of this 3rd-century-B.C. monument. The longest altar
ever built, it measured 196 meters by 23 meters (653 feet by 75 feet).
The Anfiteatro Romano (Roman Amphitheater) was created at the time of Augustus.
It ranks among the top five amphitheaters left by the Romans in Italy.
Walking tour of historic center of Syracuse
including the cathedral and Caravaggio’s famous painting of the Burial
of St. Lucy.
Of all the Greek cities of antiquity that flourished on the coast of
Sicily, Syracuse (Siracusa) was the most 
important.
In its heyday it was a formidable competitor of Athens and it dared take
on Carthage and even Rome. Colonists from Corinth founded Syracuse on the
Ionian Sea in about 735 B.C. Much of its history was linked to despots,
beginning in 485 B.C. with Gelon, the tyrant of Gela, who subdued the Carthaginians
at Himera. Syracuse came under attack from Athens in 415 B.C., but the main
Athenian fleet was destroyed. Dionysius I was one of the greatest despots,
reigning over the city during its greatest glory in the 4th century B.C., when
it extended its influence as a sea power. But in A.D. 212, the city fell to the
Romans under Marcellus, who sacked it. In that attack, Syracuse lost its most
famous son, the Greek physicist and mathematician Archimedes, slain in his
study by a Roman soldier.
The historic center of Syracuse is called Ortigia Island. The island,
reached by crossing the Ponte Nuova, is about a mile long and half again as
wide. It has been inhabited for many thousands of years and forms what the
locals call the Città Vecchia (old city). It contains the town's Duomo
(cathedral), many rows of houses spanning 500 years of building styles, most of
the city's medieval and baroque monuments, and some of the most charming vistas
in Sicily. In Greek mythology, it's said to have been ruled by Calypso, daughter
of Atlas, the sea nymph who detained Ulysses (Odysseus) for 7 years.
The Duomo of Syracuse illustrates more than any other structure in town the
changing colonization and architectural styles that have dominated the city
over the centuries. The present cathedral incorporates architectural fragments
from a temple honoring Athena dating from the 5th century B.C. In its heyday,
this Greek temple was spoken of in revered tones by the people of the
Mediterranean. A visitor in the 1st century B.C., Cicero spread its glory and
wrote about the lavish temple adornments of gold and ivory. For miles at sea,
sailors could see the golden statue of Athena shining like a beacon. Twenty-six
of the temple's Doric columns are still in place. In 1693, an earthquake caused
the facade to collapse, and in the 18th century the cathedral was rebuilt in
the baroque style.
Not far from the Duomo is the Bellomo Gallery with a collection from the Early
Christian and Byzantine periods to the 18th century. Most noteworthy are Antonello
da Messina’s Annunciation and Caravaggio’s Entombment of Santa
Lucia.
Lunch at Don Camillo.
Transfer back to the hotel.
Rest of the afternoon at leisure.
Final dinner on the terrace of the hotel with views of Mount Etna.
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Thursday September 15 |
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Buffet breakfast in the hotel.
Individual departures from Catania or continue to Naples post-trip.