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DAYS
7
TOUR CODE
ASIC-27
COST
£3695
DAYS
7
TOUR CODE
ASIC-27
COST
£3695
As well as becoming immersed in the rich art and history of Palermo, we will discover smaller towns glittering with modern and contemporary art treasures. Highlights include Caravaggio's The Burial of St Lucy and The Raising of Lazarus, and modern sculptures by Alberto Burri.
Overview
Situated on the brink of southern Italy, and anchored in a highly strategic area within the Mediterranean sea, for much of its history Sicily has been a location in which a multitude of cultures have converged. As a result, Sicily is home to a rich myriad of art and architecture, making it the perfect destination to see a diverse range of cultural highlights.
Sicily lays claim to a fascinating milestone in the career of one of the world's most remarkable painters – Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. The Museo Regionale di Messina preserves a seminal example of his Sicilian work, The Raising of Lazarus, and travelling to Sepolcro we can view the The Burial of St Lucy housed in the Church of Santa Lucia. These paintings exemplify Caravaggio’s dramatic use of chiaroscuro, encapsulating both humility and fragility to a mesmerising degree.
Contemporary and modern art will also be a key feature of our tour, coming into the fore during our visit to New Gibellina. Rebuilt following a devastating earthquake in the 1970s to synthesise both art and concepts of utopia, this post-modern city is brimming with sculptures and unusual installations. Here we will marvel at Ludovico Quaroni’s Chiesa Madre, where an enormous white sphere occupies the centre of an amphitheatre and Pietro Consagra’s Porta del Belice, the gate to the city. Nearby, we will venture to see Europe’s largest land artwork, Cretto di Burri, featuring a series of colossal stone slabs that mark out the original layout of Gibellina. The concept behind this thought-provoking piece, designed by Italian artist Alberto Burri as an imposing memorial to the former town, together with its materials, make for a truly singular work of art.
A wonderful highlight of our tour will be an excursion to the Cattedrale di Monreale. Built in the 12th century, this incredible structure features a Norman basilica layout, pointed arches reminiscent of Islamic architecture and glittering mosaics depicting scenes from the Old and New Testament, the largest of their kind in Italy, and a close rival to the Hagia Sofia in size and brilliance.
A further diversity of aesthetics will be enjoyed in Palermo as we visit the Baroque Oratorio of San Lorenzo and the neo-Gothic Chiesa Santa Croce. The Palazzo Abatellis, meanwhile, will capture our imagination with their collection of glorious paintings by Antonello da Messina, Piero della Francesca and Jan Gossaert.
Through a series of walking tours, travellers will be introduced to the intricacies and highlights of both cities and smaller towns. In Cefalú, for example, we will meander its picturesque medieval streets and stunning white sand beaches, finally reaching the Mandralisca Museum, an eclectic house-museum containing a rich assemblage of art and rare archaeological finds.
We also hope to include two further opportunities to become immersed in Sicilian culture: a performance at Palermo’s magnificent Teatro Massimo opera house, and a visit to a Abbazia Santa Anastasia Wine Estate for lunch and wine tasting. Please note that these visits will be confirmed in due course.
"Sicily's fascinating, layered history has created an island of contrasts. This tour isn't just about Sicily of the distant past, though that is there in the traces of its Arab, Norman, and Baroque architecture, its more recent challenges such as the earthquake that devastated Gibellina and the incredible land art by Burri that commemorates it. From the Renaissance wonder that was Antonello da Messina to paintings by Caravaggio, stunning mosaics, and street art in vibrant Palermo's trendy La Kalsa, it's an unforgettable experience."
– Tour Director Marie-Anne Mancio
Tour Director
Marie-Anne Mancio
Marie-Anne is an art historian and frequent visitor of Italy, and has collaborated closely with ACE to create an itinerary that offers a holistic experience of Sicily’s bountiful art treasures.
This tour will be led by Marie-Anne Mancio, MPhil, DPhil, an art historian, writer and experienced tour leader and lecturer, accredited with the Arts Society. Marie-Anne originally trained as an artist before gaining her DPhil at the University of Sussex in art and critical theory. She has written and presented courses for Tate and Dulwich Picture Gallery, and writes reviews, catalogue essays and historical fiction.
– ACE customer on a previous tour led by Marie-Anne Mancio
Our Accommodation
We will stay in Syracuse for two nights followed by one night in Cefalù, and the final three nights will be spent at a hotel in Palermo. Our hotels will all be of a four-star quality, comfortable and well-located for our visits. More information about our hotels will be provided in due course.
Itinerary
Day 1
Depart London Gatwick 0710 on British Airways arriving Catania Airport 1120. Transfer to Syracuse for two nights. Visit to the Church of Santa Lucia in Sepolcro (Caravaggio’s The Burial of St Lucy). Welcome and introduction.
**Owing to our early departure time on April 5 (Day 1), ACE is pleased to offer a complimentary overnight stay at a Gatwick Airport hotel on the night of April 4. Please let the Sales team know if you would like to take this up when you make your booking. Please also be aware that our tour departs from London Gatwick and returns to London Heathrow**
Day 2
Excursion to Noto for Baroque churches: Noto Cathedral and Church of San Carlo. Return to Ortigia for walking tour (including papyrus workshop – subject to confirmation). Free evening.
