221 Best Sights in Sicily, Italy

Nobles of the 17th and 18th centuries in this area opted to have their corpses mummified. You can visit the somewhat creepy crypt, located beneath a 17th-century Capuchin monastery, to see their preserved remains and hand-woven silk garments. The catacombs are technically open daily (from 9:30 am to 7:30 pm), but it's advised to call ahead to be sure that someone is actually on-site to let you in.

This church is a lesson in Palermitano eclecticism—originally Norman (1182), then Catalan Gothic (14th to 15th century), then fitted out with a Baroque and neoclassical interior (18th century). Its turrets, towers, dome, and arches come together in the kind of meeting of diverse elements that King Roger II (1095–1154), whose tomb is inside along with that of Frederick II, fostered during his reign. The exterior is more intriguing than the interior, but the back of the apse is gracefully decorated with interlacing Arab arches inlaid with limestone and black volcanic tufa. It's possible to visit the cathedral's roof for some fabulous city views.

Giovanni Vaccarini designed the contrasting black lava and white limestone facade of city's cathedral, which dominates the Piazza del Duomo and which houses the tomb of composer Vincenzo Bellini. Also of note are the three apses of lava that survive from the original Norman structure and a fresco from 1675 in the sacristy that portrays Catania's submission to Etna's eruption. Guided tours of the cathedral, which is dedicated to Catania's protector, are available in English if reserved at least a week in advance. The cathedral's treasures are on view in the Museo Diocesano Catania ( www.museodiocesanocatania.com), and underneath the cathedral are the ruins of Greco-Roman baths.

The sandy limestone from this quarry was much prized by ancient Greek builders. Lacking the fossilized shells abundant in much local stone, it was a stronger and more resistant construction material, and consequently a natural choice for the temples of Selinunte. Nevertheless, quarrying the stone in the huge discs required for temple columns was clearly no easy task, and as you wander through and above the gorge, you come across several broken discs, including one that was abandoned, split, before it had been fully removed from the bare rock. Even without the historical interest, this is a lovely place for a quiet stroll through olives, asphodel, and wildflowers, although in low season the site is unmanned and used by goatherds, so keep an eye out for untethered dogs.

Black lava stone from Etna, combined with largely Baroque architecture, give Catania's historic center a very distinctive feel. After Catania's destruction by lava and earthquake at the end of the 17th century, the city was rebuilt and its informal mascot "U Liotru" (an elephant carved out of lava balancing an Egyptian obelisk) was placed outside the cathedral as a kind of talisman. This square also marks the entrance to Catania's famous pescheria (fish market) and is one of the few points in the city where you can see the Amenano River aboveground. Another point of interest is Via Garibaldi, which runs from Piazza del Duomo up toward the impressively huge Porta Garibaldi, a black-and-white triumphal arch built in 1768 to commemorate the marriage of Ferdinando I. Also of note in the center are Castello Ursino, which is now a museum, the Greco-Roman theater off Via Vittorio Emanuele II, and the Roman amphitheater in Piazza Stesicoro.

It is more than worth the short detour from the lively Ballarò Market to step into the serene Baroque perfection of Chiesa del Gesù (Church of St. Mary of Gesù). The ornate church was built by the Jesuits not long after their arrival in Palermo in the late 16th century, and was constructed at the site of their religious seat in the city, so the chuch is also sometimes known as Casa Professa (mother house). The interior is almost completely covered with intricate marble bas-reliefs and elaborate black, tangerine, and cream stone work. The splendid church was severely damaged in World War II, but careful restoration has returned it to its shiny, swirling glory.

The second-largest church in Caccamo, the Chiesa dell'Annunziata holds just as much precious artwork as the main cathedral and dates back to the 1700s. The rooftop frescoes are by Giambecchina while stunning stucco wall decorations are by the famous Sicilian master Giacomo Serpotta and the front altar's design of the Annunciation is by Guglielmo Borremans.

Located right in front of the main square at the heart of Caccamo, the Chiesa dell'Oratorio is one in a series of splendid Baroque monuments in the center of the city. Together with the Chiesa dell'Oratorio, the palace of Monte di Pietà, and the church of the Anime Sante del Purgatorio, it makes up the historic heart of the city's art and culture. The square is used as a majestic open-air stage for events and concerts, and what better backdrop than these splendid examples of Sicilian Baroque architecture.

