Catania Trip Overview
The Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina is considered to be one of the most important exemplars of an official governmental residence, attributed to the elaboration and exceptional beauty of its architectonic and decorative elements. Dated back to 320-350 A.D., the villa most likely belonged to a member of Rome’s senatorial class, probably a governor of the Eternal City itself. On board of a Piaggio TriVespa you will visit Caltagirone a little town full of swirling patterns, vibrant colours, painstakingly detailed designs: wherever you go in Caltagirone this is what you will see! The highlight is undoubtedly the 142 steps of the Scalinata di Santa Maria del Monte. Here you will also taste typical Sicilian food (arancino and cannolo).
Additional Info
Duration: 8 to 9 hours
Starts: Catania, Italy
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Historical & Heritage Tours
Explore Catania Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Catania, Province of Catania, Italy
The Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina is considered to be one of the most important exemplars of an official governmental residence, attributed to the elaboration and exceptional beauty of its architectonic and decorative elements. Dated back to 320-350 A.D., the villa most likely belonged to a member of Rome’s senatorial class, probably a governor of the Eternal City itself. On board of a Piaggio TriVespa you will visit Caltagirone a little town full of swirling patterns, vibrant colours, painstakingly detailed designs: wherever you go in Caltagirone this is what you will see! The highlight is undoubtedly the 142 steps of the Scalinata di Santa Maria del Monte. Here you will also taste typical Sicilian food (arancino and cannolo).
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Villa Romana del Casale, Strada Provinciale 90, Piazza Armerina, Sicily Italy
Piazza Armerina, splendid art city woven into the heart of Sicily, boasts a slew of monuments that tell of its glorious past. Meanwhile, the apple of the citizens’ eyes is the Villa Romana del Casale; originally the property of a powerful Roman family, it dates back to the 4th Century A.D. This majestic Imperial villa, standing tall in the Province of Enna, is a magnificent rural abode, fascinating, above all, for its captivating mosaics, considered the most beautiful and best-preserved of their kind. The fruits of meticulous labor, these precise yet moving images make for a significant adornment to what remains of this extravagant residence – made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.
Duration: 3 hours
Stop At: Caltagirone, Caltagirone, Province of Catania, Sicily
The people of Caltagirone produced pottery already ten centuries before Christ. Under the Arab rule the town took the name of Qal ‘at al Gharùn meaning “Fortress of Jars” with reference to the processing of clay. The local artisans had the luck to get the raw material directly from the clay caves and to collect the firewood for their furnaces from the near wood Santo Pietro, so they quicly became the most important ceramics producers of the Island. The pottery decorums seem to be inspired to the splendid art of weaving and to the Sicilian embroidery.
Duration: 2 hours
