City: Sicily
Top Things to do in Sicily
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The 10 Best Sights & Landmarks in Sicily, Italy
Sicily (/ˈsɪsɪli/ SISS-i-lee; Italian: Sicilia [siˈtʃiːlja], Sicilian: Sicìlia) is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is an autonomous region of Italy, in Southern Italy along with surrounding minor islands, officially referred to as Regione Siciliana.
Restaurants in Sicily
1. Ex Stabilimento Florio delle Tonnare di Favignana e Formica
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 5,277 reviews
Reviewed By jamespF355 - Carshalton, United Kingdom
We’d been looking the the Stabilimento for a couple of evenings before we visited. Very informative about the history of the way that Tuna has traditionally been caught and processed.
2. Palazzo Conte Federico
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 787 reviews
The palazzo is in the center of the old city only a few steps away from the Norman Palace. the Cathedral and the Market Ballarò. The oldest part of the palace is an Arab-Norman Tower of the 12th century. You can observe verious architectural styles, high painted ceilings of the 15th century, baroque ceiling frescoes by Vito D'Anna and Gaspare Serenario, various collections and original furniture. Since Count Federico's family, which can be followed back to the Hohenstaufen Emperor Friedrich II, has lived in this palace for centuries, the personal atmosphere makes a visit to this historical building a unique experience.
Reviewed By debm224
Small group tours with a member of the Federico family, who have lived in this fascinating historic building for many generations. A Norman tower from the original Palermo city wall is incorporated into the palazzo, and the history of the city is demonstrated with examples from renovations and additions. This is also a family home, with the cat’s climbing frame, portable heaters etc sitting alongside old treasures. We were welcomed by one of the sons, who was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic to share the family history - it was a highlight of our visit to Palermo.
3. Ancient Theatre of Taormina
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 13,605 reviews
The view of Mount Etna and the sea beyond is absolutely superb at Taormina's 10,000-seat ancient Greek amphitheater, which was erected in the third century BC and expanded by the Romans.
Reviewed By ryanfL7429GJ
This theater and its location are stunning -- I'm surprised this isn't a more widely known attraction in Italy or even all of Europe. The history here (both Greek and Roman) and the spectacular beauty and setting of this coastal town (with an active volcano steaming in the background) make this a MUST when visiting Sicily.
4. Valle dei Templi
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 17,409 reviews
This region is one of the most important archeological sites in the world with many great temples such as Hera (Juno,) Lacinia, Concordia, Heracles (Hercules) and Olympian Zeus (Jupiter,) all dramatically perched along a long rocky scarp.
Reviewed By alikarim - Dallas, United States
This is an extremely well preserved set of ancient Greek temples that you can visit over a mile long walk. Best thing to do is to park yoru car at the bottom of the valley; at the exit of the site. Then take a local taxi (3 Euros/person) to the top of the site, the main entrance, where fro about an entrance fee of $13.50; you can start at the top temple and walk leisurely down to the bottom sites, exploding multiple temples and ruins in great shape. Lots of tourists here, but well worth the visit. It will take several hours to complete this, so plan for a min half day here. A must do in Sicily.
5. Duomo di Messina
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,240 reviews
This Cathedral, a fine example of Sicilian Norman architecture, has retained its original medieval lines even after a long history: built under Roger II, consecrated in 1197, destroyed in the 1908 earthquake and rebuilt.
Reviewed By Adventure_Steph_H - Bristol, United Kingdom
We visited Messina on a rainy day which meant that there were not very many people about. The clock tower is a beautiful structure and parts of it move as it chimes on the hour. Inside the cathedral the striking feature are the wooden beams across the ceiling with beautiful detailing on them. Its definitely worth a visit whilst in Messina although when we visited we had to split it into two parts as when we first visited at about lunchtime they closed the cathedral but were able to return later in the afternoon.
