If you are planning to tour Europe why don't you consider the island of Sicily, a region of southern Italy? Depending on your own specific interests, this beautiful area can be an ideal vacation spot. You can get classic Italian food, and wash it down with fine local wine. And some parts of Sicily haven't yet been discovered by tourists. This short article presents western Sicily. A companion article presents eastern Sicily; another presents Sicily's capital, Palermo.
Monteale is a city of some thirty thousand southwest of Palermo. It is best known for its Norman Cathedral built between 1174 and 1185, arguably the finest example of Norman architecture in all Sicily. Its interior contains well over an acre of gold mosaics.
The town of Erice, population under thirty thousand, sits approximately half a mile above sea level. You'll love its two castles, Pepoli Castle which dates from Saracen (Arabic) times and Venus Castle which dates from Norman times. Capo San Vito is a cape situated about twenty five miles (forty kilometers) northeast of Erice. It claims to have the most beautiful beach in all of Italy.
The city of Marsala whose population is approximately eighty thousand, was the major Carthaginian base in Sicily during its wars against Greece and Rome. Today Marsala brings to mind the wine much loved by the British (and others) for well over two hundred years. Make sure to see the Baglio Anselmi Archeological Museum.
We end our tour of western Sicily at Agrigento, historic city and site of Valle dei Templi (Valley of the Temples) arguably the finest Greek ruins outside of Greece. Each temple in the Valle dei Templi is unique. Prepare your trip carefully, summers in this part of the world are very, very hot. While you don't want to get sick, you don't want to rush through this site containing several buildings worth visiting.
Organic food has made major inroads in Sicily. Of all Italy's regions only the neighboring island of Sardinia produces more organic food. Make sure to see our companion article I Love Touring Italy - Western Sicily for a sample menu and more information on Sicilian wines as well as an in-depth examination of the area's tourist attractions. You may be surprised to learn that only slightly more than fifty percent of Sicilian wine is red. There are many Sicilian wines that do not carry the DOC classification, sometimes by choice.
