Italy Travel

Sicily’s prime geographic location in the centre of
the Mediterranean Basin has meant that, over time, settlers and
conquerors from the medieval Normans, Aragonese Spanish, Moorish North
Africans, ancient Greeks, Phoenicians, and Romans have come and, except
for the latter, mostly, gone. Today, Sicily’s Roman ruins are rivaled
only by those in Rome, and lovers of Roman archaeology will find a
treasure trove of sites to explore.

To get an idea of the diversity of Sicily in ancient times and
particularly the range of artifacts from the Greek and Roman
colonizations of the island, visit the Museo Archeologico Regionale in
Palermo. One of Italy’s greatest archaeological museums, it is filled
with rare finds that put the multiple foreign occupations in
perspective. As well, you’ll have
a chance to compare priceless artifacts from the island’s different
civilizations, including those from the Phoenician, Punic, Greek, Roman
and Saracen periods. Listed here are some of the best Roman ruins in
Sicily:
Cape Boéo – Marsala
Roman ruins here include a villa with baths and colourful mosaics, and
the Church of San Giovanni, built over a cave converted into a home in
Roman times. The Baglio Anselmi Archeological Museum on Lungomare Boéo
exhibits ship from the Punic era.
Catania
Catania has two Roman amphitheatres, one reminiscent of Rome’s
Colosseum. The smaller one, off Via Vittorio Emanuele, built upon an
earlier Greek theatre, accommodated 6,000 spectators, while a larger
amphitheatre, near the commercial centre in Piazza Stesicoro, is
completely Roman and was built in the second century AD.
Solunto – Palermo
Seventeen kilometres east of Palermo, overlooking the coast, and on a
site that was originally a Phoenician village that had been expanded by
the Greeks in 396 BC, are the ruins of a town that was rebuilt by the
conquering Romans 50 years later. The ruins mostly consist of floors,
with some mosaics, the lower portions of walls, with some murals, and
some columns. While there is a small archaeological museum here, most
of the original artifacts are in the Palermo’s Regional Archaeological
Museum.
Taormina
The Greek amphitheatre here, built in the third century BC, was
expanded later by the Romans, who enlarged the stage. The view of Mount
Etna and the sea beyond the theatre is spectacular. During summer, the
theatre stages dramatic performances. A much smaller Roman theatre, the
odium, is near Santa Caterina church.
Tyndaris – Capo Tindari
Tyndaris, founded by Dionysius the Elder in 396 BC, and later destroyed
by pillaging conquerors, has been excavated to display the ruins of
everything from a basilica to a Roman theatre. Overlooking the sea, the
setting here is magnificent.
Villa Romana del Casale – Piazza Armerina
This Roman villa, a few kilometers outside town, and built between 330
and 360 AD, is one of the largest surviving classical-era Roman
dwellings anywhere. The villa contains 40 rooms with western Europe’s
most magnificent mosaics depicting scenes from daily life, such as
hunting, and one mosaic of ten young women dressed in strapless
two-piece swim suits that could be in fashion today.
No archaeology lover’s trip to Sicily would be complete without
visiting the Valley of the Temples, the largest and best collection of
ancient Greek ruins in the world. You’ll also see necropoli, houses,
streets and everything else you would expect to find in an ancient
city. Be sure to check out the small amphitheatre, the several
auditoria, and the first-rate archeological museum. You can’t miss the
Concord Temple with its with 13 tall, wind-eroded columns. Set outside
the city of Agrigento, on the southern coast of Sicily, the temples
look dramatic at night when floodlights accentuate their shape and form.