Piazza Armerina
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Piazza Armerina

Piazza Armerina

Central Sicilian town known for Villa Romana del Casale and its extraordinary late Roman mosaics.

Piazza Armerina is a small town in central Sicily, mainly famous for the Villa Romana del Casale just outside town. This 3rd-century Roman villa, buried by a landslide in the 12th century and rediscovered in the 19th, contains the largest and best-preserved collection of late Roman mosaics in the world, including the famous panel of women athletes in bikini-like garments.

The town itself has a pleasant medieval centre with a Baroque cathedral and some good restaurants. The nearby archaeological site of Morgantina and the Aidone museum — which houses the spectacular Venus of Morgantina, returned from the Getty Museum in 2011 — make this area worth a full day rather than just a villa visit. It makes a natural stop between the coast and the interior.

Guide

Eating Out

Piazza Armerina is a small Sicilian town where eating well is an easy, inexpensive proposition. The central Piazza Garibaldi and the streets around the cathedral have several trattorie and restaurants serving the local central Sicilian cuisine — pasta with lamb ragù, rabbit cacciatore, aubergine caponata, and grilled meats. Arancini (rice balls) from the bars are excellent for a cheap lunch.

The town's most celebrated local product is the pistacchio, grown on the Enna plateau and used in everything from pasta sauces to ice cream. Look for pistacchio-crusted lamb and pistacchio pesto at restaurants that emphasize local sourcing.

Guide

Getting There

Piazza Armerina has no railway station. The nearest airports are Catania Fontanarossa (95 km) and Palermo (160 km); Catania is the more practical option for most visitors.

By bus, several daily services run from Catania (via Enna) and from Agrigento. The journey from Catania takes about 1.5 hours. By car, the A19 autostrada between Catania and Palermo passes 20 km north; the town is well signposted from the junction. Self-drive is strongly recommended for visiting both the Villa Romana and Morgantina in a single day without relying on infrequent local connections.

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Things to Do

The Villa Romana del Casale is the overwhelming reason to come to Piazza Armerina. Beyond it, the town's medieval streets and Baroque cathedral reward a few hours of wandering.

Guide

When to Go

Spring (April–June) and autumn (September–October) are ideal: comfortable temperatures, the site not overwhelmed by visitors, and the surrounding Sicilian countryside at its most appealing. Summer is hot (35–40°C) and the Villa Romana can be crowded in July and August with both domestic Italian tourists and international visitors.

The Palio dei Normanni, held in mid-August, is a medieval pageant commemorating the Norman conquest of the town in 1061. The main event is a jousting tournament held in the Piazza Garibaldi, with participants in elaborate medieval costume. It is one of Sicily's better-organized historical reenactments and worth timing a visit around if you happen to be in Sicily in August.