The UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Sicily

The Unesco Heritage Sites are places worldwide that are universally recognised and considered of extraordinary value, either for their natural uniqueness and beauty or for their historical and cultural worth. Up until today Italy holds 60 Unesco world heritage sites and it is the country with the highest number of listed sites, followed by China with 59 and Germany with 54.

Among these 60 exceptional sites, seven are in the island of Sicily, plus one has been recognised as an intangible cultural site.

Renowned to be crossroads of peoples, melting pot of cultures, customs and traditions, Sicily boasts an unparalleled historical, cultural and natural treasure that deserve to be preserved both today and in the future alike.

The seven Sicily Unesco sites are:

• Villa Romana del Casale
• Archaeological Area of Agrigento
• Aeolian Islands
• Val di Noto
• Syracuse and the Necropolis of Pantalica
• Mount Etna
• The Arab-Norman Itinerary and the Cathedrals of Monreale and Cefalù
• Opera dei Pupi

Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina – listed in 1997

This luxury Roman villa, built between III and IV century B.C. expands for roughly 3000 m2 and has precious mosaics of exceptional quality. It was probably the country residence of a Roman senator as the vast mosaics depict the social life in Roman times, the villa owner’s daily activities as well as some mythological scenes. The villa is situated near the historic town of Piazza Armerina and is managed by the Archeological Park of Morgantina within the Sicilian Region.

Archaeological Area of Agrigento – listed in 1997

Akragas, the old name of the city Agrigento was founded by the Greeks in the 6th century B.C. and soon became an important center in the Mediterrenean area.
The “Valle dei Templi”, with its eight Doric temples’ remainings is indeed a testament of the splendour and prominance that this city once had, and, it is considered one of the most important and grandiose art we received from the ancient Greeks.

Aeolian Islands – listed in 2000

The Aeolian archipelago is a group of seven islands of volcanic origin, named Lipari, Vulcano, Salina, Stromboli, Filicudi, Alicudi, and Panarea. The archipelago is located in front of Milazzo, off the north-eastern Sicilian coast. The islands are Unesco world heritage thanks to their unique geological and volcanological significance, as they have been the focus of researches and analysis for over 200 years.

Val di Noto – listed in 2002

Due to a catastrophic earthquake that hit the south-east of Sicily in 1693 and destroyed many towns and villages, the area called Val di Noto (Noto Valley) was rebuilt in the late Baroque style, which gave it a completely new look in terms of art, architecture and city planning.
In particular eight places have been recognised to be the best artistic representation when it comes to the Sicilian Baroque and these are: Caltagirone, Catania, Militello val di Catania, Noto, Modica, Palazzolo Acreide, Ragusa and Scicli.

It’s worth mentioning that the Sicilian style is considered unique, because while still keeping many elements of the European Baroque architecture, stands out for its distinctive character with abundant decorations and the use of local bright stones such as limestone.

Syracuse and the Necropolis of Pantalica – listed in 2005

The city of Syracuse, founded in the 8th century, includes the old town of Ortigia, the remainings of Atena and Apollo’s temples, a Greek theater still use today for the annual festival of Greek tragedies and a Roman amphitheatre. The Necropoli of Pantalica is another striking archaeological site. Its name, originated from the old Greek, probably means “place of caves or stones”, in fact it is a rock that counts about 5,000 tombs, dating from the 13th to 7th centuries B.C.

Mount Etna – listed in 2013

Mount Etna is the highest mountain in the Mediterranean as well as the most active volcano in Europe. It is a valuable site as it has been the subject of scientific studies by volcanologies and earth scientists for decades, thanks to its geological composition and its ongoing eruptive phenomenons.

The Arab-Norman Itinerary and the Cathedrals of Monreale and Cefalù – listed in 2015

The Arab-Norman itinerary in Palermo, Monreale and Cefalù, represents the artistic expression of how various styles and cultural elements merged together giving life to a completely new artistic and architectonic expression, which was developed in the middle age with the Norman, Islamic and Bizantyne influences.

The main monuments from this period in Palermo are the Royal Palace (Palazzo Reale), the Zisa Castle and the churches of San Giovanni degli Eremiti, San Cataldo and Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio, known as La Martorana. In Monreale and Cefalù the two cathedrals are the most important buildings that represent the Norman-Arab architecture, which were started during the Norman Kingdom of Sicily.

Opera dei Pupi (2008)

An eighth intangible cultural site has also been included in the Sicily Unesco list in 2008 and it is the famous Puppet theatre, known in Italian as the “Opera dei Pupi”.

This type of theatrical art became popular in Sicily at the beginning in the second half of the 1800, especially among the lower social classes, as it was considered not only pure entertainment but also a way to learn good behaviours and values like bravery, heroism love and loyalty.
The stories told in fact originate from the epic-chivalric tradition, particularly influenced by Charlemagne and the courageous paladins of France.

This was normally a family-run business, passed down from generation to generation and from father to son, where improvisation had a big part in the puppeteers’ performance.

On this note we cannot fail to mention two of the most renowned Sicilian puppeteers: The Cuticchio family in Palermo (still active and working) and Gaetano Crimi in Catania, back in the days.