Tripudium

The Garden in the sea - Sicily - South of Italy

"Without Sicily Italy leaves no image on the soul. Here is the key to everything" J.W. Goethe

We can't help agreeing with Goethe.
Visiting Sicily means something more than enjoying beautiful landscapes, crystal waters, excellent food, millennia of culture and traditions: it means getting in touch with something that is disappearing elsewhere, that is genuine human nature and love for social relationships.
The people of Sicily are extremely friendly and finding someone ready to help you in case of trouble is not difficult. Locals often move out of their way to give you directions in case of need or simply for the pleasure of knowing someone else and spending a little bit of time with you. This is the land of colours, of sun, of friendship, of optimism… and it can only happen here, in this magic land.

Like all islands the destiny of Sicily is one of conquests and foreign dominations that today have become its fortune. The Greeks, the Phoenicians, the Romans, the Normans, the Suevi, the Arabs, the Spanish... All of them left their mark in architecture, recipes, traditions... and the Sicilians have been so clever to retain the best of all those aspects and wisely blend them together with the strong Italian identity they proudly boast.
Nature here offers one of its most astonishing shows, with 3 of the 4 active volcanos in Europe: Etna, Stromboli and Vulcano, where you can have the privilege of a sea swimming in warm and bubbling waters.
Another less known side of Sicily is that of legends and mysterious events, which guide the visitor to the discovery of incredible natural beauty: Dionysus' ear giant cave, Polyphemus and Galatea's "red water" river or the "one hundred horse" chestnut-tree, one of the oldest trees of the planet.

From East to West we'll begin our journey in the exclusive Taormina, well-known not only for being a VIP resort but above all for its natural treasures, moving then southwards to Pantalica and Siracusa, listed as World Heritage sites by UNESCO. The temple valley near Agrigento is something you can't miss, together with Segesta, slightly northwards.
For sea lovers, San Vito Lo Capo is a natural reserve that can easily rival with the most blue diamond Caribbean waters. Our tour will end in the Aeolian Islands, with excursions to Stromboli and Vulcano, but not before a visit to Piazza Armerina and Enna, in the very heart of Sicily. This itinerary, as we summed up here, takes at least 2 weeks. So, we normally suggest to concentrate on what you like most, to fully enjoy your stay.

The tradition of "The Leopard" lives on

Do you remember the famous film of the sixties' The Leopard, starring Burt Lancaster, Claudia Cardinale and Alain Delon? The glories of those days live on every new year's eve at Villa Gussio hotel with extraordinary celebrations.
Villa Gussio, a refined and recently restored XVIII century mansion, combines luxury facilities with the friendly atmosphere of a family run hotel.
And Agriturismo Gigliotto, previously a XIII century monastery, offers you a unique dip into real Sicilian life, with a restaurant that prepares local recipes with organic fruits, vegetables, oil and wine only from its fields. Sit on the terrace, drink a cold juice made from fresh local oranges, enjoy the landscape... Isn't it like going back in time?

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