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Day 1: Arrival in Catania and onward to Palazzolo Acreide

Evening meal and overnight in an agriturismo near Palazzolo Acreide.

Time permitting, there will be the chance to visit the town of Palazzolo Acreide on arrival.

Day 2: Pantalica and Noto Antica

Evening meal and overnight in the agriturismo.

After breakfast we travel to the valley of Pantalica – home to a fascinating necropolis with over 5000 tombs dating from the 13th to the 7th centuries BC. We explore the famous “Anaktaron” (the supposed house of the one-time ruler of Pantalica) and discuss how this had once been a perfect natural fortress.

We then travel to Noto Antica for a rustic picnic.

After lunch, there will be time to explore Noto Antica. Those who have already visited the Baroque town of Noto will be awed by the difference. In Arab times it was the provincial capital of the Val di Noto – or the whole of the South of Sicily – but was completely destroyed by the 1693 and today only ruins remain. Nevertheless, it is today one of the most suggestive sites in the whole of Sicily.

In the late afternoon we return to our agriturismo.

Day 3: Caltagirone, Morgantina

Evening meal and overnight in a small, comfortable hotel in Petralia Sottana.

We depart from the agriturismo and take a drive through the lush Sicilian countryside towards Vizzini. There will be time to stop at the old leather workers factory and also to see the house where the 19th century Sicilian writer Giovanni Verga was born.

After a short stop we continue to Caltagirone, where there is a chance to visit the fascinating ceramic museum before strolling to the fabulous staircase of Santa Maria del Monte.

We continue our journey to have lunch near Piazza Armerina. Assuming that guests will already have visited it on a previous occasion, on this journey, we do not stop at the Villa del Casale, but continue on to Morgantina – a Hellenic town set in the valley beneath Aidone with fabulous view towards Mount Etna.

After visiting Morgantina, we drive to the mountain village of Petralia Sottana in the Madonie.

Day 4: Petralia Soprana and Gangi

Evening meal and overnight in a small, comfortable hotel in Petralia Sottana.

We start the day with a visit to Petralia Soprana, the only town in Sicily to have the “Bandiera Arancione” of the Touring Club Italiano – the award for an exceptional town. It contains some beautiful churches and boasts some breathtaking views of the interior of Sicily. After a picnic lunch we drive a short distance to Gangi.

In 2014, Gangi was voted one of the “the most beautiful towns” in Italy. Built over the peak of a hill, it looks from the distance something akin to a carapace and, in the early Spring, usually with the backdrop of the snow-covered peak of Etna. It is surely one of the most unforgettable sights in Sicily.

Day 5: Mussomeli, Monte Cammarata

Evening meal and overnight in a country hotel above Santo Stefano Quisquina.

We begin the day with an hour or so’s drive to Mussomeli through fields of ripening wheat and spring flowers. In Mussomeli we visit the Castello Manfredonico and one of the most iconic castles in Sicily. The castle seems almost to grow from the rock on which it is perched.

We continue to Monte Cammarata where we have a picnic amidst a spectacular setting before visiting the monastery where Saint Rosalia is said to have lived and continuing on to our evening accommodation – a stunning location set high in the Sicani Mountains.

Day 6: Palazzo Adriano, Piana degli Albanesi

Evening meal and overnight in Scopello.

In the morning we move on to Palazzo Adriano, where much of the film Nuovo Cinema Paradiso was filmed. Albanian in origin, with its wide cobbled streets and expansive central Piazza, this small town still exhibits an untouched air and it is easy to see why Giuseppe Tornatore chose it as the set for his masterpiece. There will be a chance too to visit the small Cinema Paradiso museum.

Another short drive through some stunning scenery brings us to the Bourbon hunting lodge of Ficuzza. After lunch at the hunting lodge we continue on to Piana degli Albanesi, home to another thriving Albanian community which still maintains its strong traditions. After visiting the museum, we continue on to Scopello.

Day 7: Scopello and the Parco dello Zingaro

Evening meal and overnight in Scopello.

On our final day in Scopello, there is a chance to either relax by the pool, or else take a walk in the nature reserve of the Zingaro Park.

Day 8: Departure

Drive to Palermo in time for flights.

Day 1: Arrival at Palermo Airport and Private Transfer to your Accommodation

Arrival at Palermo International airport and private transfer to your accommodation. Rest of the day at your leisure for resting and relaxing.

