DK Travel : Sicily : Places of interest

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Aeolian Islands

The islands were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in recognition of the ongoing evolution of the volcanic forms that creates their spectacular scenery. The islands remain an important study area for vulcanologists (see Aeolian Islands).
Agrigento and the Valle dei Templi

The Valley of the Temples was the heart of one of the most important cities in the ancient world and is a prime example of the magnificence of Magna Graecia (see Agrigento and the Valle dei Templi).
Albergheria

Bordered by via Vittorio Emanuele and via Maqueda, this rather poor residential area is a maze of streets spanned with billowing laundry. The heart of the neighbourhood is given over to the Ballarò market (see Ballerò, Palermo). Don’t miss the 17th-century Chiesa del Carmine on via Giovanni Grasso with its stuccoed interior and frilly, polychrome cupola.
Aquarium, Syracuse

The Syracuse Acquario offers a close look at marine life in the Mediterranean, housed in 40 different tanks. Additional sections are dedicated to freshwater and tropical habitats. Located at the Fonte Aretusa on the island of Ortygia, entry is from the marina below.
Badia di Santo Spirito, Caltanissetta

The Abbey of the Holy Spirit was founded around 1090 by Count Roger and his wife, Adelasia, and consecrated in 1153. It is one of the few Romanesque Norman buildings to remain intact. The exterior is unadorned except for the portals and the small, triple apse articulated with tall, narrow arcading. The interior contains 14th- and 15th-century frescoes and an dedicatory inscription dating from 1153 in the apse.
Beaches

The bathing establishments found on most beaches offer chair and umbrella rentals, and many rent out pedal boats and watersports equipment such as windsurfing boards. Kids love snorkelling in Sicily’s clear waters, where an entire ecosystem of fish and shellfish live near the shoreline. Masks, flippers, floating boards and other snorkelling equipment can be purchased from even the smallest of shops in seaside villages (see Beaches).
Caltabellotta

This tiny village, 950 m (3,100 ft) above sea level, has a lovely medieval centre. In 1090, the already fortified village was taken from the Arabs by the Norman king Count Roger, who built the Chiesa Madre and fortified the now ruined castle. It was in this castle in 1194 that William III, heir to the Norman throne, and his mother were imprisoned and probably murdered by Emperor Henry VI; it was also the site of the signing of the 1302 peace treaty between Frederick II of Aragón and Charles of Valois, putting an end to the Sicilian Vespers (see The Sicilian Vespers).
Caltagirone

Named after the Arabic Cal’at Ghiran (Castle of Vases), ceramic production has been the main industry in this town since prehistoric times, a tradition documented at the local Museo della Ceramica. The Baroque town built onto a steep hillside is a pleasure to wander through, with characteristic alleyways, cafés and ceramics shops. A stairway leads from the lower town up to the church of Santa Maria del Monte, and each of the 142 steps is decorated with majolica tiles.
Castello Maniace

Frederick II built this castle around 1239. It takes its name from the Byzantine George Maniakes who “liberated” Syracuse in the 11th century.
Castles

All of Sicily’s invaders needed to defend their position, so they built fortified castles along the coastline and on high points inland to guard the roads and towns. Sicily’s countless castles are rich in history and offer plenty of good romping around the ramparts, searching for secret passageways, dungeons, trapdoors, tiny spy windows and hidden places from which the occupants would pour boiling oil down onto the enemy (see Castles).