UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Sicily

Sicily has seven UNESCO World Heritage sites: the Archaeological Area of Agrigento, the Villa Romana del Casale, the Aeolian Islands, the Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto, Syracuse with Pantalica, Mount Etna, and Arab-Norman Palermo with the cathedrals of Cefalù and Monreale. The first were inscribed in 1997, the latest in 2015. The Aeolian Islands and Etna are natural sites, the other five cultural.

Which World Heritage sites are there in Sicily?

What sets each site apart?

• Agrigento: the temples of the ancient Greek city of Akragas.
• Villa Romana del Casale: a Roman villa that UNESCO singles out for its exceptional mosaics.
• Aeolian Islands: seven volcanic islands that lend their names to two eruption types: Vulcanian and Strombolian.
• Syracuse and Pantalica: the old town on the island of Ortygia and the rock-cut necropolis of Pantalica.
• Etna: one of the most active volcanoes in the world, with eruptions documented for at least 2,700 years.

Which towns make up the Val di Noto?

The Val di Noto in the southeast covers eight towns: Caltagirone, Militello in Val di Catania, Catania, Modica, Noto, Palazzolo Acreide, Ragusa and Scicli. All were rebuilt in the late Baroque style after the earthquake of 1693. The guide Val di Noto links them into one route.

What belongs to Arab-Norman Palermo?

The site consists of nine buildings from the Norman Kingdom (1130 to 1194). In Palermo they include the Royal Palace with the Palatine Chapel, the cathedral and the Zisa, plus the cathedrals of Monreale and Cefalù. They combine Byzantine, Islamic and Western building traditions.

Which sites are natural and which are cultural heritage?

The Aeolian Islands (seven islands, 2000) and Mount Etna (2013) are listed for their volcanic landscapes and count as natural heritage. Agrigento, the Villa del Casale, the Val di Noto, Syracuse and Palermo are cultural heritage. Etna is therefore not a cultural site, as is often written.

Does Sicily have intangible cultural heritage?

Yes. The Opera dei Pupi, Sicilian puppet theater, was proclaimed by UNESCO in 2001 and entered on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2008. The two main schools of puppetry are in Palermo and Catania; the Museo Pasqualino in Palermo displays puppets. The cultivation of bush vines (vite ad alberello) on Pantelleria was added in 2014.

How can the sites be combined on one holiday?

Sorted by region, Syracuse, the Val di Noto and Etna lie in the southeast, with the provinces of Syracuse, Ragusa and Catania. Palermo, Cefalù and Monreale make up the north and northwest (province of Palermo), Agrigento sits on the south coast (province of Agrigento), and the Aeolian Islands lie in the northeast. Vacation rentals near the sites are listed at sicily.vacations.