Erice
Erice's Royal Cathedral – a golden mirage of sculpted buttermilk stone and Carrara marble – was built in 1314 by order of a grateful Frederick III who…
Must-see attractions in Southern Italy
Palermo
Palermo's Diocesan Museum is home to an important collection of artworks. The basement hosts a medley of sculptures from the 15th to 18th centuries,…
Southeastern Sicily
Accessed via a 20-minute uphill walk from Piazza del Popolo (or an easy drive up Via Teatro Greco), the archaeological park of Akrai is one of the area's…
Agrigento
Fans of Luigi Pirandello (1867–1936) will appreciate this small museum 5km southwest of Agrigento, set in the family villa where the author was born. One…
Palermo
Just off Piazza Marina, this palazzo is one of the few in Palermo open to the public. Dating back to the 17th century, the building served as the Palermo…
Capri
Founded in 1363, this substantial monastery is generally considered to be the finest remaining example of Caprese architecture and today houses a school,…
Catania
It's not difficult to see how Catania's main shopping street got its name – on a clear day you can see Mt Etna rising majestically at the end of it. Via…
Chiesa di Sant'Anna dei Lombardi
Naples
This magnificent church is testament to the close links that once existed between the Neapolitan Aragonese and the Florentine Medici dynasty. One…
Catania
Inside the vaulted interior of this cathedral, beyond its impressive marble facade sporting two orders of columns taken from the Roman amphitheatre, lie…
Enna
The Duomo is the most impressive of the historic buildings that line Via Roma, Enna's showpiece street. Built over 200 years after the original Gothic…
Southeastern Sicily
Sporting a relatively restrained neoclassical facade, this church took shape in the 18th and 19th centuries. Among its numerous notable artworks is 18th…
Southeastern Sicily
The 18th-century Chiesa di Santa Teresa has numerous points of interest, among them a striking geometric floor made of white Cosimo limestone and black…
Bay of Naples
Before moving into the colossal Reggia di Caserta, Charles III of Bourbon called this more modest palace home. Built between 1738 and 1742, the frescoed…
Central Sicily
You can spot the dramatically sited dome of the huge cathedral from a few kilometres away. It rises majestically from the hilltop and the terraced houses…
Naples
The Chiesa di San Giovanni a Mare is a rare example of Romanesque architecture in Naples. Erected by Benedictine monks in the 12th century, the nave forms…
Chiesa di San Pietro a Maiella
Naples
Dedicated to hermit Pietro del Morrone, who was promoted to Pope Celestine V in 1294, this Gothic veteran is most famous for its series of baroque ceiling…
Promontorio del Gargano
Over the centuries this sanctuary has expanded to incorporate a large complex of religious buildings that overlay its original shrine. The double-arched…
Chiesa di Sant'Eligio Maggiore
Naples
Dating from 1270, this simple Gothic beauty was the first church built by the Angevins. The church was once adorned with frescoes, of which a few…
Basilica & Catacombe di San Giovanni
Syracuse
The city's most extensive catacombs lie beneath the Basilica di San Giovanni, itself a pretty, truncated church that served as the city's cathedral in the…
Milazzo
Originally the site of a Greek acropolis, then an Arab-Norman citadel, Milazzo's enormous castle was built by Frederick II in 1239, expanded by Charles V…
Southeastern Sicily
It's in this church that a warrior-like Madonna delle Milizie (Madonna of the Militias) crushes two hapless Saracens on her white horse. Made of wood and…
Southeastern Sicily
The convex balcony railings of this 18th-century aristocratic pad were cleverly designed to accommodate the era's hooped gowns. One can imagine the gentry…
Ischia
The good news is that this museum is well signposted and has a car park. The bad news is that it's on a perilous corner on Ischia's mountain road between…
Paestum
The first organic producer of bufala (water-buffalo) milk, Tenuta Vannulo is a 10-minute drive from Paestum. It makes its mozzarella exclusively from…
Area Archaeologica di Cave di Cusa
Western Sicily
Most of the buttery yellow stone used to construct the great temples of Selinunte was hewn at these ancient Greek quarries. The setting is charming –…
Museo Internazionale delle Marionette
Palermo
This whimsical museum houses around 4000 marionettes, puppets, glove puppets and shadow figures from Sicily and Naples, as well as from further-flung…
Southeastern Sicily
To fans of the popular TV series Commissario Montelbano (Inspector Montalbano), Scicli's Town Hall – completed in 1906 – is better known as police…
Bay of Naples
Rione Terra is Pozzuoli's oldest quarter and its ancient acropolis. The original 2nd-century-BC temple to Jupiter, Juno and Minerva was replaced by a…
Palermo
One of Palermo's grandest aristocratic palaces is now an impressive, multi-faceted cultural centre. One-hour guided tours (email ahead for English…
Biblioteca Nazionale di Napoli
Naples
Naples' Palazzo Reale is home to the Biblioteca Nazionale, its priceless treasures including at least 2000 papyri discovered at Herculaneum and fragments…
Ragusa
Biagio Castilletti and Damiano Rotella are two of only a handful of master artisans still making carretti siciliani (traditional Sicilian carts) the…
Abbazia di San Michele Arcangelo
Procida
Soak up the dizzying bay views at the belvedere before exploring the adjoining Abbazia di San Michele Arcangelo. Built in the 11th century and remodelled…
Museo del Tessile e dell’Abbigliamento Elena Aldobrandini
Naples
Despite the lack of information in English, this petite textile and fashion museum is a good bet for those after a lesser-known treat. Swoon over a…
Naples
Dividing his time between Naples and New York, the infectiously charming Lello Esposito (who speaks very little English) is intrigued by Neapolitan…
Tyrrhenian Coast
Originally known as the Castello del Buon Aere (Castle of Good Air), the enormous castle that soars above Castelbuono's golden patchwork of houses gave…
Puglia
Medieval buildings thrust out of San Nicola's rocky shores, the same pale-sand colour as the barren cliffs. In 1010, Benedictine monks founded the Abbazia…
Messina
Piazza del Duomo is home to Messina's cathedral and its curious campanile (bell tower). Soaring 60m into the sky, the tower incorporates an astronomical…
Bay of Naples
You'll need to book (by phone) at least two hours ahead to visit the world's largest Roman cistern, but it's well worth the effort to stand in this…
Palermo
A showcase of Liberty architecture, set in a 9-hectare (22-acre) formal garden planted with rare and exotic species, this villa is most notable for its…
Messina
Messina's one great sight is the Norman Duomo (or at least a faithful replica of it). One of Sicily's finest cathedrals, its treasures include an…
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