Italy
Treasures of Sicily
Program No. 18212RJ
Immerse yourself in the culture and cuisine of Sicily as you learn about important archaeological sites, ancient towns, historic monuments and savor a meal on the slopes of Mt. Etna.
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Price will update based on selection
Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
Activity Level:
Keep the Pace (7)
DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
Sep 8 - Sep 22, 2024
Starting at
5,399Sep 22 - Oct 6, 2024
Starting at
5,399Oct 6 - Oct 20, 2024
Starting at
5,399Oct 20 - Nov 3, 2024
Starting at
5,399Nov 3 - Nov 17, 2024
Starting at
5,399Activity Level:
Keep the Pace (7)
DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
Sep 8 - Sep 22, 2024
Starting at
6,399Sep 22 - Oct 6, 2024
Starting at
6,399Oct 6 - Oct 20, 2024
Starting at
6,399Oct 20 - Nov 3, 2024
Starting at
6,399Nov 3 - Nov 17, 2024
Starting at
6,399Activity Level:
Let's Go! (12)
DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
Activity Level:
Let's Go! (12)
DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
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15 days
14 nights
31 meals
13B 10L 8D
1
In Transit to Program
In Flight
8
Free Time
Siracusa
10
Agrigento, Valley of the Temples
Agrigento
At a Glance
Experience how dizzyingly diverse cultural influences combined to create something unique in Sicily. Examine the ruins left behind as evidence of Magna Graecia, "Greater Greece," including some of the most beautiful structures ever built by the Ancient Greeks; learn about the surprising, sometimes spectacular results of the clash between Norman and Arab civilizations; meet the proud, friendly Sicilians who are eager to share their villages, their cuisine and the beauty of their land.
Activity Level
Varies by date
Walking up to five miles a day. Extended standing during site visits with limited or no public seating. Uneven terrain, limited public handrails, unavoidable stairs, marble and terracotta flooring, cobblestones, steep inclines, loose gravel, dirt paths. Elevator use is limited or restricted in historic sites. Expect crowded conditions in pedestrian centers and museums. Dress accordingly for visits to open-air archeological parks. Program-related travel and transfers will be via bus and boat. Sheltered waiting areas may not be available at docks.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
What You'll Learn
- Visit the Norman Cathedral in Monreale; the Byzantine-style mosaics rival those of St. Mark's in Venice.
- Explore 8th-century BCE Greek temples.
- Discover Etna National Park, from barren craters to orchards and terraced vineyards, and enjoy a lunch of freshly prepared Sicilian dishes.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Angelo Fanara
Angelo Fanara graduated from the Università degli Studi di Messina. A retired high school English teacher, he continues his love of teaching by leading groups on a freelance basis in the most important archaeological sites and museums in his native Sicily and southern Calabria.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Angelo Fanara
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Angelo Fanara graduated from the Università degli Studi di Messina. A retired high school English teacher, he continues his love of teaching by leading groups on a freelance basis in the most important archaeological sites and museums in his native Sicily and southern Calabria.
Laura Lanza
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Laura Lanza received her degree in literature and philosophy from the University of Palermo. She taught Italian, Latin and Greek in local high schools and enjoys her present role as an excursion leader in the province of Palermo. Laura enjoys traveling to European destinations as well as other continents with her family, and resides in the city of Palermo.
Michele Gallo
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Michele Gallo, a licensed excursion leader in Sicily, shares his knowledge of the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento. He has contributed to BBC and TBS documentaries featuring UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Domenico Nucci
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Domenico Nucci studied Greek, Latin, physics and philosophy during high school in Naples. He earned an associate's in art history, and later a degree at the Università di Napoli Federico II, and further studies in environmental and humanitarian legislation at American University. He then worked for many years in aid and reconstruction programs in Africa and Asia. When not on Road Scholar programs, he works in fruit tree care, home renovation, and property management.
Lucia Iacono
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Lucia Iacono was born and raised in Siracusa, Sicily, and went on to study foreign language and literature at the University of Catania. She is a licensed expert for southeast Sicily and takes great pride in introducing the art, history and culture of her native island to visitors. A true foodie, Lucia enjoys traveling, photography and a good read.
Laura Cassataro
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Laura Cassataro is an archaeologist and licensed expert in the city and province of Syracuse. She was born and raised in Sicily at Termini Imerese and earned her PhD in classical literature from the University of Catania with a dissertation on the ancient routes of communication between Syracuse and Agrigento. Laura has curated cultural events in the area, most notably a photography exhibit (and catalog) on Syracuse in the Middle Ages, and an exhibition on Falconry at the Maniace Fortress.
Vera Mazzara
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Vera Mazzara was born in Naples; her mother came from Naples and her father was from Sicily. She has a degree in foreign languages from the Università degli Studi di Messina and started working as a teacher and a group leader in 1995. A few years later, she started lecturing. She has lived in Sicily for most of her life as well as several years in Naples, a year in Spain, and half a year in England.
