Dedalo was the great architect and inventor of antiquity who arrived in Sicily from Crete on enormous wings. He was the first man to fly fitting together thousands of bird feathers with wax for himself and his son Icaro (who taken by euphoria carelessly got too close to the sun and fell to the Earth as soon as the wax melted). Dedalo had built an entire city on Crete for the king Minosse, with palaces and gardens famous in all of the Mediterranean for their splendor. And above all he built the gigantic labyrinth in which the Minotauro, a monster with a human body and a bull's head had been enclosed. But it had also been Dedalo to suggest to Arianna, the king's daughter, the idea that Teseo had put into use to try and kill the Minotauro and find the way out of the intricate labyrinth: to leave behind a string with which he could retrace his steps. It had also been Dedalo who built the enormous wood cow with which king Pasife's wife had been able to join the beautiful white bull and...

Day 1: The guide and driver will be waiting for you at the Catania airport. From there you will go to Agrigento, founded as a Greek colony in the 6th century BC, in which the entire valley of the temples is conserved. This is a truly magical place in which time speaks an ancient language. The Temple of Castore and Pollux, the imposing one of Hercules, and above all the Temple of the Concordia (with its 34 intact columns, thanks to the conversion in Christian basilica in the 6th century AD) still recall the sacred rites and sacrifices that were held inside. The words in which ancient philosophers discussed the nature of man and gods echoed in the surrounding piazzas. The bases of our culture began here, and it is here where we will re-trace the steps which were fundamental to the history and art of the Greek people.
After lunch in a family-run restaurant full of ancient flavors, we will take you to Piazza Armerina to visit a villa from the Imperial era (3rd century AD) with its heated thermal baths, its arcaded central court-yard, and its many halls with incredible mosaics everywhere. These mosaics are perfectly intact, depicting hunting scenes, women in bikinis, and illustrations of Greek myths like Polyphemus and Ulysses.
After a dinner consisting of typical dishes from the area, we will take a short trip to Taormina, where breathtaking views of the sea and of the Mt. Etna volcano can be seen both day and night.

Day 2: We begin with breakfast in Taormina's main piazza where you will experience either hazelnut, coffee, or lemon "granita" typical of the area. A visit to the Greek theater with restorations that were carried out in the 2nd century AD gives us a perfect example of the overlapping of styles and cultures typically Sicilian. We will also visit the historic center with small streets full of suprises and colors.
Then on to Aci Trezza, a small and enchanting fishing village. The little fishing boats and hand-made nets cast on the sea-shore will certainly give you a sense of a remote and magical time. On to a lunch consisting of freshly caught fish in a family-style restaurant with a view of the crystal sea and of the faraglioni, remarkable basalt rocks of volcanic origin in the middle of the sea. According to legend, these were the rocks that the enraged Polyphemus hurled at Ulysses after he had been blinded.
In the evening we arrive in Syracuse, a small city founded in the 8th century B.C. from the union of 5 centers. For centuries, this was a place of great splendor and power throughout the Mediterranean. It was also the capital of Sicily and even of the Byzantine Empire. Arrangements will be made in your hotel followed by a short walk through the characteristic streets of the island of Ortygia. Ortygia is the ancient center of incomparable beauty with fantastic architecture and a scent for the entire spring. We will have dinner in a marvelous restaurant known for it's view and high quality dishes, which only traditional Sicilian cuisine offers. All courses come accompanied by vintage white wines of the region. For more than 2,000 years the locals have passed down from generation to generation the selection methods and culture of the grapes for these unique wines.

Day 3: A walk in the archaeological park where the Latomie are found, these are huge grottos of white rock where, in the 5th century B.C., the Syracuse people put the Athenians to their death. In the following centuries they were also used as burial grounds for the Romans and as catacombs for the first Christians. Next, a visit to the grandiose Greek Theatre of the 5th century B.C., a place of extreme beauty and incomparable fascination, where for centuries great Greek tragedies, from Edipus Re to Antigone, were staged. We will also visit: a Roman amphitheatre from the 1st century B.C. where the gladiator combats took place; the Ear of Dionysus (as the famous painter Caravaggio called it), a curious and impressive grotto in the form of an ear with incredible acoustics. There is a small opening on the top from which the tyrant Dionysus could listen to his enemies secrets. Finally, Archimedes' tomb, the great philosopher and inventor of the 3rd century B.C. who with his incredible war machines allowed the city to resist the Roman siege for three years.
After a lunch consisting of freshly caught fish cooked in the typical Sicilian style from the city's port we will reach the archaeological museum where you will be able to travel back in time through vases, ceramics, bas-reliefs, etc. There, you can re-live the history and art of the many cultures who have made up this land. Above all the marvellous statue of Venus, a perfect image of the "woman as is, as is loved, as is desired, as one wants to hold her" admired and copied by hundreds of artists throughout time. Return to Catania and depart from the airport. An unforgettable experience of flavors, smells, and visions for the eyes and the heart.