An Archaeological Study Tour
Sicily & Southern Italy
September 1 – 16, 2012
16 Days
Led by Dr. Robert S. Bianchi
Art Historian


The sites and museums of Sicily and Southern Italy contain some of the best-preserved monuments ever created by the ancient Greeks. Historically and aesthetically, they are important and beautiful homages to the art of their era. The Doric temples at Agrigento and Paestum are the most admirable examples of their kind anywhere in the Mediterranean world. The endless suites of perfect mosaics decorating the floors at the Villa Imperiale at Casale are unique, and the famous bronze Warriors of Riace are unparalleled in their execution and breathtaking in their impact. The wall paintings at Pompeii, and the sculptures in the National Museum of Naples, provide an unsurpassed collection of classical art. This archaeological study tour presents these monuments in their cultural context against the historical background of great men such as Pliny and Archimedes, who lived, worked and died in this spectacular region.

Saturday, Sunday, September 1 & 2: PALERMO: Depart from our home cities on Saturday, arriving into Palermo on Sunday. This evening we will meet with Dr. Bianchi for our orientation lecture and dinner. Centrale Palace Hotel.
Meals: Dinner

Monday, September 3: PALERMO: This morning our touring begins at La Ziza, a Norman-Arab mansion housing the Museum of Islamic Art. We then continue to the Archaeological Museum, (if it has reopened) where the Salone di Selinunte contains a fantastic array of architectural sculpture from the Greek temples of the Archaic period. Lastly, we view the magnificent Byzantine mosaics in the Cappella Palatina, one of the oldest Palermitan churches and a wonderful example of Norman-Saracenic art.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Tuesday, September 4: PALERMO: After a stop to see a newly excavated Phoenician necropolis, we continue to Cefalù to visit its Cathedral and to stroll in this charming town before a seaside lunch at Porticello. The full afternoon will be spent in Monreale, where we will visit the single most important Norman monument on the island, the Cathedral and its cloisters. We then return to Palermo for dinner on our own in one of the city’s charming trattorias.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Wednesday, September 5: MAZARA: A lovely drive through the countryside to Segesta, where a pretty Doric temple and Greek theater are nestled between the mountains. In the afternoon, we visit the island of San Pantaleo to tour the Phoenician site of Motya. The museum houses an outstanding statue in charioteer dress dating to the 5th century BCE. The day ends at the Marsala Museum, renowned for its reconstructed Phoenician ship. Mahara Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Thursday, September 6: AGRIGENTO: Our first stop today is the Museo del Satiro in the church of Sant’Egidio. Here we will view the bronze statue known as the Dancing Satyr of Mazara del Vallo. Although it is thought to date to the 3rd or 2nd century BCE, many attribute it to Praxiteles. Our touring then continues at Cusa, site of stone quarries used in the construction of the temples of Selinunte. We next visit Selinunte, the westernmost of the Hellenic colonies and a bitter rival of Segesta. It was sacked by the Carthaginians and then completely destroyed by earthquakes. Nevertheless the temples of Selinunte are quite magnificent. After lunch in seaside Marinella, we complete our touring at the Western Acropolis and drive on to Agrigento (ancient Akragas), founded by colonists from nearby Gela in 581 BCE. Baglio della Luna Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Friday, September 7: AGRIGENTO: This wonderful day begins at the National Museum, with its reconstruction of the Atlas-like telamones and outstanding collection of vases. We continue to the Oratory of Phalaris and the Hellenistic and Roman Quarters. Lastly, we visit the temples of Akragas Hercules, the oldest, the beautifully preserved Concordia and Hera, dramatically set on the edge of the ridge. Crossing into the western zone, we will see the remains of the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the largest known Doric temple. The huge telamone we saw in the museum was part of this amazing structure.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Saturday, September 8: SIRACUSA: Our day begins with a lovely drive into Sicily’s hilly interior to Morgantina, a Greek city excavated by Princeton University. After lunch, we drive to the newly restored Roman Villa Imperiale at Casale, where fine mosaics of the Roman-African school date from the 4th century. This fabulous villa was the summer home of an important person, possibly Maximianus Herculeus, co-emperor with Diocletaian. The many rooms of exquisite mosaic floors include the famous hunt scene, the scene of ten maidens in bikinis participating in gymnastics and an array of mythological scenes. We then continue to Siracusa (ancient Syracuse), settled by Corinthians in 733 BCE. It was the island’s most powerful city for two hundred years until defeated by the Romans in 215 BCE. Grand Hotel Ortigia.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Sunday, September 9: SIRACUSA: Touring this morning begins in the Archaeological Park, with its wealth of remains, including a Roman amphitheater, an enormous altar of the 3rd century BCE known as the Altar of Hieron II, the “Ear of Dionysius” quarry and a Greek theater, which once held around 15,000 people and is carved out of the living rock. Our touring continues with a walking tour in the Old City of Siracusa, visiting the temple of Athena, now incorporated into the Cathedral, and the Fountain of Arethuse, famed in Greek poetry. After lunch we will visit the fine collection of Greek marbles at the Regional Museum.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Monday, Tuesday, September 10 & 11: TAORMINA: We complete our touring at the Euryalus Castle, the largest military construction in the Greek world. One could imagine Archimedes standing here with one of his fabulous devices defending the fort. After our visit, we drive along the coast to the charming medieval town of Taormina, arriving at the lovely Monte Tauro Hotel in time for lunch. This afternoon we will visit Taormina’s famous Greek theater. The panoramic views of the coastline and snow-capped Mt. Etna are magnificent from this beautiful 3rd century BCE theater.Tuesday will be completely at leisure to take an excursion to Mt. Etna, relax at the beach or explore this beautiful resort town.
Meals: Breakfast daily & 1 lunch

Wednesday, September 12: PAESTUM: We depart early for the Messina ferry to Reggio Calabria. A high point of the tour will be our visit to the National Museum to view the spectacular “Warriors of Riace,” found in the Ionian Sea and considered the finest bronze statues from the Greek world. Then a spectacular drive through the Sila Massif, covered with Italy’s most extensive forest of pine, evergreen, oak and beech, brings us to the Savoy Beach Hotel in Paestum.
Meals: Breakfast & dinner

Thursday, September 13: NAPLES: This morning we drive to ancient Paestum to tour its well-preserved Doric temples and extensive ruins of the ancient city. We will also visit the excellent site museum, which displays an important group of tomb paintings, including the mural paintings from the “Tomb of the Diver.” This afternoon we continue north to visit Herculaneum, sister city to Pompeii, also buried by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. Herculaneum was a small residential town, its villas and shops are better preserved than those at Pompeii. We will then make the short drive to Naples and our well-situated hotel, the Santa Lucia Hotel.
Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Friday, September 14: NAPLES: A wonderful day touring Pompeii, whose remarkably preserved villas and wall paintings are the most renowned to have survived from the Roman period. We will have lunch within the ancient city, giving us ample time to see the site in depth. This evening we will gather for our farewell dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Saturday, Sunday, September 15 & 16: NAPLES: The tour ends with a visit to the National Museum. This excellent museum is home to the Farnes collection of antiquities including the imperial-era Farnese Bull and the Farnese Hercules from the Baths of Caracalla in Rome as well as a collection of remarkably preserved mosaics. We will see the wonderful wall paintings and mosaics from Pompeii and Herculaneum. Although one could spend the whole day here, we have planned for a full afternoon at leisure. Sunday we will transfer to the airport for our departure flights.
Meals: Breakfast