Jacqueline Alio
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Jacqueline Alio, born and raised in California to Sicilian parents, moved to Sicily with her family as a child, fueling her enduring passion for the island. Her career revolves around promoting Sicily's history and traditions. As an author of numerous books and online articles, she lectures extensively on the island's rich heritage, encompassing its history, people, cuisine, and wines. Jacqueline has nearly three decades of experience and is a certified local guide specializing in Palermo and Sicily.
Giusi Belfiore
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Giusi Belfiore, born in Catania, holds a bachelor's in political science with an international focus. Her thesis, "Aspects and Issues of Tourist Development in the European Community: Towards a European Tourism Policy," earned top marks. She has completed training in tourism and hospitality management. Giusi has worked in banking and has a background in travel agencies, translation, swimming instruction, and tourism animation. Fluent in English and French, with basic German, she is a licensed travel leader in several Sicilian cities.
Suggested Reading List
(19 books)
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You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Treasures of Sicily
Program Number: 18212
Behind Closed Doors
Translated from the Italian by Elise Magistro. From Amazon: "A cultural album of 10 short stories that captures the lives of peasant, working-class, and middle-class women, this volume will appeal to millions of Italian descendants and readers everywhere fascinated by Italian history."
On Persephone's Island
Strong on the delights of rural life, Simeti's portrait of Sicily takes the form of a year-long journal, capturing the spirit of the people, daily life, traditions and the land.
The Mask of Apollo
Master of historical fiction Mary Renault centers her novel in the turbulent world of fourth-century B.C. Greece, where a tragic actor finds Plato and his friend trying to subdue the tyrannical ruler of Syracuse.
Ancient Sicily, Monuments Past & Present
In this illuminating overview, ingenious overlays depict 17 important sites as they appear today and how they may have appeared in the past.
The Shape of Water
The first of Camilleri's wildly popular Inspector Montalbano mysteries, nicely translated and shot through (pun intended) with not just memorable characters but also with Sicilian lore and politics. If you like the series, it continues in 19 more installments -- and counting.
Palermo
In this charming little book, Alajmo offers a wry, lyrical portrait of his native city, its people, charms and "big problems." What follows is a rollicking, odd journey through the peccadilloes of the Sicilian city.
Bitter Victory: The Battle for Sicily 1943
From Amazon: Using a wealth of original sources, D'Este paints an unforgettable portrait of men at war. From the front lines in Sicily and Northern Africa to the councils of the Axis and Allied high commands, Bitter Victory offers penetrating reassessments of the men who masterminded the campaign. Thrilling and authoritative, this is military history on an epic scale.
The Day of the Owl
A mesmerizing description of the Mafia at work, Sciascia's beautifully paced novella traces Captain Bellodi's investigation of a man shot dead as he runs to catch a bus in a small Sicilian town.
Midnight in Sicily, On Art, Food, History, Travel and La Cosa Nostra
Combining interviews, research and essays on Sicilian history and culture, this vivid report by journalist Robb is a superb introduction to Italy's glorious, corrupt and troubled south.
Seeking Sicily, A Cultural Journey Through Myth and Reality in the Heart of the Mediterranean
Taken with Sicily, its culture and its literature, Keahey explores the food, history and pure pleasure of the place, using his heroes Giuseppe di Lampedusa, Leonardo Sciascia and other Sicilian literary greats as guides.
A House in Sicily
An old-fashioned memoir of life at Casa Cuseni, the pensione and garden in Taormina run by the indomitable Daphne Phelps, which has been a sanctuary for such guests as Tennessee Williams, Betrand Russell and others, famous and infamous, since 1947.
Between Salt Water and Holy Water, A History of Southern Italy
Astarita captures the fanfare, rivalry and changing fortunes of Sicily from antiquity through Norman, Spanish and Bourbon rule to unification and the 20th century.
Sicily, Through Writers' Eyes
Homer, Herodotus, D.H. Lawrence, Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, Elio Vittorini and Peter Robb are represented in this magnificent tour of Sicily, its history, culture and allure.
Palmento, A Sicilian Wine Odyssey
An American journalist living in France, Robert Camuto roams the vineyards and visits with vintners from Palermo to Marsala and the volcanic slopes of Mount Etna in this year-long celebration of the culture and spirit of Sicily, Italy's largest and oldest wine region.
The Leopard
Evoking a lost world of privilege and tradition, Di Lampedusa's memorable tale, set on a rural Sicilian estate during the days of independence, follows the world-weary Don Fabrizio, Prince of Salina. A classic, now in a 50th anniversary edition.
Sicily, An Island at the Crossroads of History
Norwich delivers a page-turning account of Sicily, from the Classical period through the Mafia, highlighting the crucial role the island has played in world politics.
Sicily Map
A detailed map of Sicily (1:200,000) printed on water- and tear-resistant paper.
Syracuse, City of Legends: A Glory of Sicily
Dummett covers the history, architecture and archaeology of Syracuse, which Cicero dubbed the greatest and most beautiful Greek city, in this lavishly illustrated book.
Sicily, An Illustrated History
Privitera covers the scope of Sicily and its diverse civilizations in lively prose and well-chosen illustrations in this succinct history.