Yet another beautiful historic church in Castelbuono that is well worth visiting, even for only a moment, Chiesa della Natività di Maria was constructed in the 14th century and is characterized by its typical Sicilian limestone stonework and elegant bell tower. Inside it is filled with delicate pieces of art, but don't miss the one above the central altar. The decorative painted altarpiece, with intricate wooden carved details and paintings of various saints, dominates the church. The images on the polyptych are from the 1500s, created by Antonio di Sabila, the nephew of the famous early Renaissance Sicilian master Antonello da Messina.

The fabulously voluptuous facade makes a stunning contrast with the limestone cliffs soaring above. An enchanting fusion of the Baroque and rococo lies behind the lace grate doors of this church on the edge of the town's historic center. Inside the single-nave church is a wooden nativity scene that dates back to the 16th century.

As is usually the case in Sicily, this church is one of the best places in town to see some incredible art. The Chiesa di San Benedetto is decorated with an elaborate and remarkably well-preserved maiolica ceramic floor designed and crafted by 18th-century Palermo artist Nicolò Saranza. The decorative gold highlighted stucco wall decorations make the church glow in the sunlight.

This impressive church occupies an entire block of the main street in the medieval area of town, and it also houses the local library (Biblioteca Comunale) and the Civico Museo Archeologico, an archaeological museum. The church has the standard Greek cross structure. It is filled with marble vaults that host the statues of various saints and is decorated with floral embellishments typical of the extravagant Sicilian Baroque style.

Built in the 13th century, this church was renovated at the end of the 15th century, the beginning of the 18th century (perhaps due to damage from an earthquake), and most recently in 1981. From the Middle Ages up through the 19th century, it offered a final resting place to common citizens of Savoca. It's also known as the Chiesa di Santa Lucia, because of the silver statue of St. Lucia it houses, in addition to other sculptures and paintings from the nearby 15th-century church of St. Lucia that collapsed in a landslide in 1880. In popular culture, it's best known as the church where Michael Corleone wed Apollonia in The Godfather.

This small church dedicated to Saint Peter, who was originally a fisherman in Galilee, was erected in 1881 by the island's inhabitants and took 42 years to complete. Meander the narrow streets uphill to arrive at the pale yellow church, and the first thing you'll notice is the breathtaking panoramic view from the stone terrace at the sea-facing entrance. Inside, a portrait of the saint hangs above the high altar and the small wooden pews offer respite for quiet reflection—and a break from the heat. On June 28--29, they celebrate the Festival of Saint Peter, marked by a processional through the town and traditional dances and songs.

Founded in the 17th century as a Jesuit church, this was rebuilt following the 1693 earthquake. Housing the remains of Scicli's patron saint Guglielmo the hermit, a side chapel also hosts the life-size papier-mâché statue of the Madonna su cavallo (on a horse), the Madonna delle Milizie. This is paraded through the streets on the last Saturday in May to celebrate her feast day.

Like most small towns in Sicily, Mistretta's best artwork can be found in its local churches, which have a particularly ancient quality. The Chiesa Madre di Santa Lucia has a facade made from the characteristic golden limestone of Sicily with elegant Romanesque arches and columns. Inside, everything from the floor to the decorative altar is made of precious marble, which comes from the nearby town of San Marco D'Annunzio which has supplied marble for churches all over Messina province since the Middle Ages. The rose-color pink marble, in particular, was quite rare and the most expensive and luxurious decoration used in churches to show off a town's prosperity.

Polizzi is full of churches, each one filled to the brim with fascinating artwork, but this church is probably the most gorgeous of all. Its centerpiece is an astounding Renaissance painting of the Madonna and Child, attributed to the 15th-century Flemish painter Rogier Van Der Weyden. It is astonishing to see this priceless work of art from northern Europe housed in a church in Polizzi Generosa and gives you a sense of how much wealth was brought to the town thanks to its royal patrons.

In the Middle Ages, Petralia Sottana was under the dominion of the Ventimiglia family, whose immense wealth left behind many stunning public works and buildings in the town. The concentration of this architecture is focused in and around the central square of Piazza Umberto I, which is dominated by this 16th-century parish church, an impressive cathedral dedicated to the Madonna of the Assumption. The interior is filled with sculptures from the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries, including details from Antonello Gangini, a famed Sicilian sculptor who decorated many important churches with his artwork.

On the town's Piazza Duomo, you'll find the parish church of the apostles of St. Peter and St. Paul. The church's dominating structure is in the Catalonian Gothic style, with 12 elaborate columns representing the apostles. The interior is relatively simple, but there is a remarkable life-size wooden crucifix in a side chapel. The extensively detailed carving was handmade by local monks in 1623.

Castelbuono's main cathedral, located on the central square of Piazza Margherita, is a 16th-century elegant Romanesque church filled with various religious art and paintings. The Gothic Catalan bell tower reflects a similar Andalusian style to Palermo's Duomo, and it is a prominent feature of the town's landscape.

