Cefalù
is one of Sicily's most memorable
hill towns. Huddled at seaside
below a huge megalithic cliff, it
presents visible signs of
virtually every foreign power that
ever marched through Sicily, all
the way back to the Phoenicians,
with its crowning glory being the
magnificent Norman cathedral whose
Byzantine mosaics are rivaled by
few anywhere in the world. If you
could see only one place besides
Palermo, this would be a fine
choice. That's also because it
sits next to some of the nicest
water on the island, and the sandy
beaches that stretch for a few
miles on both sides are crowded
only on summer weekends and in
August. The holiday apartments at
Sole Siciliano are just down the
road and make a great base for
visiting any attractions along the
northern coast of Sicily.
Castel
St. Angelo. Two thousand years
of Roman history are contained in
this fortress/castle, originally
the tomb of the Emperor Hadrian.
The circular corridor inside and
the 360 degree view of the city
are pleasantly disorienting.
Admission fee. Lungotevere
Castello.
The
Pantheon. The most intact
building from antiquity in the
world, an
architectural wonder set right on
the heart of the centro storico,
the historical center. Try to go
in when it's raining -- you'll be
amazed. Piazza della Rotonda
Priano and Conca dei Marini,
in Campania. At the latter, you
can also take an elevator down to
the Grotta dello Smeraldo,
a large emerald-colored cave.
Palatine
Hill. An irresistibly tranquil
setting. Not only are you at the
very source of the Eternal City,
walking on the same ground as
Romulus walked, you feel -- amid
the grass, trees, gardens, open
spaces, views, and incomparable
ruins -- as if you were in the
open country. Admission fee. Via
di San Gregorio.
Grado,
in Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
Resembling a miniature Venice,
this pristine town has some of the
oldest churches in Christendom,
along with an exceedingly rich
medieval quarter, right next door
to an ultra-modern beach resort
and health spa.
The
Vatican -- St. Peter's Basilica
and the Museums. Visit the
Sistine Chapel, the Michelangelo
masterpiece that many consider to
be the greatest work of art ever
created. Feast your eyes in the
map room, the Raphael rooms, the
Nicolina chapel, and Bernini's
altar in the Basilica. Museum:
admission fee, Viale Vaticano;
Basilica: Piazza San Pietro.
Eraclea
Minoa, in Sicily. Founded in
the fifth century BC, this town
was destroyed by the Carthaginians
in 409 BC. Its ruins are located
in a dramatic setting, high on
white cliffs overlooking a
first-rate sandy beach. Visit the
museum, the large residential
quarter, and the theatre. Sit in
one of the "deluxe"
armchair seats for a knock-out
view of the Mediterranean, then
take the unpaved road, following
the zona balneare signs,
down the hill for a refreshing
swim. To reach the ruins, take
SS115 from Sciacca or Agrigento
(about 12 miles either way), then
follow the signs to Eraclea Minoa zona
archeologica. And while you're
here, do not miss the exceptional
temples at Selinunte. There is a
secret little beach within 15
minutes' walk of the temple, where
you'll find a ramshackle little
hut serving lunch to bathing
suit-clad patrons seated at tables
right on the sand. The fish you
get here for pennies would cost a
week's salary in New York! We're
not going to ruin the magic by
telling you how to get there -
adventurous travelers will have
the added thrill of finding it on
their
own.
Church
of San Clemente.
Step back into the many layers of
Roman history -- the first
evidence of the Italian language,
an altar of the secret cult of
Mithras, an actual ancient alley
of the city. Via San Giovanni in
Laterano
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