Central Sicily - Sicily - page 456

Eating

9 Amici Miei B2

10 Da Totò C2

11 Ristorante Teatro D1

Sights & Activities

Historic Centre
Often overlooked by people rushing to the Villa Romana del Casale, Piazza's hilltop me-
dieval centre is worth more than the passing glance that many people give it. The high-
point is the hilltop cathedral OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP (Piazza Duomo; 8am-noon & 3.30-7pm) . A
landmark for miles around - the towering dome rises 66m - it's a huge, bulky affair with a
severe 18th-century facade and an airy blue-and-white interior.
Of note is the altar painting, a copy of the Byzantine painting Madonna delle Vittorie
(Virgin of the Victories), which was supposedly presented to Count Roger I by Pope Nich-
olas II. To the side of the main church, the 44m-high bell tower is a leftover from an earli-
er 14th-century church.
The handsome square in front of the cathedral affords splendid views of the surround-
ing countryside and is flanked by Palazzo Trigona OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP , a baronial palace
that has been earmarked to house a new archaeological museum. In the centre of the
square, the statue OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP is of Baron Marco Trigona, the aristocrat who
financed the cathedral's construction .
Off Piazza Duomo is Via Monte , the arterial road of the 13th-century city, with its warren
of tiny alleys fanning like the ribs of a fishbone. This is the town's most picturesque
quarter. Alternatively, take Via Floresta, beside Palazzo Trigona, to arrive at the ruins of
the 14th-century Castello Aragonese OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP .
From the cathedral, Via Cavour hairpins down to Piazza Garibaldi, the elegant heart of the
old town. Overlooking the square is Palazzo di Città OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP , Piazza's re-
fined town hall (closed to the public), and the Chiesa di San Rocco OFFLINE MAP GOOGLE MAP
(known as the Fundrò), next to which there's a pretty internal courtyard.

HISTORIC QUARTER