| Sicily’s prime geographic location in | | | | the lower portions of walls, with some |
| the centre of the Mediterranean Basin has | | | | murals, and some columns. While there is a |
| meant that, over time, settlers and | | | | small archaeological museum here, most of the |
| conquerors from the medieval Normans, | | | | original artifacts are in the Palermo's |
| Aragonese Spanish, Moorish North Africans, | | | | Regional Archaeological Museum. |
| ancient Greeks, Phoenicians, and Romans have | | | | |
| come and, except for the latter, mostly, | | | | Taormina |
| gone. Today, Sicily's Roman ruins are rivaled | | | | |
| only by those in Rome, and lovers of Roman | | | | The Greek amphitheatre here, built in the |
| archaeology will find a treasure trove of | | | | third century BC, was expanded later by the |
| sites to explore. | | | | Romans, who enlarged the stage. The view of |
| | | | Mount Etna and the sea beyond the theatre is |
| To get an idea of the diversity of Sicily in | | | | spectacular. During summer, the theatre |
| ancient times and particularly the range of | | | | stages dramatic performances. A much smaller |
| artifacts from the Greek and Roman | | | | Roman theatre, the odium, is near Santa |
| colonizations of the island, visit the Museo | | | | Caterina church. |
| Archeologico Regionale in Palermo. One of | | | | |
| Italy’s greatest archaeological | | | | Tyndaris – Capo Tindari |
| museums, it is filled with rare finds that | | | | |
| put the multiple foreign occupations in | | | | Tyndaris, founded by Dionysius the Elder in |
| perspective. As well, you’ll have a | | | | 396 BC, and later destroyed by pillaging |
| chance to compare priceless artifacts from | | | | conquerors, has been excavated to display the |
| the island’s different civilizations, | | | | ruins of everything from a basilica to a |
| including those from the Phoenician, Punic, | | | | Roman theatre. Overlooking the sea, the |
| Greek, Roman and Saracen periods. Listed here | | | | setting here is magnificent. |
| are some of the best Roman ruins in Sicily: | | | | |
| | | | Villa Romana del Casale – Piazza |
| Cape Bo̩o РMarsala | | | | Armerina |
| | | | |
| Roman ruins here include a villa with baths | | | | This Roman villa, a few kilometers outside |
| and colourful mosaics, and the Church of San | | | | town, and built between 330 and 360 AD, is |
| Giovanni, built over a cave converted into a | | | | one of the largest surviving classical-era |
| home in Roman times. The Baglio Anselmi | | | | Roman dwellings anywhere. The villa contains |
| Archeological Museum on Lungomare Boéo | | | | 40 rooms with western Europe’s most |
| exhibits ship from the Punic era. | | | | magnificent mosaics depicting scenes from |
| | | | daily life, such as hunting, and one mosaic |
| Catania | | | | of ten young women dressed in strapless |
| | | | two-piece swim suits that could be in fashion |
| Catania has two Roman amphitheatres, one | | | | today. |
| reminiscent of Rome’s Colosseum. The | | | | |
| smaller one, off Via Vittorio Emanuele, built | | | | No archaeology lover’s trip to Sicily |
| upon an earlier Greek theatre, accommodated | | | | would be complete without visiting the Valley |
| 6,000 spectators, while a larger | | | | of the Temples, the largest and best |
| amphitheatre, near the commercial centre in | | | | collection of ancient Greek ruins in the |
| Piazza Stesicoro, is completely Roman and was | | | | world. You’ll also see necropoli, |
| built in the second century AD. | | | | houses, streets and everything else you would |
| | | | expect to find in an ancient city. Be sure to |
| Solunto – Palermo | | | | check out the small amphitheatre, the several |
| | | | auditoria, and the first-rate archeological |
| Seventeen kilometres east of Palermo, | | | | museum. You can’t miss the Concord |
| overlooking the coast, and on a site that was | | | | Temple with its with 13 tall, wind-eroded |
| originally a Phoenician village that had been | | | | columns. Set outside the city of Agrigento, |
| expanded by the Greeks in 396 BC, are the | | | | on the southern coast of Sicily, the temples |
| ruins of a town that was rebuilt by the | | | | look dramatic at night when floodlights |
| conquering Romans 50 years later. The ruins | | | | accentuate their shape and form. |
| mostly consist of floors, with some mosaics, | | | | |