Capri, Italy
Capri, known as "the Blue Island",(the reflection of the blue and emerald shades of the sea onto the cliffs, give it a bluish hue), has been visited over the centuries by intellectuals, artists and writers, all enthralled by its magical beauty. The small Italian island known in the Greek mythology as the isle of the sirens, is situated 5 km from the mainland in the Bay of Naples, a celebrated beauty spot and coastal resort since the days of the Roman Republic until now. A visit to Capri nourishes both the mind and the spirit. Beauty's power to both inspire and heal are well-known and on this tiny Italian island, beauty is abundant.
Lipari, Italy
The largest of the Aeolian Islands, Lipari sits on the red volcanic rock and looks like a "wall of bronze" according to the Greek poet Homer. Archaeological remains found here have yielded clues to civilizations which date to 1700 BC, including the Neolitic stones that sit alongside ancient tombstones, and the Greek and Roman ruins. The Spaniards built here the Castello (Castle) in the 16th century, and the cathedral in the 17th century.
Taormina/Sicily, Italy
Sicily, at the crossroads of the Mediterranean, has absorbed a bewildearing variety of cultures, reflected in the
diverse monuments scattered across the island. The Greeks contributed seemingly ever-lasting temples at Selinute and Agrigrento, whilst in Palermo and Monreale the Normans fused Islamic, Byzantine and Romanesque traditions to create cultural ensembles distinguished, above all, by their glorious mosaics. "Taormina is a landscape where you seem to find everything created on the earth to seduce the eyes, the spirit and the imagination" (Guy de Maupassant). The views of mighty Mount Etna, while approaching the terraced town, built on a cliff overlooking the Ionian Sea astound the traveler.
Syracuse/Sicily, Italy
Syracuse, once formidable competitor of Athens, described by Cicero as "the most beautiful city in the world", was one of the most prestigious towns of Sicily, part of the great Greek empire (founded by settlers from Corinth in 733BC), and than modeled by the civilizations that past and let each one of them their emprint. Romans, Arabs, Normands, Byzantines, Spaniards, a great cultural mix along the centuries have created this extraordinary rich melange of colors, flavors and style, making Syracuse one of Italy's most interesting cities.
Valetta, Malta
The world's oldest human structures - more ancient than the Pyramids, more antique than Stonehenge-are to be found on Malta and rural neighbor Gozo. It was the Knights of St.John in 1566 who founded Malta's picturesque capital, Valetta(UNESCO World Heritage city).The Knights welcomed Caravaggio to their adopted home and the opulent interior of St.John Cathedral still proudly displays one of Caravaggio's most powerful canvasses.
Licata/Sicily, Italy
Licata is a splended little Italian town port situated on the meridian coast of Sicily and port of call for the trip to Agrigento most breathtaking cities in the Mediterranean,the majestic (Valley of Temples ).This is a collection of sacred buildings, including two virtually intact, the Temple of Concordia and the Themple of Hera of the mid 5th century BC.
Cefalu/Sicily, Italy
One of the Mediterranean's undiscovered jewels, the epitome of picturesque grandeur, this captivating seaside town in the shadow of a steep mountain, Cefalu has a beach, window, narrow, medieval streets, and delightful restaurants overlooking a rocky coast. All under the ever-present gaze of the Norman-Arab-Byzantine cathedral, one of the greatest churches of southern Europe. Cefalu still retains its medieval character and is dominated by the famous Norman cathedral, in the apse of which is the great 12th-century mosaic of Christ the Pantocrator, regarded by many as the greatest representation of Christ in all Christian religion.
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