Piazza Armerina (EN) panorama

Piazza Armerina - The city of Piazza
(as it was called before 1862) began
during the Norman domination in Sicily
(11th century), but the area was
inhabited since prehistorical times. The
city was flourishing also during Roman
times, as showed by the notable
examples of the patrician Villa
Romana del Casale, for this reason
since 1977 it is protected by the
UNESCO World Heritage program.

The decorated staircase of Caltagirone

Caltagirone - The city's name derives
from the Arabic "qal'at-al-ganom"
("Castle of the Genies").
The city has been long famous for the
production of pottery, particularly
maiolica and terra-cotta wares. Many
public and private buildings have then
been reconstructed in Baroque style.
Primarily for this reason, the city has
been inserted, together with the
surrounding territory in an area
protected by the
UNESCO World Heritage program.