Discover Sicily – A Roman Treasure Trove

Sicily’s prime geographic location in the centreruins mostly consist of floors, with some mosaics, the
of the Mediterranean Basin has meant that, overlower portions of walls, with some murals, and some
time, settlers and conquerors from the medievalcolumns. While there is a small archaeological museum
Normans, Aragonese Spanish, Moorish North Africans,here, most of the original artifacts are in the
ancient Greeks, Phoenicians, and Romans have comePalermo's Regional Archaeological Museum.
and, except for the latter, mostly, gone. Today,Taormina
Sicily's Roman ruins are rivaled only by those in Rome,The Greek amphitheatre here, built in the third
and lovers of Roman archaeology will find a treasurecentury BC, was expanded later by the Romans,
trove of sites to explore.who enlarged the stage. The view of Mount Etna and
To get an idea of the diversity of Sicily in ancientthe sea beyond the theatre is spectacular. During
times and particularly the range of artifacts from thesummer, the theatre stages dramatic performances.
Greek and Roman colonizations of the island, visit theA much smaller Roman theatre, the odium, is near
Museo Archeologico Regionale in Palermo. One ofSanta Caterina church.
Italy’s greatest archaeological museums, it isTyndaris – Capo Tindari
filled with rare finds that put the multiple foreignTyndaris, founded by Dionysius the Elder in 396 BC,
occupations in perspective. As well, you’lland later destroyed by pillaging conquerors, has been
have a chance to compare priceless artifacts fromexcavated to display the ruins of everything from a
the island’s different civilizations, includingbasilica to a Roman theatre. Overlooking the sea, the
those from the Phoenician, Punic, Greek, Roman andsetting here is magnificent.
Saracen periods. Listed here are some of the bestVilla Romana del Casale – Piazza Armerina
Roman ruins in Sicily:This Roman villa, a few kilometers outside town, and
Cape Bo̩o РMarsalabuilt between 330 and 360 AD, is one of the largest
Roman ruins here include a villa with baths andsurviving classical-era Roman dwellings anywhere. The
colourful mosaics, and the Church of San Giovanni,villa contains 40 rooms with western Europe’s
built over a cave converted into a home in Romanmost magnificent mosaics depicting scenes from daily
times. The Baglio Anselmi Archeological Museum onlife, such as hunting, and one mosaic of ten young
Lungomare Boéo exhibits ship from the Punicwomen dressed in strapless two-piece swim suits
era.that could be in fashion today.
CataniaNo archaeology lover’s trip to Sicily would be
Catania has two Roman amphitheatres, onecomplete without visiting the Valley of the Temples,
reminiscent of Rome’s Colosseum. Thethe largest and best collection of ancient Greek ruins
smaller one, off Via Vittorio Emanuele, built upon anin the world. You’ll also see necropoli, houses,
earlier Greek theatre, accommodated 6,000streets and everything else you would expect to find
spectators, while a larger amphitheatre, near thein an ancient city. Be sure to check out the small
commercial centre in Piazza Stesicoro, is completelyamphitheatre, the several auditoria, and the first-rate
Roman and was built in the second century AD.archeological museum. You can’t miss the
Solunto – PalermoConcord Temple with its with 13 tall, wind-eroded
Seventeen kilometres east of Palermo, overlookingcolumns. Set outside the city of Agrigento, on the
the coast, and on a site that was originally asouthern coast of Sicily, the temples look dramatic at
Phoenician village that had been expanded by thenight when floodlights accentuate their shape and
Greeks in 396 BC, are the ruins of a town that wasform.
rebuilt by the conquering Romans 50 years later. The