IN ANCIENT FOOTSTEPS...
SIRACUSA once rivaled Athens as a seat of power, wealth, and culture – and Cicero called it “the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all.” At the Parco Archeologico della Neapolis, listen carefully and you might hear the words of the playwrights Aeschylus and
Euripides echoing in the massive amphitheatre... On the island of Ortigia, dubbed Siracusa’s “old city” (to let us know it’s not just ancient, but really ancient), explore the ruins of the Temple of Apollo, the oldest known Doric temple in Europe...
Prepare to be awed by the picture-perfect sights of the Amalfi Coast
LIPARI – off the northern coast of Sicily in the Tyrrhenian Sea – was inhabited by humans as long ago as 5,000 BC. In the Stone and Bronze Ages, the island was prized for its abundance of obsidian, the hard volcanic glass that was perfect for making knives. Later, of course, the Greeks and Romans arrived. All of Lipari’s peoples still linger on the island in the vast collection of artifacts of daily life housed in its renowned Archaeological Museum. Here you’ll find such treasures as a Bronze Age necropolis and classical ceramics to spark your imagination for how the ancients really lived...
ROME has antiquities around every corner, but none is more evocative than the Colosseum. Built for public spectacles to entertain the masses and secure support for the empire, the world’s largest amphitheatre provided the stage for all kinds of events – not just gladiator contests, but also mock sea battles, animal hunts, mythological dramas, executions... Some might say the Colosseum was the reality TV of its day. The nearby Roman Forum, on the other hand, was the city’s go-to gathering spot for political discourse, trade, and gossip – making it perhaps the ancient precursor to our Internet...
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in the 16th century, building the island’s castle and cathedral. Join us for a walk through town, then explore the renowned Archaeological Museum on your own. Tonight sail by Stromboli, island home to one of the world’s virtually constant active volcanoes, where fiery eruptions are often seen! Meals BLD
6. TEMPLE OF SEGESTA & ERICE
Wake up in Castellammare for a drive to Segesta, commanding striking views of the surrounding hills and sea. At the Temple of Segesta, dating back to 426 BC, you’ll find 36 supporting Doric columns and an interior that was never completed, presumably due to the nearly constant state of conflict endured by the town. Drive on to the exquisite city of Erice, suspended above the sea and encircled by Punic and Norman fortifications, for a ride by cable car to nearby Trapani (weather permitting). Meals BLD
7. THE PORT CITY OF PALERMO Explore Sicily’s capital city today; visit Palermo’s cathedral, a blend of Gothic, Catalan, Norman and even Islamic architectural styles, the Palazzo dei Normanni with its mosaic-filled Cappella Palatina, and Fontana Pretoria, an elaborately sculpted fountain that caused outrage when first unveiled in 1575. Lunch is served back aboard Le Ponant, dockside in Palermo. Meals BLD
8. SOPHISTICATED TAORMINA The views of mighty Mt. Etna astound as Le Ponant approaches terraced Taormina, situated on a promontory overlooking the Ionian Sea. You’ll tender to shore here on a Zodiac for a
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