Charatteristics
·
Category: Local culture,
life, heritage
· Duration : 10 days, 9
nights
·
Period: to be customized according to
the needs of the tourists
·
Accommodation: Hotels 3 stars/private houses
·
Type of trip: Travelling tour transported
Notes : The currency is the € = Euro. All the selected hotels offer the wifi service
free of charge.
The trip
1th
day
Arrival to
Catania Airport and meeting with your courier. Accommodation in private bus and
transfer to the hotel. Dinner in a small trattoria of the historical centre of
the town. First impact with a ride of tastes that will last for the whole tour
and will seduce with a swirl of unique aromas mounted up by the many cultures
overlapped during the millenniums. Overnight at hotel in Catania.
2th
day
Breakfast at the hotel and guided tour of the city
where the Etna eruption of 1696 and the disastrous earthquake of 1693 almost
cancelled the whole city, rebuilt according to a rational town planning scheme
which designed wide streets and large squares easily attainable in case of new
earthquakes. The Duomo square is the Baroque symbol of the reconstruction and reminds
how the building style of churches and palaces customized, lightening, the heavier leading architecture of the
Spanish rulers. But the Baroque central quarter and Crociferi street, with the
Ursino Castle and the Roman Amphitheatre, don’t hide the living atmosphere of
the most modern and industrial city in Sicily.
In the
afternoon, transfer to Ragalna CLC, the first Centre of Local Culture that you
meet, where you will be warmly welcomed by the local community and take part to
a kitchen lesson, cook with them a dish of the dinner but mainly will be
introduced by them to the culture which generated it. A dinner with the hosts
and a trained participation to a local dance, illustrated as an example of
popular expression in the ceremonies, will end an unforgettable evening.
Overnight at
hotel in Ragalna.
3th day
Breakfast at the hotel and departure for Taormina,
founded in the IV century a.c. by the Greeks. It shows many beautiful
monuments: the Greek-Roman theatre, the medieval palace Corvaja (XI century),
the Renaissance cathedral (XV century). But it’s fame is due to the discovery
by Goethe and the young scions of the European aristocracy of nineteen century
who came for the Grand Tour of Italy.
They invite
you to follow their traces walking along Avenue Umberto I where overlook
ancient churches and palaces of an incredible mix of styles, from the Romanic
to the Gothic, the Renaissance, the Baroque and the Rococo, according to
different interpretations (Italian, English, Spanish). But, when you are
admiring the details of these superb architectures, from the interstices
between them, you have sudden perspectives of the sparkling view of the coast
that will fill up your eyes in the squares of IX Aprile, of the Cathedral. And
finally you will rest on the stands of the amphitheatre, suspended between sea
and sky, from which you can see down below the whole coast. Free shopping in Taormina.
In the
afternoon, after the free dinner, before returning to the hotel, you will stay
for a fast visit to Savoca, on the coast, and have a look to the places where
were filmed many scenes of the “Godfather” by Francis Ford Coppola. You can
also go down into the crypt of the Monastery of Capuchins where the corpses of
the noble men of Savoca lay mummified. There, like in many places in Sicily,
get evident the contrasts between form and spirit of the religion, between
different behaviours of rich and poor men in front of the death, between
religious rites and spirituality.
The return
to Ragalna CLC for a typical dinner brings the surprise of an evening cheered
up by the performance of the “pupi”, the
famous Sicilian puppets. Their histories of the day-by-day life and of the
ancient duels between Christian and Arabic knights open a window into the
popular legends and how are lived, even nowadays, the events in form of a fight
between Good and Evil.
Overnight at
the hotel in Ragalna CLC.
4th day
Breakfast at the hotel and departure to visit Mount
Etna, the bigger volcano in Europe and one of the most active in the world.
Will be
possible a full tour by bus or also an easy hiking of 4 hours along the slopes
of the volcano and the park of Etna called by the Arabs “jebel utlamat” the
mountain par excellence.
During the
guided hike you’ll discover the beautiful Natural Park, temple of the
biodiversity, characterized by urban landscapes, dense forests that maintain
different unique plant species and wasteland covered with volcanic rock.
