Taormina: The Greek-Roman Amphitheater (Photo)

Taormina is Sicily’s most renowned resort. Located in the province of Messina, it hosts a magnificent amphitheater (photo below) with a breathtaking view of Mount Etna in the background. The theater, built by the Greeks in the 3rd century BC and remodeled by the Romans, is still used today and hosts the famous Taormina Film Festival.

 

Sicily Photos – Slideshow

Some friends visited Sicily and shared with all all these beautiful photos!

 

September in Sicily

September is a lovely month to visit Sicily. The weather is beautiful and the sea temperature is still wonderfully warm which makes it perfect for a late summer swim. There are less tourists compared to August which is Italy’s “holiday month” and beaches and other top attractions are not invaded by tourists.

Prices for accomodations and rentals drop from their high season levels by the middle of the month.
The first substancial rains arrive, usually after mid-month. For the temperature, the month of September can be considered an extension of the long Sicilian summer.

The weather is ideal for sightseeing, it’s an ideal time to visit Sicily’s beautiful towns, small medieval centers, archaeological ruins and natural reserves.

In September harvests begin throughout the island. Grapes are certainly the main fruit of the season but not only: almonds, pistachios, prickly pears and figs are at their best. This is the time of harvest celebrations and festivals organized to promote typical products of the different areas.

By Maria Lina Bommarito

September in Sicily… I Wish I Were There

 

 

Photos of Sicily

 

Mount Etna Erupts with Incredible Views of Light and Fire (Video & Photos)

On July 30, Mount Etna erupted treating residents and travelers to a spectacular show of tectonic fireworks. Mount Etna (also known locally as Mongibeddu in Sicilian and Mongibello in Italian) is an active volcano on the east coast of Sicily, close to Messina and Catania. It is the largest volcano in Europe, currently standing about 10,991 ft (3,350 m) high, though it should be noted that this varies with summit eruptions (the mountain is 71 ft (21,6 m) lower now than it was in 1865). It is the highest mountain in Italy south of the Alps. Etna covers an area of 460 square miles (1190 km²). This makes it by far the largest of the three active volcanoes in Italy, being nearly three times the height of the next largest, Mount Vesuvius. [Wikipedia]

 

Spectacular Video (3:26)

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Cala Palermo – Slideshow

The Cala di Palermo is the oldest port of the city, situated in a cove between Via Francesco Crispi  and Foro Italico. Recently, it has been restored and about 50,000 cubic miles of illegal constructions have been demolished. The new cala was inaugurated on July 29, 2011 and represents a first, but important step for Palermo to recuperate its green space.

Slideshow

 

 

Map

 

Messina Before and After the 1908 Earthquake (Slideshow)

Messina was almost entirely destroyed by an earthquake and tsunami on the morning of December 28, 1908, killing over 75,000 people and destroying most of the ancient architecture. Here is a slideshow of old photos that shows how it was before.

Cinisi Sicily

Piano Margi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spiaggia Magaggiari

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Maria Lina Bommarito

Alcantara River in Sicily (Photo)

The Alcantara (Sicilian: Alcàntara) is a river in Sicily. It has its source on the south side of Monti Nebrodi and its mouth in the Ionian Sea at Capo Schiso in Giardini-Naxos. The river is 52 km (32 mi) long.

The name Alcantara is of Arabic origin (Arabic: القنطرة‎ al-Qanṭarah, ‘the Bridge’) and refers to a bridge from Roman times found by the Arabs. Thucydides called it Akesines Potamos while its Latin names were “Assinus or Assinos” and “Onobala“.Cantera was another hydronym adopted by Normans. (Wikipedia)

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