Two irresistible versions of Italy's south
|
|
“If you start dancing on tables, fanning yourself, feeling sleepy when you pick up a book, developing a sense of rhythm, making love whenever you feel like it - then you know. The south has got you.” So wrote Susan Sontag in her definition of the south - any country’s south, so presumably Italy’s mezzogiorno too.
Sicily and Puglia are two versions of the mezzogiorno, distant cousins whose common forebears include the Greeks, the Normans, and Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. Each region has its own distinct identity, but they also share some alluring traits, a few of which are highlighted below. Why not take a look and choose which version of Italy’s south will be the one to “get” you?
|
|
Puglia Famously looks out onto two seas, the Ionian and the Adriatic. Its glorious sandy beaches are often compared to those of the Maldives. |
| Sicily Lapped by the waters of the Tyrrhenian, the Ionian and the Mediterranean seas, Sicily’s coastline is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to beauty and beaches. |
|
Cities, towns and villages
|
|
| Sicily Millennial, multi-layered Palermo, noble, volcanic Catania, untouched mediaeval mountain villages, and the baroque epitomes of the Val di Noto. |
|
Puglia Humble, authentic culinary traditions featuring supremely flavourful vegetables, myriad cheeses, emerald olive oil and superbly full-bodied Primitivo and Negoamaro wines. |
| Sicily A culinary melting pot that incorporates Greek, Arab, Norman, French and Spanish traditions, techniques and ingredients. The wine is divine and infinitely various. |
|
Historical and archaeological sites |
|
Puglia The Normans, Frederick II and the Bourbons left a trail of sublime cathedrals and castles throughout Puglia, including the seafront cathedral of Trani and Castel del Monte near Andria. |
| Sicily Phoenician settlements, Greek temples and theatres, mosaic-rich Roman country houses, unique Norman-Arab cathedrals and a multitude of mediaeval castles. Read an overview of Sicily's history.
|
|
If you are still looking for a villa holiday in the Mediterranean this summer but don't have fixed dates, then take a look at our collections of villas available for 7 nights; or if you are looking to stay for a little longer, our villas available for 14 nights.
All of our villas are available exclusively through us, so you can book online confidently. You'll receive our usual award-winning service and can be sure that your villa will always be of the highest quality. |
|
|
|
.jpg)
-3x2e.jpg)
