t The blink-and-you-miss-it entrance to the cave dwellings of Cava d’Ispica
A visit to Sicily is a captivating voyage back in time. Turn any corner and come face to face with prehistoric tombs and early Christian settlements, archaeological relics of Greek and Roman origins and castles and fortresses left behind by the Normans, Aragonese and Bourbons.
t The blink-and-you-miss-it entrance to the cave dwellings of Cava d’Ispica
For millennia, Sicily’s citizens took shelter in caves – during storms, invasion, even in death – and left their mark on the rockface. Take the trail from Sortino to Pantalica to get to the Bronze Age necropolis honey-combed into the limestone cliff face. You’ll find pieces excavated from the site exhibited at Museo Archeologico Regionale Paolo Orsi in Siracusia. Alternatively, tread past 10,000-year-old dancing figures in the caves of Favignana or the Byzantine frescoes in the Cava d’Ispica and feel time melt away.
Sicily is strewn with splendid ancient Greek and Roman sites. Wander the fascinating Valle dei Templi, home to the stunning Tempio della Concordia, dating to 430 BC, and the Telamons that supported the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Further inland continue the Olympian theme – at least as we understand it today – at Villa Romana del Casale. Amid the trove of mosaic floors is a rare depiction of ancient women athletes competing in different events.
Uncover Sicily’s tumultuous history in the Norman Castello Ursino’s fascinating museum. Then join ghost-hunters at Castello di Carini (www.comune.carini.pa.it), where the spirit of a murdered baroness set spines tingling amid superb art exhibitions. Opt for more earthly sights at sumptuous Castello di Donnafugata (www.comune.ragusa.gov.it), a key stop on any Montalbano tour.
Mount Etna was seen as the home of Hephaestus, the god of fire, whom the Romans identified with Vulcan. Homer even chose the nearby island of Vulcano, in the Aeolians, as the workplace of this fiery god of blacksmiths. Other myths suggest that Typhon, the son of the goddess Gaia, was trapped under Mount Etna after he rebelled against Zeus, and that the flames that spit out from the volcano are his spouts of anger.
DISCOVER Sicily Your Way
Hellenic
The ancient Greeks left a legacy of awe-inspiring engineering from the 8th century BC.
Carthaginians
This formidable naval power settled in 580 BC.
Roman
The Romans took advantage of Sicily’s sun-drenched hills to make wine.
Byzantine
Made cosmopolitan Siracusi its capital.
Arab-Norman
A mix of Christian and Muslim cultures forged across the island.