After the
visit, you will reach Linguaglossa to visit a beautiful winery followed by a
wine tasting and a dinner with delicious local products.
At the end,
back to Ragalna CLC and overnight at the hotel.
5th day
Breakfast at
the hotel and check out.
Departure to Syracuse and accommodation in hotel.
Guided visit of the Archaeological Park, one of the most important ancient
Greek site of Europe, of the Latomia (stone quarry) and its grottos (Ear of
Dionisos), of the Greek theatre.
Early in the
afternoon, visit of Ortigia, the island which is the oldest part of Syracuse,
with its Apollo temple, the Cathedral, the Maniace castle, the Medieval
district. Here you have in front of you all the history of Sicily and can
understand the overlapping of the many cultures (by Sicanis, to the Phenicians,
the Greeks, the Romans, the Arabs, the Normans, the Spanish, the French, the
... Italians) whose interactions created the unique Sicilian spirit.
Dinner in a
small restaurant and overnight at the hotel.
6th day
Early
breakfast at the hotel to leave for the animal reserve of Vendicari where in
1512 hectares on the sea, a whole ecosystem lives near important ancient
vestiges from the Greek to the Byzantine ages.
Stunning landscapes, a thick vegetation which opens out of the blue on a
crystal-clear sea, long golden beaches which in few meters change into
overhanging rock-faces. From observation shacks you can observe migrant
flamingos, herons, storks, resting before reaching their destinations. And then
you will have a look at the “tonnara” of Vendicari, where the tuna fishes were
slaughtered in a bloody rite.
In the afternoon, departure to Noto and guided tour of
the treasures of the baroque city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the
highlights in southern Sicily. The town is built on terraces, which are
connected by monumental flights of steps. Here you have full immersion in the Baroque, walking along
the avenue Vittorio Emanuele, crossing the Public Garden, entering the
Franciscan Church and the Order of Santa Chiara Church, reaching the Piazza del
Municipio with the City Hall in the Palazzo Ducezio and peeping into the
Cathedral.
You will see
many monuments but will have the real feeling of how much of the Spanish
domination has moulded in 560 years (except short interruptions) and, blending
with other influences, has created the Sicilian culture not easy to understand
even by the Italian “continentals”.
More, you
will understand the birth of a self-made justice, initially in replacement of a
void created by the progressive draw-back of the state Spanish Bourbon
organization, but later (after the 1815) structured more and more, as mafia,
into a criminal counterpart of the State.
The tour
continues to Ispica CLC, dinner and participation with the local hosts to a
musical entertainment expression of the popular culture. Overnight at the
hotel.
7th day
Departure to
visit Ragusa, a curious example of a town with double identity, where the
original Ibla, destroyed by the
earthquake of the 1693, started to be re-built only forty years later in the
same place and according the same structure as before the destruction. In
parallel the New Ragusa was rebuilt following the “modern” criteria of the
Baroque town planning and developed over the times. Whereas Ibla stayed
blocked, suffered a continuous depopulation but maintained a fascinating
medieval structure rich of baroque palaces and churches.
The guided
visit of Ragusa starts with its Cathedral and continues with “Archi” district,
which homes four of the eighteen UNESCO monuments of the city.
Return to
Ispica CLC for a visit of the town like an open air museum, followed by a
participative kitchen lesson of a local recipe.
The framing of the dish into the Sicilian traditions
will complete the case history of the cultural riding started with the city
tour and which will finish with a dinner with the local hosts.
Overnight in
Ispica CLC.
8th day
Breakfast at
the hotel and check out.
Departure
for Agrigento. Along the road, the bus crosses Licata near the four points of
landing of the Allies in the second world war and the start of the invasion of
Italy. It will be able to let understand most of the evolution of the Italian
political life after the 2nd world war.
Agrigento offers a double scenario: the magic “Valley
of the Temples” of the last Greek colony in Sicily, an UNESCO World Heritage
site, where is possible to understand the separation and also the links between
political and religious power in the Greeks culture, transposed into the Roman
political assets and which permeated the principles of the Occidental
Democracies.
Going up the
hill, another chapter of this novel is the visit of the medieval city: Saint
Spirit and the cloister, Rupe Atenea and the Norman Cathedral, where the people
live and looking down enjoy the sight of the temples in the stage of the sea.
