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| Welcome to the Centre of Sicily! |
After visiting the east coast, I wanted to know what the centre of Sicily had to offer. The town of Enna appeared to be a good strategic base to see some real Sicilian villages and then to go to the South in Agrigento. However, road maps don't really specify that the old town itself is located at 1000 m above the sea level, and that access is not always very easy (roads cut because of mud slides, traffic congestion because Enna is a medieval town, low clouds). On this page, you'll be able to see some photos taken during my 2 days’ stay in the centre of Sicily: photos of Piazza Armerina, Villa Imperiale del Casale, Enna... If you prefer to visit the South of Sicily, please click here. If it's the East you're interested in, please click here. |
| 1. Visit the town of Piazza Armerina... On the right-hand side, you can see a nice photo of Piazza Armerina taken from the roadside. The town itself doesn't have very much to interest tourists but it allows you to access the site of Villa Imperiale del Casale (photos #2 and 3). As in most of the Sicilian towns, road signs can be very confusing and it may be very difficult to find your way... |
2. Play around the Metro Goldwyn
Mayer's lionine ancestor...
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| 3. Visit the Villa Imperiale del Casale... Here you can see another mosaic showing a scene of current life with fishermen. The villa is unique because all its floors are covered with mosaics, which are still in good shape in spite of the centuries, a fire, floods and mudslides. |
| 4. Admire the view from Enna... Enna is located at around 1000m above the sea level, on a plateau, in the centre of Sicily. It is one of the oldest towns of the Island. The town is also called "the lookout of Sicily" because of its panoramic view. On the right-hand side, you can see the village of Santa Anna from Enna. |
| 5. Admire the Castello di Lombardi (Enna)... Because of its strategic location, the town was inhabited by the Sicani, before receiving civilized influences from Greeks, Romans, Turks, Arabs, Normans etc. A big part of the 13th Century Castle, built by Frederic II, still remains. (pictured) |
| 6. Admire a panoramic view on Enna... The photo on the right-hand side was taken from the Castle. Enna is so compact that it's easy to imagine that the traffic in the town can be difficult between 8am and 1:30pm and between 4pm and 8pm (with horns beeping and double-lane parking). Outside those hours, it was very quiet. It felt as if someone out there was pressing the ON/OFF button of a big merry-go-round. |
 Photo 6. Panoramic View on Enna.. |
| 7. Take a break on Piazza V. Emanuele (Enna)... In Enna's town centre, there's a silly parking system, including around V. Emanuele's square. You can park for free if you find a space in a white zone, but you would have to pay if you park in a blue zone. In such a case, you have to find a shop to buy a "scratch card" to display behind your windscreen. Fortunately, after 8pm, you can manage to park in a white zone. |
| 8. Observe the Enna's Manneken Pis... Near V. Emanuele square, it's funny to find an Italian equivalent of the Belgian Manneken Pis (see photo and the page about Brussels).  |
9. Visit Enna's Graveyard... It is not my style to visit graveyards, but I have to say that Enna's is special. Each family owns a crypt, which, from afar, makes the landscape look like a village... it almost looks like one of Cezanne's paintings... |
| The Centre of Sicily in pictures | ||
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 Photo 2. Roooar! Am I the ancestor of the Metro Goldwyn Mayer's lion? |
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 Photo 3. Mosaic of the Villa Imperiale del Casale. |
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 Photo 4. View from Enna. |
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 Photo 5. Castello di Lombardi in Enna. |
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 Photo 7. Piazza V. Emanuele. |
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 Photo 8. Sicilian Cousin of Belgian Manneken Pis |
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 Photo 9. Enna's Graveyard. |
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