Piazza Armerina
Piazza Armerina, a city with artistic and natural heritage
Piazza Armerina is a town of 20,644 inhabitants, located in the free municipal consortium of Enna, in Sicily. It is the seat of an extensive bishopric with a past as a sub-prefecture and until 1927 it was the capital of the Piazza Armerina district. The city, located on the southern Erei mountains in the central-eastern part of Sicily, at an altitude of 721 metres above sea level, is renowned for its ancient baroque and Norman historic centre and for the famous Villa Romana del Casale with its mosaics, considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1997.
But the territory of Piazza Armerina is also surrounded by enchanting nature. The city is in fact surrounded by dense and extensive forests with a predominance of eucalyptus, which extend at its feet to the north and south. The municipal territory is vast and is among the top 100 Italian municipalities in terms of surface area, with maximum points of 877 m above sea level and minimums of 225 m above sea level.
Natural places of interest
There are numerous places of natural interest that can be found near Piazza Armerina. The city is surrounded by the forests of the Ronza park and other woods. A few kilometres from the town centre lies the Rossomanno-Grottascura-Bellia oriented nature reserve, much of which is located in the territory of Piazza Armerina. This reserve includes the Rossomanno forest, named after Mount Rossomanno. In this area there are several recently marked trails to encourage hiking and trekking activities.
Not only nature but also industrial archaeology: Piazza Armerina is home to the Floristella-Grottacalda mining park, where interesting itineraries can be enjoyed. Near the city, there is also the archaeological site of Montagna di Marzo, also surrounded by greenery. Within a limited radius, there is the striking Pergusa Lake, framed by the homonymous high naturalness Special Nature Reserve.
Piazza Armerina's Baroque and Norman Historic Centre
In addition to the natural beauty of the territory, Piazza Armerina also boasts a Baroque and Norman architecture of great historical and artistic value. The historic centre, developed over the centuries around the Aragonese Castle, houses numerous churches, noble palaces and works of art.
Among the most important churches are the Mother Church and the Church of San Giovanni. The Trigona della Floresta Palace, one of the city's historical residences, houses the museum of peasant and pastoral civilization. In the historic centre, you can also admire the City Palace, the Garibaldi Theatre and the ancient Convent of San Francesco.
The Villa Romana del Casale
The Villa Romana del Casale is one of the jewels of the city, famous for its mosaics, considered among the most precious of Roman art. The villa, built in the 4th century, was accidentally discovered at the end of the 19th century and, after a long restoration, was opened to the public. The Roman villa is a unique tourist attraction in the world, characterized, among other works, by the famous mosaic of the "Bikini Girls".
Conclusions
Piazza Armerina combines the beauty of nature of its territory with the elegance of its historic centre and the artistic and cultural value of its Roman villa. The city thus proves to be a place of great value for enthusiasts of history, art and nature, as well as for tourists eager to experience an authentic experience on the splendid Sicilian island.
