Piazza Armerina – 3,500 square meters of Roman mosaics

Last Updated on 7 August 2024

Introduction

Piazza Armerina is located on the slopes of the Mira hill at almost 700 meters high, in one of the greenest places in internal Sicily. The treasure of this village is undoubtedly the Casale Roman villa.

What to see in Piazza Armerina

Villa Romana del Casale

The villa is a magnificent testimony of Roman civilization, 3500 square meters to be discovered. Due to its uniqueness it has been included in the Unesco list.

The patrician villa should date back to the first half of the 4th century AD and is made up of over 40 rooms, all decorated with mosaics and intended for different purposes. Who was the owner of this beautiful villa? There are various hypotheses, some believe the emperor himself, others the aristocrat Valerio Proculo Populonio, a member of a prestigious family of African origin. This hypothesis seems the most accredited at the moment. The villa is truly stunning, for history lovers it is absolutely a once in a lifetime place to see.

Tip from Topsecretsicily: To discover all the secrets of this beautiful villa you can book a guided tour and skip the line.

Stroll around the country

Piazza Armerina is really beautiful and it is simply pleasant to walk around the historic center here and there. Therefore, do not aim only for the main monuments, but stop between one monument and another, look around and you will discover many beautiful alleys and characteristic corners. The only flaw of this country is the fact that many streets are invaded by pigeons and their guano , we hope that the problem can be solved as soon as possible.

Piazza Armerina until the eighteenth century was simply called Piazza and was inhabited as early as the eighth-seventh century BC and later by other peoples including Romans, Byzantines, Arabs and Normans.

In the 11th century the Normans created a new settlement, which they called Platia and in the same period a fortress was founded on the Mira hill. However, it was later destroyed by the Normans themselves, in fact King William I of Altavilla (1161) razed it to the ground for having rebelled against his pro-Saracen policy. William II will then think about rebuilding it and in the following centuries it continued its expansion.

Top secret tip: Viewpoint

This is a top secret place, you can’t find it in all the guides. In via Giovanni Verga, you can enjoy a breathtaking view of Piazza Armerina. Where is it? Click here to activate Google Maps. Here is a preview:

St. Peter’s Church

The church of San Pietro is very beautiful and characteristic in its simplicity. Once inside, you will be fascinated by the wonderful 18th century wooden coffered ceiling and its decorations, highlighted by the white of the walls.

Duomo

The Cathedral was built starting from 1604 on a pre-existing church, of which it retains the original structure only in the bell tower. In fact, observing it well, you will notice that the style is different from the rest of the monument. The interiors are also very beautiful, where white, blue and golden yellow dominate the scene. It is not rich in decorations, as we may be used to seeing in many churches, but it is still fascinating in its simplicity.

Trigona Palace

Palazzo Trigona is used as a municipal art gallery. It is an 18th century building that belonged to the noble lineage of the Trigona della Floresta family. The ancient decorations of the floors and ceilings of the rooms are very beautiful. You can visit it for free from Monday to Friday from 9:30 to 13:30. The palace should also be used as a museum in the future, we will see how it will turn out.

Aragonese castle

Unfortunately, the Aragonese castle is not yet open to visitors, but it is still worthwhile to approach and admire it with your eyes fixed on the sky. It was built towards the end of 1300 and was built by the Aragonese King of Sicily Martino I the Younger for defensive purposes. Just think that it was even used as a prison until the 1970s.

Santo Stefano Church

The church of Santo Stefano is also very pretty, with its baroque decorations and a beautiful clock on the facade that reminds me a little of what I have in the kitchen. The building was built between 1500 and 1600 and overlooks a beautiful square.

Where to eat in Piazza Armerina

A very popular place is the restaurant of the gluttonous. The restaurant is small but very welcoming and well furnished. Being a trattoria you will find many typical dishes and products of the area. Where is it? You can find it in the interactive map I have prepared below.

Interactive map of Piazza Armerina

To locate yourself once in the area, click on the enlarge symbol at the top right of the map.

Most popular activities for tourists in Sicily

Excursions to Piazza Armerina

If you want to discover all the secrets of Piazza Armerina you can also book an excursion. Here you find all the proposals, which also combine a visit to other magnificent places, such as the Valley of the Temples of Agrigento.

What to see around Piazza Armerina

Piazza Armerina is part of the province of Enna. Here you find the most beautiful places to visit around Enna .

Typical dishes of Piazza Armerina and surroundings

Piazza Armerina is located as mentioned in the province of Enna. Do you want to try the typical dishes in the Ennese area? Here I wrote an article on what to eat in Enna and surroundings.

Here instead you find the typical Sicilian dishes in general.