6. Norman Palace
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6,972 reviews
Reviewed By Sunshine631869
I didn't bother with the full visit. Just focused on the Capella Palatina which is enough, to be honest, because every inch is covered in lavish Byzantine mosaics illustrating biblical scenes. There's also plenty of Arabic influence, particularly in the geometric patterning of floor and wall tiles. You could study it for hours and you wouldn't begin to take it all in. Absolutely glorious! There's also an exhibition about the history of the Kingdom of Sicily and the Norman Palace on the ground floor. It's a bit haphazard and the English translations on the interpretation boards are absolutely shocking. It's almost impossible to follow them. You'd think they'd get native speakers to approve them but no, they just print up nonsense. Get what you can out of it but go for the mosaics. They are the real deal.
7. Palazzo Steri - Chiaramonte - Carcere dei penitenziati
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 716 reviews
Reviewed By nelliebly722018 - Sicily, Italy
Guided tour, some given in English, of the Palazzo of one if the most important families in Sicily as well as graffiti by prisoners held there afterwards when it was used as a prison by the Spanish Inquisition. The tour is very informative - great way to learn more about the very layered history of Palermo - originally the center when it was an active Arab trading port, a ruling family’s palazzo with a private chapel, then repurposed as a prison. Restoration design was started/planned by Carlo Scarpa and completed by others after his death.
8. Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio (La Martorana)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,631 reviews
This chapel is known for its superb gold Byzantium mosaics.
Reviewed By Jazzumbo - Campulung, Romania
Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio (Church of the Admiral) was built about 900 years ago by Muslim constructors for an Orthodox Christian admiral – George of Antioch, who paid mosaic crafters from Constantinople to come to Palermo and decorate it with stunning Byzantine mosaics. One of the mosaics depicts George of Antioch praying to Virgin Mary, while another one shows the Norman King Roger of Sicily receiving the power and crown directly from Jesus. After the death of the admiral, the church became Catholic and starting from XVI century went under several transformations and restorations. Currently, some of the Byzantine mosaics, displaying messages in Greek language, are still visible near the Catholic frescoes painted in XVIII century, while the high altar is Baroque. Since George of Antioch was fluently speaking Arabic, there are also some Arabic inscriptions on two of the columns, so the mixture of styles and influences in this church is really mind-blowing.
9. Cattedrale di Palermo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 8,166 reviews
This cathedral was started in 1185 by the norman archbishop Gualtiero Offamilio. You can visit the Royal and Imperial tomb of Frederik the II, the urn with the relics of the patron Saint of Palermo Santa Rosalia, plus a treasury with a precious medieval crown and a crypt from the VII century. The church is free to enter, there is a ticket to access the monumental area composed by royal tombs, treasury, crypt and the roof.
Reviewed By israroz - Ra'anana, Israel
The location of the large and impressive building of the Palermo Cathedral is the place where a basilica was built in early Christianity and with the Muslim conquest of Sicily on the ruins of the Basilica a Muslim mosque was built, many Muslim motifs have survived to date and can be seen in several places in the Cathedral. The cathedral is rich in exceptionally large and remarkably interesting variety of works of art from different historical periods. Roof climbing provides the climbers a wonderful rooftop views of Palermo. Sunset hours are highly recommended. “NOT 2 B MISSED”
10. Bell Tower and Astronomical Clock (Orologio Astronomico)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,439 reviews
Reviewed By stewartc640 - Chatham, United Kingdom
We passed the Messina cathedral Bell tower whilst on a one day stopover in Messina. We were doing a self-guided walking tour armed with a fairly basic tourist map and had just arrived in the port. The bell tower and its associated cathedral sits in the reasonably spacious ‘Piazza del Duomo di Messina’ just inland from where the cruise ship docked. It is known for its animation occurring when the clock strikes particularly at 12 noon. Unfortunately, this is the time our ship docked so we missed what we have been told is quite a sight. We did get to see a shorter animation at one o’clock though. The bell tower is separate from the cathedral, and had ‘golden’ statues on various levels as well as other parts of the animation. The Piazza is quite busy and there are many sightseeing tours for tourists departing from here either on busses or ‘Dotto’ trains. There are also some souvenir shops and street traders here where tourists can buy mementoes of their visit to Messina, we tend to purchase porcelain thimbles on our travels and these were available here too.
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