The Godfather tour at Savoca and Forza d’Agrò

Savoca is a medieval village straddling two hills. Bar Vitelli is located in a private house at the entrance of the village, with an interesting collection of photographs taken when Francis Ford Coppola shot scenes of “The Godfather”.

 

Savoca was chosen as the location of the scenes regarding Michael Corleone’s Sicilian exile instead of the town of Corleone, which was too developed to be used for filming.

 

The charming Church of Santa Lucia where the scene of the wedding between Apollonia and Michael Corleone was shot dates back to the 13th century and it was originally dedicated to San Nicola. Ever since a silver statue of Saint Lucy was transferred to this church during the late 19th century,  it has been known as the Church of Santa Lucia.

 

The nearby town of Forza d’Agrò is a graceful medieval village overlooking the Arab-Norman castle of Cape Sant’Alessio and the coastline towards Messina. It deserves a stop for the views and to stroll down its narrow streets to see the beautiful Cathedral or “Chiesa Madre”.

MONTALBANO TOUR

If you enjoyed reading Andrea Camilleri’s Inspector Montalbano novels or watching the TV series based on his stories, you must visit Scicli and Ragusa Ibla where many of the scenes take place. These two towns are where most of the sets for the TV series are located and they are the setting for Vigata/Montelusa.

 

Scicli’s town hall is Vigata’s police station and the city’s churches and piazzas have been rendered famous thanks to Inspector Montalbano.

 

The panoramic view of Ragusa Ibla is at the beginning of every episode and it represents Vigata/Montelusa. The Cathedral of San Giorgio with its amazing staircase deserves a visit and Trattoria San Calogero in the vibrant Piazza Duomo is Montalbano’s favorite restaurant.

 

By the sea Punta Secca near the town of Santa Croce Camerina is Marinella where Inspector Montalbano’s beachside house stands and where he loves to swim.

the leopard tour

Discover the places that inspired Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's classic novel, The Leopard  (Il Gattopardo),  later turned into a movie by Luchino Visconti with an international cast including Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale.

 

Visit sites in Palermo such as Palazzo Butera, Palazzo Lampedusa and other hangouts of the novel’s author and his family.

Visit the town of Ciminna founded by the Normans during the Middle Ages. In the movie the Chiesa Madre, dedicated to Santa Maria Maddalena, was the site of the shooting of the homecoming scenes of the prince and his family to their rural estates of Donnafugata.

Jewish Tours

We offer Jewish Tours in a number of Sicilian towns such as Palermo, Siracusa, Taormina, Trapani and more.

Sicily had some of the largest and wealthiest Judaic communities in Europe and the Mediterranean for over fifteen centuries. These communities, which spoke Judeo-Arabic, lived side by side with Muslims, Byzantine Christians and Catholics from a multitude of ethnic groups. However, in 1493, during Spanish rule, the Alhambra Decree came into effect and centuries of religious tolerance in Sicily suddenly was forced to come to an end.

Synagogues and other sites linked to Judeo-Sicilians were destroyed or covered up and the people of these communities were forced to either leave or convert to Catholicism.

 

Today you can still see and visit some remnants of these sites and with the help of our expert and passionate guides, you can relive the culture of the Sicilian Jews.

Drink wine like Julius Caesar

Have you ever wondered how the wine the Romans used to drink was like? There is a hidden place in Sicily where Julius Caesar’s favorite wine is still produced. On the foothills of the Nebrodian Mountains, you can visit a historic family winery that still creates the same wine that Caesar would serve at his table!

 

Your visit to this winery can be combined with one of the following tours:
Tindari: visit the ancient Roman ruins of this town: walk down the decumanus and visit the basilica,  the gymnasium, the theatre, temples and more;
Montalbano Elicona: appointed  “Borgo dei Borghi” (the most beautiful village in Italy) in 2015, this town boasts a well-preserved medieval castle, narrow winding streets and breathtaking views;
Argimusco Stone Formations: this prehistoric site is wrapped in mystery and it is often referred to as “the Sicilian Stonehenge”  with its standing stones and sites connected to astronomy and the changing of the seasons.

