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Discover Sicily - a Roman treasure trove

Sicily's prime geographic location in themosaics, the lower portions of walls, with
centre of the Mediterranean Basin has meantsome murals, and some columns. While there is
that, over time, settlers and conquerors froma small archaeological museum here, most of
the medieval Normans, Aragonese Spanish,the original artifacts are in the Palermo's
Moorish North Africans, ancient Greeks,Regional  Archaeological  Museum.
Phoenicians, and Romans have come and, except
for the latter, mostly, gone. Today, Sicily'sTaormina The Greek amphitheatre here, built
Roman ruins are rivaled only by those inin the third century BC, was expanded later
Rome, and lovers of Roman archaeology willby the Romans, who enlarged the stage. The
find  a  treasure  trove of sites to explore.view of Mount Etna and the sea beyond the
theatre is spectacular. During summer, the
To get an idea of the diversity of Sicily intheatre stages dramatic performances. A much
ancient times and particularly the range ofsmaller Roman theatre, the odium, is near
artifacts from the Greek and RomanSanta  Caterina  church.
colonizations of the island, visit the Museo
Archeologico Regionale in Palermo. One ofTyndaris - Capo Tindari Tyndaris, founded by
Italy's greatest archaeological museums, itDionysius the Elder in 396 BC, and later
is filled with rare finds that put thedestroyed by pillaging conquerors, has been
multiple foreign occupations in perspective.excavated to display the ruins of everything
As well, you'll have a chance to comparefrom a basilica to a Roman theatre.
priceless artifacts from the island'sOverlooking the sea, the setting here is
different civilizations, including those frommagnificent.
the Phoenician, Punic, Greek, Roman and
Saracen periods. Listed here are some of theVilla Romana del Casale - Piazza Armerina
best  Roman  ruins  in  Sicily:This Roman villa, a few kilometers outside
town, and built between 330 and 360 AD, is
Cape Boéo - Marsala Roman ruins hereone of the largest surviving classical-era
include a villa with baths and colourfulRoman dwellings anywhere. The villa contains
mosaics, and the Church of San Giovanni,40 rooms with western Europe's most
built over a cave converted into a home inmagnificent mosaics depicting scenes from
Roman times. The Baglio Anselmi Archeologicaldaily life, such as hunting, and one mosaic
Museum on Lungomare Boéo exhibits shipof ten young women dressed in strapless
from  the  Punic  era.two-piece swim suits that could be in fashion
today.
Catania Catania has two Roman amphitheatres,
one reminiscent of Rome's Colosseum. TheNo archaeology lover's trip to Sicily would
smaller one, off Via Vittorio Emanuele, builtbe complete without visiting the Valley of
upon an earlier Greek theatre, accommodatedthe Temples, the largest and best collection
6,000 spectators, while a largerof ancient Greek ruins in the world. You'll
amphitheatre, near the commercial centre inalso see necropoli, houses, streets and
Piazza Stesicoro, is completely Roman and waseverything else you would expect to find in
built  in  the  second  century  AD.an ancient city. Be sure to check out the
small amphitheatre, the several auditoria,
Solunto - Palermo Seventeen kilometres eastand the first-rate archeological museum. You
of Palermo, overlooking the coast, and on acan't miss the Concord Temple with its with
site that was originally a Phoenician village13 tall, wind-eroded columns. Set outside the
that had been expanded by the Greeks in 396city of Agrigento, on the southern coast of
BC, are the ruins of a town that was rebuiltSicily, the temples look dramatic at night
by the conquering Romans 50 years later. Thewhen floodlights accentuate their shape and
ruins mostly consist of floors, with someform.



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