Page 117 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Sicily

SICIL Y AREA B Y AREA  115
SOUTHWESTERN SICILY

This corner of Sicily is only a stone’s throw from
North Africa. The landscape is varied, much of it hilly
or mountainous, with rugged cliffs along parts of
the coast and arid, barren plateaus inland. The
Greeks built classically beautiful temples at
Agrigento, and the Romans left an extensive villa
at Piazza Armerina, saved for posterity by being
buried under mud for centuries.
Along the coast, steep craggy cliffs each year. Around the towns of Enna
alternate with flatter stretches of sand. and Caltanissetta lies the stony heart
This southern shore was a favourite of the island, exploited for its sulphur
landing place for travellers plying mines and quarries for centuries. Inland,
the Mediterranean, with their ships Southwestern Sicily is a totally different
putting in at places like Agrigento, world from the coast. Towns like Enna
Eraclea and Sciacca. seem to perch precariously on hilltops.
Agrigento became an important Greek Many of the people of these rather
centre, and an entire valley of temples isolated places have retained a deep-
still remains as evidence of their skills. seated religious faith, which is expressed
Some are still in good condition 2,000 in the colourful processions held during
years later. The mud-preserved Roman Easter Week (see p130). The flatter land
mosaics at the Villa del Casale at Piazza and slopes nearer to the sea were once
Armerina are in marvellous condition the domain of ancient feudal estates
and provide an excellent picture of with their olive and orange groves,
Roman life. vividly described in Giuseppe di
The land rises away from the sea to Lampedusa’s novel The Leopard. This,
become soft, rolling hills and then, perhaps the most truly “Sicilian” part
quite abruptly, rugged mountains. of Sicily, was also the birthplace of
Rivers may emerge for only a few weeks the great Italian writer Pirandello.

A boar being captured in one of the fine hunting scene mosaics in the Villa del Casale, at Piazza Armerina
Remains of the ancient Temple of Hera in Valle dei Templi at Agrigento

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