April 18 Arrive Palermo
Wednesday
Welcome to Italy. Arrive with the group to Palermo Airport. We meet with our tour escort and transfer to the centrally located hotel in Palermo. The afternoon is free to recover from jet lag or explore the city. Welcome dinner in the hotel or in a restaurant and overnight. (D)

****Hotel Astoria Palace

April 19 Visit Palermo
Thursday Monreale
After breakfast, the morning is dedicated to a visit of the Sicilian capital. Palermo boasts a long and eventful history beginning with the Phoenician conquest and going through the Roman, Arab, Norman and Swabian dominations. The Arab enormously contributed to the city growth and left indelible traces of their civilization, notably in the architecture and in the urban layout of the city. The Norman made Palermo the capital city of the Kingdom of Sicily that achieved its height under Roger II who would remarkably foster Sicilian arts and economy. Fond of beauty, in all of its forms, Roger ordered the construction of numerous palazzi, that still are major attractions of the town. The Swabian, Frederick II, was also a lover and patron of arts. He founded a school of poetry and actively contributed to developing natural and physical sciences. Upon his death the island was taken by the French Angevins, of whom is far more remembered the bad tax policy than the cultural one. The Sicilian Vespers, a revolt broken out in Palermo in 1282 soon spreading to the rest of the island would ultimately drive them from Sicily. Remarkable urban growth followed the Catalan-Aragon rule, marked by Ferdinand marriage’s to Isabel of Castile, in which Sicily joined the Spanish dynasty. Palermo’s major palazzi and churches were refurbished and restored and many new ones were built.

We visit the Cathedral, an imposing edifice built in the late 12th century in the Sicilian Norman style, but has undergone considerable alteration over the centuries.

Next we explore the Norman Palace steeped in 2600 years of history, and the famous Palatine Chapel, which are located at the heart of the original town. Once inside, attention is immediately drawn to the fabulous Arab-Norman interior decoration of blazing gold set off by the marble. The mosaics, exquisitely laid, recount the story of the Old Testament, a selection of the most important episodes in the life of Christ, of St. Peter and St. Paul.
Continue to Monreale. Here we will admire the Duomo, which is a part of a magnificent complex that also comprises a Benedictine abbey and the royal palace, the latter converted into the Archbishop’s Seminary in the late-1500s. The 12th century cathedral is the product of a blend of artistic styles by the craftsmen employed in the construction. The elaborate, 68,000 square feet of mosaics is spell-binding.

In the afternoon we make an excursion to Corleone and Placido Rizzoto Cooperativa, named after the labor union leader shot by the mafia in 1948. Nearby is formerly mafia owned Bernardo Brusca's Capo.

Return to Palermo. Dinner in the hotel and overnight. (B-D)

****Hotel Astoria Palace

April 20 Visit Segesta & Erice
Friday
Breakfast, then depart to Segesta. Here we see the Doric suggestive temple with its 36 regular white stone columns, all intact in entablature and pediment. On to the magnificent temple dedicated to the fertility Goddess near the delightful medieval town of Erice. The views from its terraces are stupendous. For a break, stop by a bakery in Erice and taste of the famous Sicilian pastries. Continue towards Agrigento, with accommodation and dinner in the hotel. (B-D)

****Colleverde Park Hotel

April 21 Visit Agrigento
Saturday Piazza Armerina
Today we visit the famous Temples’ Valley of Agrigento to admire the temples of Juno, Concord, Hercules, Jupiter and Olympus. In the afternoon visit to the beautiful Roman Villa del Casale (in Piazza Armerina). It is home to well-preserved and stunning mosaics and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Continue our pleasant drive to the east coast of Sicily for the hotel accommodations in Giardini Naxos, a seaside resort town five minutes from Taormina. Dinner and overnight. (B-D)

***Hotel Caesar Palace

April 22 Visit Etna
Sunday Taormina
Breakfast at the hotel. Today we drive towards Mt. Etna, Europe's highest active volcano. The coach takes us to a height of 6200’, where we can visit the dormant craters where the remaining of recent lava flows can be seen and from where we can enjoy a breathtaking panorama over the coast.

Continue for the visit of Taormina, a rocky spur at about 650’ height. Taormina occupies a fabulous position, overlooking the sea and right opposite Etna volcano. This is a charming hilltop town, probably the most popular in Sicily, with its ancient Greek Theatre and narrow streets. The main street, Corso Umberto, has many boutique shops and little restaurants. Behind this front, extends an intricate network of side-street featuring unexpected sights and smells. There’s time free in Taormina for shopping and relaxing. Return to Giardini Naxos for a possible swim and dinner in hotel. (B-D)

***Hotel Caesar Palace

April 23 Visit Siracusa & Noto
Monday
Breakfast. Today our destination is Siracusa, also called the ‘perla bianca’ (white stone) for the use of the stone on the construction of magnificent baroque buildings. Syracuse, founded by Greeks in the early 7th century, is one of the best archaeological resorts in Sicily. Indeed, it was the most powerful of all Greek colonies in Sicily. The colonists settled on the small Ortygia island and soon expanded to the surrounding territory. Afterwards, the city saw the rule of the Romans, the Byzantines and the Arabs, under whom it became the major city in the Noto Valley. We visit the island of Ortygia, considered the heart of the ancient city. There we admire the Aretusa Fountain and the Cathedral. We then proceed for the visit of its famous Archaeological area with the Greek Theater. It underwent several changes during the Roman rule. Remarkable are the auditorium, divided into nine sections, and the semi-circular orchestra, where the chorus performed. Nearby stands the Latomia del Paradiso (Quarry of Paradise), a deep stone quarry, where especially noted is the Ear of Dionysius, an ear-shaped cave so named by painter Caravaggio because of its extraordinary acoustical properties.

Proceed to the Baroque town of Noto, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In a region populated by olive and almond trees, Noto sits on a plateau dominating the valley of the Asinaro and its citrus plantations. This tiny Baroque jewel endowed with an opulent beauty is the result of a single tragic event: the earthquake of 1693, that despite bringing death and destruction to this part of Sicily, also sparked a huge effort to rebuild. Return to Giardini Naxos for a farewell dinner and overnight. (B-D)

***Hotel Caesar Palace

April 24 Depart Catania
Tuesday
Breakfast. Transfer to Catania Airport. Departure. (B)

B=Breakfast, D=Dinner