In the
afternoon, departure to Palermo, accommodation in the hotel and dinner in a
typical restaurant where will be tasted the specialties of the northern
Sicilian food.
Overnight at
the hotel in Palermo
9th day
Breakfast at the hotel and start of the Palermo
walking tour. You will enter the heart of the historic market, U Capu, where
history, tradition and street food mix with the
voices and faces of the people of Palermo. Through alleys, palaces and
ancient legends you reach the Norman Cathedral and among the gardens of Villa
Bonanno and the ancient ruins of the Paleopolis you will enjoy the Royal Palace and the splendid mosaics of the
Palatine Chapel in which Arabs, Byzantines and Normans shared their knowledge,
esoteric secrets, habits and life with great tolerance. Discovering medieval
quarters, Spanish facades and courtyards of the historic mansions, a surprise
visit will introduce you to the city into the city: the Hebrew ghetto of
Palermo. Finally here you are at The Four Corners for a new cultural
experience, the visit of St. Joseph of the Theatines, potent antagonists of the
Jesuits.
After a free
lunch when it is possible to taste the best Sicilian street food, in the
afternoon, the tour goes on through the famous Pretorian Fountain, also called
the “fountain of shame” for its naked statues and San Cataldo of the Order of
the Knights of Malta (XII century). Then you will cross the tiny streets of the
Corporations of artisans to reach St. Francis of Assisi. From there, you will
discover the richest and darkest centuries of Sicilian history stressed out by
the social criticism of the Serpotta’s stuccos in the Oratory of San Lorenzo
and by the scenes of the famous movie
“The Gattopardo” shot among the noble furnishings, collections and
stables of Palazzo Mirto.
Both these
visit point out the definitive loss of power by the old aristocracy, set aside
both by the new political and economic order introduced by the Piedmontese
government with the Italy Kingdom and by the increasing underground criminal
power of the mafia.
In the shade
of the ancient Ficus Magnolioides of Marina Square in another surprise visit you
will follow the footsteps of the Holy Inquisition.
Our walk
ends in the old port district of La Cala
where you will eat the traditional Sicilian cannoli and gelati.
Overnight at
the hotel in Palermo.
10th day
Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Transfer to
Monreale, the last and one of most beautiful jewels of Sicily. Here you can see
and detect the influences of fully different cultural universes: Islamic,
Norman, Byzantine and Romanic in a surprising artistic melting pot expressed in
the Cathedral and its mosaics, in the cloister and in the Collegiata.
The last
images of the complex history witnessed by Monreale will stay for a long time
in your minds to remind you that we must be proud of the past which moulded our
soul and contributed to our being, who and what we are now.
Transfer to
the Palermo Airport and end of the Sicily Tour.
RATE PER
PERSON (min 12 participants) €1.250
Single room supplement € 180
Rate includes:
- private 20 seats High Class bus with driver for all the duration of the journey
- private courier (Italian born, English speaking),
- accommodation in 3 stars hotels,
- half board basis (meals will be in the hotel or restaurant as planned),
- entry fee for all the monuments according to the program, official guides (in Etna Mount, Taormina, Noto and Ragusa, Syracuse, Agrigento, Palermo and Monreale and in all CLCs met: Ragalna, Ispica, Menfi)
- 1 wine tasting + light lunch,
- the JustSicily 24h assistance.
Rate does not includes: Anything that
is not present in "Rate includes".
Limitations in
accessibility: wheelchair-bound people must inform the Tour Operator
during the registration, to take care of.
Documents and information
·
Passport: for European travellers:
passport or identity card. For not European travellers: visa according to the
reciprocation laws with the Italian Government
·
Sanitary precautions: none
·
Climate: according to the period
·
Things to buy: original handicrafts, food specialties, mainly in
the CLCs Centres of Local Culture,
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You can combine this cultural trail with… a full visit of one day to the Natural
Reserve Faunal Oasis of Vendicari.
TOUR OPERATOR
piazza Verdi, 53
90138 Palermo, Italia
90138 Palermo, Italia
Tel. +39 331 192 57 58
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