Day 3
Excursion to Messina for Museo Regionale di Messina (paintings by Caravaggio including The Raising of Lazarus) followed by lunch and wine tasting at Abbazia Santa Anastasia Wine Estate (subject to confirmation). Transfer to hotel in Cefalù for overnight stay. Free evening.
Day 4
Guided walking tour of Cefalú and visit to the Mandralisca Museum (artworks from the middle ages up to the 18th century, rare archaeological finds and Antonello da Messina’s Portrait of an Unknown Man). Continue to Monreale for Cattedrale di Monreale (12th century Norman architecture with Byzantine mosaics and Arab influences). Transfer to Palermo for three nights.
Day 5
Excursion to New Gibellina (rebuilt following a devastating earthquake, with post-modern sculptures including Ludovico Quaroni’s Chiesa Madre and Pietro Consagra’s Porta del Belice), Museo d’Arte Contemporanea (impressive collection of paintings and archaeology) and Cretto di Burri (memorial sculpture by Alberto Burri dedicated to the original town of Gibellina, Europe’s largest land artwork). Free evening in Palermo.
Day 6
Morning walking tour of Palermo (Oratorio of San Lorenzo, Chiesa Santa Croce, Hotel des Palmes) and visit to Palazzo Abatellis (art museum with works by Antonello da Messina, Piero della Francesca and Jan Gossaert). Afternoon walking tour of street art in the Kalsa district. Evening performance at Teatro Massimo (opera house – subject to confirmation).
Day 7
Transfer to Palermo Airport for 1205 flight, arriving Heathrow 1420.
Frequently Asked Questions
To read our full list of frequently asked questions please visit our general FAQs here.
What is the maximum group size of this tour?
What is the deposit cost for this tour?
What tour staff will be on this tour?
Am I fit enough to travel on this tour?
Fitness Requirements
The majority of ACE Cultural Tours are active in nature. To make the most of our time in a destination and provide excellent value for money, they are busy – there are often several visits included each day. As such, our tours require a certain minimum level of physical and mental fitness, mobility and stamina.
Many visits will involve navigating several steps, uneven ground, steep ascents and descents, and could involve embarking and disembarking aircraft, coaches, trains and cruise vessels. Plenty of walking, punctuated by lengthy periods of standing, is the norm. Some tours may involve long coach journeys.
It is essential that all customers are sufficiently fit and able enough to fully participate. Furthermore, every tour comprises a group of guests. We cannot allow the entire group to be negatively impacted by one participant, either holding up the pace we reasonably need to maintain or disproportionately requiring the attention and support of the tour staff.
We carefully consider the intensity, fitness and other requirements of each itinerary and describe them on the tour pages of our brochures and website. Please study these descriptions closely. When you call to book, we will reiterate those requirements and ask you to confirm that all group members are indeed fit enough and otherwise able to meet the criteria. It is your responsibility to answer fully and honestly. If it transpires that you are not able to keep pace with the tour and/or it reasonably appears you are negatively impacting (or are reasonably likely to negatively impact) the enjoyment of the rest of the group (including their ability to complete all scheduled visits), we may ask you to sit out certain days/visits, take a taxi at your own expense (if available in the location), or even, if we consider there is no other reasonable alternative, ask you to leave the tour and make your own way home.
A good level of fitness is required for this tour as there will be a significant amount of walking and standing at sites each day. The tour involves coach journeys of up to three hours’ duration (with a stop en route). The terrain at some sites, including Cretto di Burri, can be rough and uneven, so care must be taken. Furthermore, the city pavements can be slippery even in dry conditions, in particular in Palermo where the pavements are made of marble. For more details on ACE’s minimum fitness requirements, please see our Booking Terms & Conditions.
As a minimum, participants should be able to successfully complete the following self- assessment tests:
- Walk for one hour at a reasonable pace and without needing to take a break to rest
- Climb at least two flights of stairs at a reasonable pace
- Stand unaided for at least 30 minutes
- Stand up and sit down ten times in one minute
- Carry or otherwise move your own luggage
Please ensure you have read and understand our full fitness requirements as described in our terms and conditions.
Practicalities
Owing to our early departure time on April 5 (Day 1), ACE is pleased to offer a complimentary overnight stay at a Gatwick Airport hotel on the night of April 4. Please let the Sales team know if you would like to take this up when you make your booking. Please also be aware that our tour departs from London Gatwick and returns to London Heathrow.
UK Government Travel Advice
For additional travel information from the UK government please consult the following pages.
Flight Information
For customers who wish to make their own travel arrangements, ACE is pleased to be able to offer a flight reduction of £280.
Cost Details
Sicily: Island of Artistic Riches
April 5 - 11, 2027
Included: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, performance at Teatro Massimo (subject to confirmation), six breakfasts, one lunch, three dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.
Not Included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £365.
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Get in Touch
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