Source of the Bikini girls!

A visit to the centre of Sicily would not be complete without a visit to the Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina. This is thought to have been built as a retreat ( todays 'residence secondaire'!) for  a Roman Emperor in the 3rd to 4th century. It has the most beautiful and extensive (3500sq meters!) mosaics in Italy. Its preservation is owed to the fact it was covered in mud in the 12th century and not excavated until the '60s.

This is an extraordinary 60 meter long passageway with hunting scenes, virtually intact.

And , of course, the bikini clad gymnasts!

Close by is Enna, worth a visit for its 13c Castello di Lombardia. The  restaurant  Centrale is interesting to go to for lunch. Old fashioned with a great lunch menu and frequented seemingly only by male locals....Mafia?? Lots of greetings, handshakes and kisses on cheeks as a large portion of the clientele seemed to know each other!

On a balcony opposite the restaurant, Garibaldi, at the time of Italy's unification, ended his speech with 'o Roma o Morte', translated as Rome or death, his war cry!  Present day Sicilians think that as part of the EC  ( and as after unification!)  they have not fared as well as northern Italy!