Archive for 'Main Islands'

Modica is a city and comune in Ragusa, Sicily. Combined with other towns in the Val di Noto, it is considered a UNESCO World Heritage site for its astounding Baroque architecture in the historic centre of the city. One of the most beautiful cities you could ever hope to visit, it is all arranged on a hillside with amazing views across the surrounding landscape. However, one of the things that the city is most famous for is actually some of its local cuisine. Modica's chocolate has a fascinating history going back to the Aztecs and even has a festival dedicated to chocolate in December.

The Scala dei Turchi, or Turkish Staircase, in Realmonte on the island of Sicily is a naturally occuring phenomenon. It is a rocky cliff, an unusual white in colour, which has been eroded by the sea over the centuries. Due to this extraordinary appearance and its mention in Andrea Camilleri's series of detective stories about Commissario Montalbano, it has become a popular tourist attraction in the area.

The white, starkly beautiful crags and hollows of the cliff-face, paired with the rich blue of the ocean and the stunning sunsets in the area make it an astounding sight.

Agrigento is a town on the Southern coast of Sicily and is the capital of the province of Agrigento.

It is built on the site of Akragas, an ancient Greek city which was one of the leading cities of the Magna Graecia during the golden age of the empire. Later, it became a Roman town and was named Agrigentum.

During the middle ages it was renamed Girgenti until 1927, when 'Agrigento' was devised as a way to commemorate the city's past. It is probably now most well known for the Valley of the Temples, though it has much more to offer as a tourist destination and as a city.

Erice is a historic town located on top of Mount Erice in Sicily. Primarily medieval in appearance, it, in fact, has much older origins. The ancient Greek name, Eryx, is associated with a Greek hero of the same name who was said to have been king of the town.

However, the town was actually established by the Phoenicians. It was destroyed in the First Punic War and declined in importance thereafter. After this it was ruled by the Aghlebids, Arabs, Normans until it became involved in internal struggle over lands by Italian kingdoms up to the Risorgimento.

Sicily is seen worldwide as an escapist's dream; set apart from the rest of Italy by merit of being an island, with a distinct culture, beautiful scenery and a different pace of life. For the past two years, the island has also been home to the Best Borgo, or Borgo dei Borghi D'Italia. Last year's winner, the town of Gangi, was awarded the title by “Alle Falde del Kilimangiaro”, a famous television show broadcasted by Italy’s national public broadcasting company, RAI. Over 134,000 people voted for the town of Gangi, in the Madonie Mountains, sealing its place as winner. This makes the town just one of the ninety such historic comunes to be awarded this honour, making it part of a rather exclusive club.