Page 543 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Italy

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q Piazza Armerina
Enna. * 21,000. @ n Via Generale
Muscara (0935 68 02 01). ( Thu.
∑ piazzaarmerina.org
This active town is half medieval
and half Baroque. The 17th-
century Duomo, at its highest
point, is the most interesting of
the Baroque buildings.
In August, the lively Palio dei
Normanni festival attracts many
visitors, but the real draw are
the mosaics in the UNESCO-
listed Villa Romana del Casale,
5 km (3 miles) southwest of the
town. The mosaics were only Roman Girls in Bikinis mosaic from the Villa Romana del Casale
excavated in the 20th century.
It is thought that this huge, w Enna Francesco has a 16th-century
once sumptuous villa, with its * 28,000. V @ n Piazza tower. Piazza Crispi, with its
public halls, private quarters, fine views to nearby Calas-
baths and courtyards, belonged Colaianni 6 (0935 50 08 75). ( Tue. cibetta, is dominated by a copy
∑ culturasicilia.it
to Maximianus Herculeus, of Bernini’s Rape of Persephone.
Diocletian’s co-emperor, from Impregnable on a crag above The 14th-century Duomo, altered
AD 286 to 305. His son and a fertile landscape where Perse- in later centuries, contains parts
successor, Maxentius, probably phone, mythological daughter of Demeter’s temple, an arch
continued its decoration, with of Demeter, once played, Sicily’s of which is still visible in the
Constantine taking over on highest town (942 m/3,090 ft) exterior of the Apse. Its façade
Maxentius’s death in 312. has been coveted by successive is rich in Gothic decorations.
Although little remains of the invaders since its earliest days. Inside, don’t miss the original
building fabric, the floors have The venerated seat of the wooden ceiling and the
some of the finest surviving Cult of Demeter (goddess of restored sacristy.
mosaics from Roman antiquity. fertility) was at Enna. Her temple The Museo Varisano has
The hunting, mythological and stood on the Rocca Cerere, not exhibits on the area’s history,
domestic scenes, and exotic far from the huge Castello di from Neolithic to Roman. Away
landscapes, all exhibit realistic Lombardia (13th century) built from the centre, the octagonal
attention to detail. by Frederick II. Torre di Federico II (13th century)
Most sights are clustered in the is a former watchtower.
P Villa Romana del Casale old town, among the ancient
Contrada Casale. Tel 0935 68 00 36. streets that open out of the Environs
Open 9am–6pm (winter: to 4pm). & Via Roma. The church of San The ancient hill-town of Nicosia,
northeast of Enna, was damaged
in the 1967 earthquake, but
still con tains a smattering of
churches. San Nicola, built in the
14th century, has a magnificent,
carved entrance portal. Inside
there is a much venerated
wooden crucifix (17th century)
by Fra Umile di Petralia. Santa
Maria Maggiore houses a 16th-
century marble polyptych by
Antonello Gagini and a throne
reputedly used by Charles V in
1535. Further east is Troina.
It was captured in 1062 by the
Normans, whose work survives
in the Chiesa Matrice. Southeast
of Enna, Vizzini commands fine
views of the countryside.
E Museo Varisano
Piazza Mazzini. Tel 0935 52 81 00.
An aerial view of the small town of Troina Open 9am–7pm Mon–Sat.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp576–7 and pp600–605

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