 

If you choose to stay in this area for a few days, we can combine more than one excursion with the winery.

Book Author & Sicilian History, Food & Wine, Ancient and Classical Archeology

Over the years Jackie (Jacqueline) Alio has authored numerous books on Sicilian history, culture and food with the same passion that has made her successful as a guide. She is a natural-born teacher and storyteller and the perfect choice for a lecture or a talk on Sicily based on the topics of her many books: Sicilian queens and kings, queenship, court culture and poetry in Sicily during the Middle Ages, local food and wine, Sicilian women, Sicily’s peoples and their religions, cultures and genetic make-up, local traditions and festivals, the Mafia and today’s battle against it.

Francesca Lombardo is a local food expert, sommelier (wine expert) and a passionate local guide. Her book Sicilian Food and Wine: A Cognoscente’s Guide illustrates how Sicily’s many peoples have contributed to creating its local cuisine, wines and olive oil. The book also describes the island’s centuries-old food events (sagre) and street food. A lecture with Francesca will allow you to have a true understanding of Sicily’s contribution to world cuisine.

 

Andrea Masi is both an archeologist and local guide. He has participated in a number of international and Sicilian digs over the years and his archeological knowledge spans from prehistory to classical history including the island’s Middle Ages. He has published a number of papers and a book (Ciminna: Notizie Storiche ed Archeologiche) on the digs he worked on at Ciminna in central Sicily at an ancient site of the indigenous people of Sicily. Andrea can lecture on the local indigenous people, the Greeks and Romans and more.

We can arrange lectures at a hotel in Palermo, Sicily for you and your group or you can sign-up for an online lecture and question and answer session with Jacqueline and her colleagues.

Link to Jackie’s Amazon author page

Food, Wine, Olive Oil Farms, Cooking Classes and Street Markets

Sicily is famous for its wineries, olive oil farms, world famous food and pastries and lively street markets.

We can arrange wine and olive oil farm tours (visits to wineries, wine sampling, visits to olive farms with local olive oil tasting), cooking classes, pastry-making lessons, street food tours and other events involving local food.

Professional guides, sommeliers, vintners and olive oil producers, chefs, cooks, pastry makers, and other food experts will accompany you on a journey through our millenia-old cuisine taking you by the hand across the colors and flavors of Sicily.

Family Roots Research

Have you ever wondered where your Sicilian grandparents came from and what their hometown was like?
We can assist you in searching for your family roots together with our professional guides and experts. Besides looking up records and researching your family history before your arrival, we can arrange a memorable trip to your ancestors’ hometown so that you can experience a part of the life they lived before they emigrated. Tour the town, meet the locals who live there today, and perhaps experience a typical meal with locally-produced olive oil, wine, cheeses and more.
We will turn your trip into the lifetime experience you’ve been dreaming of for years in learning about your family roots.

Visit a Private Palazzo

Over the centuries Palermo has been the main home of a number of aristocratic Sicilian families.

Today many of their palazzos still testify to the former power and wealth of the families that once governed this island.

Visit the private palazzo of a local aristocratic family in the historic city center of Palermo. Perched on the ancient Phoenician city walls, this palace includes a Norman tower and stunning 17th century halls and rooms. One of the members of this noble family will open the doors to their palazzo, which has been their home for many generations. You will get a chance to see the original furniture, sparkling chandeliers, majolica floors, armor and much more.

Archeological Hiking Tours

Discover Sicily on foot with an Archeologist - Tour Guide

Sicily has numerous archeological sites and many of these are off the beaten path. We will give you the amazing opportunity to visit these sites with an expert archeologist- tour guide during a hiking tour, which combines traditional hiking with archeology, history, mythology, legends, nature and tradition.

We can arrange these special tours at various Sicilian sites, however, you don’t need to venture too far from Palermo to experience one. Mount Pellegrino is the Sacred Mountain overlooking the city and the sea.

 

Your archeologist - tour guide will take you up and down lesser-known paths exploring ancient ruins dating back to the Punic and Roman Era and grottoes frequented since prehistoric times including the famous Grotto of St. Rosalia, the patron saint of Palermo, known as La Santuzza.