Naples underground hides fifteen centuries of archaeological and religious heritage: “a hundred steps will let live a time travel” – an experience even more beautiful and accessible after a recent huge makeover.
The San Gennaro Catacombs are an underground tombs complex the history of which spans from the II Century A.D..
The core of the catacombs was probably the shrine of a Roman patrician family, possibly converted to Christianity: the space was then donated to the Christian community.
Gennaro is a Saint and a martyr: he was beheaded in 305 A.D., during the Roman persecutions against Christians. The Catacombs hosted Gennaro’s grave from the V Century.
You are probably aware that Rome has many catacombs, but there is something unique about Naples’ catacombs that let them have a much longer history and some breathtaking, magic underground landscapes. The reason? A geological one.
Sicily has the largest concentration of active volcanoes of Europe after Iceland. In a definitely warmer environment and with better food…
A lunar landscape, black sand beaches, but also magma steaming in the snow and terroirs that, because of the natural fertilizing properties of the volcanic soil, offer great wine, fruit, vegetables. A reason more to come and visit Sicily!
The biggest Sicily’s volcano is on the mainland. Mount Etna – simply “l’Etna” in Italian, “Mongibeddu” in Sicilian – is in the Province of Catania, north – east Sicily.
Etna is the tallest volcano in Europe: around 3300mt / 10000 ft. Being an active volcano its height can vary: it can become higher because of the magma solidification on the top, or lower when explosions reshape the top of the mountain.
Etna is high enough to have snow during the winter, so you have the chance to experience something quite unique: skiing, or just enjoying the snowy landscape, with the smoke, or even a stream of lava, in the background.
You definitely don’t associate Palermo with cold, ice and snow, but the medieval history of Sicily is as stormy as a Game of Thrones series book!
Sicily has always been, due to its geographical position, the Mediterranean Sea crossroads.
Its strategic importance is the reason of almost three thousand years of history with fights and clashes.
In the Middle Ages years and years of war brought betrayal, death and destruction, but also the seeds of a cultural melting pot which is one of the most fascinating aspects of the cultural heritage of Sicily: you can’t find somewhere else in the world a place in which you can just walk between a “viking” palace and an Arabian nights – style one!
In 831 AD Palermo became the capital of the Emirate of Sicily. It’s only in 1061 that the Normans starts their “invasion” of Sicily.
