Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
NORTH OF ENNA
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Calascibetta
A densely packed maze of narrow streets set above a sheer precipice, Calascibetta was ori-
ginally built by the Saracens during their siege of Enna in 951 and was later strengthened
by the Norman king Roger I. The most impressive sight is the 14th-century Chiesa Madre (
9am-1pm & 3-7pm) , Calascibetta's landmark cathedral. Northwest 3km, the Necropoli di Realmese
is worth investigating, with some 300 rock tombs dating from 850 BC.
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Nicosia
Set on four hills, this ancient town was once the most important of a chain of fortified Nor-
man towns stretching from Palermo to Messina. Modern times have been tougher, and
between 1950 and 1970 nearly half the town's population emigrated.
The centre of action is Piazza Garibaldi, a handsome square dominated by the elegant
14th-century facade and Catalan-Gothic campanile of the Cattedrale di San Nicolò. From
the piazza, Via Salamone leads past crumbling Franco-Lombard palazzi to the Chiesa di Santa
Maria Maggiore , a reconstruction of a 13th-century church destroyed by a landslide in 1757.
Inside is a lovely marble polyptych by Gagini. From the terrace the ruins of a Norman
castle are visible on a rocky crag above town.
Near the entrance to Nicosia, Baglio San Pietro ( Click here ) has comfortable guest
rooms and delicious wood-fired porchetta (suckling pig) on the restaurant menu; bookings
are necessary.
 
 
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