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Spectacular Sicily (S)
Tour Features: Stay and Visit ® Italy presents presents a spectacular tour of historic, exotic and monumental Sicily. Let us whisk you away on this luxury tour. All you have to do is unpack your luggage and begin enjoying your vacation with the inebriating scenery and culture of the “Melting Pot of Mediterranean Civilizations”. Breakfast (B) will be continental style. Day 1 - Sat - Depart from your city to Palermo, Italy.
Day 3 - Mon - Palermo - Monreale - In the morning we will have a tour of the exotic city Palermo. We will visit the Duomo, the Palatine Chapel rich with its spectacular mosaics, the richly decorated Church of San Giovanni and Piazza Pretoria with its ornate 16th century fountain. In the afternoon we will go to the hill town of Monréale, with its spectacular views of the “Conca d’Oro” (Golden Valley). The Cathedral in Monreale contains some of the most fantastic mosaics in the world and second only to Saint Sophia (Istanbul) for size. The middle apse is dominated by a figure of Christ holding the Bible in one hand and bestowing a blessing with the other. All the scenes of the mosaic are created against a background of yellow-gold tiles. These mosaics depict biblical scenes and other religious events. Created around the 12th and 13th centuries, the mosaics on the walls cover over 18 thousand square feet representing the Old and New Testaments, with inscriptions in Greek and Latin. (B)
Day 5 - Wed - Agrigento - Piazza Armerina - Siracusa - We will have a morning tour of the magnificent and well-preserved ruins of Agrigento's “Valley of the Temples”, a large sacred area on the south side of the ancient city with seven monumental Greek temples. The temple of “Concordia” is one of the finest structures symbolizing Greek Classicism; the temple of “Zeus” was one of the largest buildings of Greek architecture and built in 480 B.C. This afternoon we will depart for Siracusa with a stop in Piazza Armerina. This hill town is located in the heart of Sicily and well known for the archaeological area of “Villa Romana del Casale". The Villa is the finest and most extensive display of mosaics in the Roman world. The site was excavated in the 1950s and contains over forty rooms with cooling and heating system, bathrooms with running water and sewer system, and floors covered by the finest mosaics anywhere in the Roman world. The mosaics include a 65 yard-long hunting scene, the famous “bikini girls" and many classical, whimsical, sporting and geometrical examples. In the evening we will arrive in Siracusa. This city is one of the most ancient cities in the Mediterranean and birthplace of one of the most illustrious mathematician and inventor (Archimedes). For many centuries Siracusa rivaled Athens and is now viewed as one of the most Baroque city in Italy. We will stay one night in our 4 star hotel. (B)
Day 7 - Fri - Taormina - This morning we will have a guided tour of Taormina and its lovely streets and buildings as well as the imposing Greco-Roman theater, the Roman Bath and the Gothic church of St. Agostino. The amphitheater is one of the most celebrated ruins in Sicily where concerts and operas are still performed. Taormina has endless winding medieval streets and tiny passages, each with its own secrets, great restaurants, cafés and ice cream parlors. It is beautiful by day but in the evenings its atmosphere is simply enchanting; whether you stroll the illuminated streets or indulge in the view of the coast over a delicious dinner, Taormina will reawaken your senses and soul. Then there's the spectacle of Mt. Etna's nocturnal fires as lava flows along the snow-covered slopes of Europe's greatest volcano. Taormina, since the early 1890, has become one of the world’s top tourist destinations, where visitors can experience a perfect combination of history and culture. Forget what time it is, order a limoncello or your favorite drink, breath deeply the fragrant air and just relax … that's probably the best treat of Taormina! Or, if you prefer, shop along the famous “Corso Umberto", where you find the best Italian boutiques at reasonable prices, certainly better than those in major cities. In recent years, the “Pearl of the Mediterranean”, has been frequented by many artists and personalities such as: Alexander Dumas, Johannes Brahms, Gustav Klimt, Richard Wagner, Oscar Wilde, Truman Capote, John Steinbeck, Ingmar Bergman, Francis Ford Coppola, Leonard Bergman, Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, Federico Fellini, Cary Grant, Gregory Peck, Elizabeth Taylor, Woody Allen, to name but a few. (B)
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We reserve the right to change the itinerary and schedule times for logistic reasons. Departures from North America
Airfares are not included. For more information and for reservations contact:
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Day 2 - Sun - Palermo - Upon arrival at the airport in 
Day 4 - Tue - Selinunte - Agrigento - After breakfast we depart and travel south to Agrigento with a stop in 
Day 6 - Thu - Siracusa - Taormina - We will tour Siracusa in the morning, visiting many of the sites of the ancient capital of Greek Sicily. We will visit the large 5th century BC Greek theater, the Roman amphitheater, Dionysius' Ear, the quarry that served as prison for captured soldiers. This afternoon we will tour the picturesque island of Ortygia…truly an open-air museum with its well preserved churches and palaces. Later today we will continue on to Taormina with 
Day 8 - Sat - Mt. Etna - This morning (weather and conditions permitting) we will take sightseeing drive to the slopes of Europe's largest active volcano 