Day 2: Private Guided Tour of Palermo and Monreale

This morning enjoy a private guided tour of the amazing historical city center of Palermo and discover some of its great beauties as the Palace of the Normans which houses the superb Capella Palatina, a gorgeous, gleaming example of some of the world’s most beautiful Byzantine mosaics, the Cathedral with its Norman tombs and the jewel-encrusted crown of Catherine of Aragon, the red-domed San Giovanni degli Eremiti building and the Teatro Massimo. Lunch at your leisure. After lunch your private driver will take you to Monreale to discover its world-renowned cathedral, a dazzling mixture of Arab, Byzantine and Norman artistic styles framed by traditional Romanesque architecture. Return to Palermo, dinner and overnight stay.

Day 3: Corleone and the Andromeda Theater In Santo Stefano Quisquina

Following breakfast and check out your private driver will take you to Corleone known for being the set of the “The Godfather” movie and the hometown of the Mafia. Accompanied by your private guide explore the historic center of Corleone and visit the Anti-mafia Museum that recounts the terrifying history of Sicily’s Cosa Nostra crime syndicate, focusing on the brave efforts of the anti-Mafia campaigners and judges who spoke out against organised crime rather than succumbing to the Mafia-promoted culture of omertà (silence). Lunch in a local restaurant. After lunch continue to the Teatro Andromeda in Santo Stefano Quisquina. Lorenzo Reina, a sculptor and farmer, spent 30 years creating the Teatro di Andromeda as an amalgamation of his two great passions: art and nature. At the end of the visit your driver will take you to your accommodation in Agrigento.

Day 4: Guided Tour of the Valley of The Temples and Visit of The Favara Cultural Farm

This morning enjoy a guided of the Valley of the Temples. a superb archaeological park, that consists of eight temples (and their remains) built somewhere around 540 BC by the ancient Greeks, and reconstructed and restored in the 18th and 19th centuries. After lunch take the chance to visit the Favara Farm Cultural Park. In 2010, married couple Andrea Bartoli and Favara-born Florinda Saieva bought several abandoned buildings in the town’s dilapidated heart and set up this unique neighbourhood devoted to art. Since then, the Farm has become a centre for exhibitions by international and local artists, housing a gallery of thought-provoking, often politically charged, artwork, along with shops, bars and cafes, cultural events, talks, screenings, workshops and shows going on throughout the year. Return to Agrigento and overnight stay.

Day 5: Borgo Santa Rita and the Splendid Mosaics of Piazza Armerina

Following breakfast and check out your driver will take you to the tiny village of Santa Rita. Visit the Forno Santa Rita bakery opened by Maurizio Spinello who took the bold decision to stay — unlike many friends who migrated to larger towns. Spinello has begun to sell his artisanal pastas around the world made with organic flour milled from ancient wheat varieties grown by a local female farmer. Enjoy lunch at the bakery and next continue to Piazza Armerina where you will enjoy a guided visit of the Villa Romana del Casale, a Unesco World Heritage Site due to its containing the most complex and large collection of Roman mosaics in the world – there are 3535 square metres of them. Overnight in Piazza Armerina

Day 6: Discover Enna and Calascibetta

Today you will explore places and landscapes unknown to most. First the discovery the delightful medieval center of Enna and its marvelous views over the surrounding hills that can be enjoyed from the top of its 900 meters. Walking through the streets of downtown you can admire beautiful churches, charming squares and private buildings that make the historic center so characteristic and valuable. The tour includes the visit to the castle “Castello di Lombardia” with its wonderful view over the valley. Lunch in a local trattoria. Next destination is Calascibetta, where we visit the wonderful Cathedral of Norman origin. In the area named Malpasso, we visit the Realmese Necropolis and the Canalotto area, a late-antique, rocky village. Return to Piazza Armerina and overnight stay.

Day 7: Visit of a Prestigious Winery with Lunch

Following breakfast and check out your driver will take you to one of the most prestigious Sicilian wineries. Here you will be immersed in a dramatic, mountainous landscape. In the distance the sheep are grazing quietly and olive and almond trees mix beautifully with the vines. Visit of the winery and tasting of their best award winning wines during lunch. Next continue to an amazing masseria where you will be spending the following 3 nights.

Day 8: Cooking Class and Relaxing Time at your Masseria

Today you will be relaxing at your lovely masseria. You can take a relaxing massage, spend some time by the pool and even enjoy one of the amazing cooking classes held at the Masseria: from biscuits and tarts to fresh pasta, bread and pizza.

Day 9: Tour of the Madonie Villages

Today is dedicated to the visit of some of the loveliest villages of the Madonie Park Petralia Soprana, Gangi and Castelbuono. The labyrinthine streets of their mediaeval centres lead to beautiful churches, picturesque piazzas, impregnable castles and awe-inspiring viewpoints. Your tour also includes the visit to a local patry shop with tasting of delicious specialties. Return to your masseria and overnight stay.

Day 10: Private Transfer to Palermo International Airport

Following breakfast and check out the private transfer to Palermo International airport to take your flight back home.