Archive for 'Sicily and Sardinia'

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.

Montalbano Elicona is a comune in Sicily which is well known for its medieval splendour and the castle built by Emperor Frederic II that watches over its various hamlets. This year, its beauty and history have been recognised in a more official manner and the comune has been voted the Best Borgo in Italy, 2015.

Surely, this is the perfect excuse to find a luxury villa nearby in Sicily and experience it for yourself.

This prize has been awarded to the comune by “Alle Falde del Kilimangiaro”, a famous television show broadcasted by Italy’s national public broadcasting company, RAI.