Instead of climbing up Mount Etna, you can circle it on this private railroad, which runs between Catania and Riposto, with a change at Randazzo. By following the base of the volcano, the Circumetnea stretches out a 31-km (19-mile) journey along the coastal road to 114 km (71 miles). The line was first constructed between 1889 and 1895 and remains small, slow, and single track, but it has some dramatic vistas of the volcano and goes through lava fields. The one-way trip takes about 3½ hours, with departures every 90 minutes or so. After you've made the trip, you can get back to where you started from on the much quicker, but less scenic, conventional rail service between Riposto and Catania.

This fascinating museum consists of two sections, one dedicated to geology and another to archaeology. It's a testament to Petralia Sottana's long and fascinating human and geological history. The rocks and fossils in the locally gathered collection date back to 200 million years ago and showcase the geographical evolution of the area. The museum's archaeological collection shows a vast array of prehistoric vases, numerous ancient Greek ceramics, and items from the Bronze Age.

The lovely cloister of the abbey adjacent to the Duomo was built at the same time as the church but enlarged in the 14th century. The beautiful enclosure is surrounded by 216 intricately carved double columns, every other one decorated in a unique glass mosaic pattern. Afterward, don't forget to walk behind the cloister to the belvedere, with stunning panoramic views over the Conca d'Oro (Golden Conch) valley toward Palermo.

Opposite the Museo del Satiro Danzante, the exuberant Baroque Jesuit College, with its portal framed by hefty male caryatids, was once the center of the Catholic Inquisition in town during the 18th century, charged with rooting out and punishing anything they deemed to be heresy. In 1824, the Jesuits clashed with Sicily’s Bourbon rulers, and were kicked out (probably missed by few). The damaged church of Sant’Ignazio next door is sometimes open; it's an evocative elliptical space, framed by red-gold sandstone and marble columns, and open to the sky. It is occasionally used for open-air concerts and exhibitions.

This lively street that runs the length of Lipari Town from the port blends the tourist and local worlds. You'll find the requisite souvenir shops selling trinkets and postcards, but it's also where residents go to visit their butcher, to pick up daily bread, and to buy fishing tackle. During summer evenings, it's closed to cars and becomes the primary stretch for making the evening passeggiata (evening stroll) past cafés that reverberate with energy late into the evenings.

The city's Duomo was founded in 1093 by Sicily’s first Norman ruler, Roger I, who is depicted in relief above the main entrance on horseback trampling a turbanned Arab. It has an interior dominated by the huge marble tableau of the Transfiguration above the altar, revealed as if behind stucco curtains held back by cherubs, designed by the Palermitan Renaissance sculptor Antonello Gagini who is thought to have worked with Michelangelo in Rome. In the right transept is the fragment of a fresco of Christ Pantokrator dating back to the original Norman church and created by Greek Byzantine artists.

With its cupola and twin turrets, Acireale's Duomo is an extravagant Baroque construction dating from the 17th century. In the chapel to the right of the altar, look for the 17th-century silver statue of Santa Venera (patron saint of Acireale) by Mario D'Angelo, and the early-18th-century frescoes by Antonio Filocamo.

The reconstruction of Messina's Norman and Romanesque cathedral, originally built by the Norman king Roger II and consecrated in 1197, has retained much of the original plan—including a handsome crown of Norman battlements, an enormous apse, and a splendid wood-beamed ceiling. The adjoining bell tower contains one of the largest and most complex mechanical clocks in the world: constructed in 1933, it has a host of gilded automatons (a roaring lion and crowing rooster among them) that spring into action every day at the stroke of noon, lasting for 12 minutes.

Don't miss the chance to climb the bell tower itself. As you head up the internal stairs, you'll see the system of levers and counterweights that operates the movements of the gilded bronze statues that parade through the open facade high over the Duomo's square. At the top, an open-air terrace offers 360-degree views of Messina and the Strait.

Cefalù is dominated by a massive headland—la rocca—and a 12th-century Romanesque Duomo, which is one of the finest Norman cathedrals in Italy. Roger II began the church in 1131 as an offering of thanks for having been saved here from a shipwreck. Its mosaics rival those of Monreale. (Whereas Monreale's Byzantine Christ figure is an austere and powerful image, emphasizing Christ's divinity, the Cefalù Christ is softer, more compassionate, and more human.) At the Duomo you must be respectfully attired—no shorts or beachwear permitted. Private tours organized via  www.arabonormannaunesco.it can include tours of the roof and towers (€10).