holidays in caltanissetta and gela

The provincial town of Caltanissetta is located 60km inland from Agrigento and as is common with many of the ancient towns of Sicily, is situated on a defensive hill position. The earliest traces of occupation date from 7th century BC, but the town did not achieve any importance until the Roman occupation of Sicily in the 2nd and 1st centuries BC. The Normans took possession of the town in 1086 and the church of Santo Spirito remains one of the best-preserved Norman churches on the island.

The heart of the town is centred on Piazza Garibaldi where both the Duomo and the baroque church of San Sebastiano are located. The cathedral has a 16th century façade and contains numerous works of art, including a spectacular vault painting attributed to Guglielmo Borreman. The Museo Civico is situated in via Napoleone Colajanni and houses a collection of archaeological finds. Exhibits predominantly come from the two most important archaeological sites in the vicinity of Caltanissetta, the tombs at Gibil Gabib and the ancient settlement of Sabucina.

Holiday Accommodation in Caltanissetta & Gela

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Situated some 50km to the south of Caltanissetta is the port town of Gela, which was founded in the 7th century BC and features some extremely well preserved 3rd century BC Greek fortifications. The excavations on the site begun after the Second World war and have uncovered several hundred metres of wall, which in placed reaches over 10m in height. The town centre itself has been blighted by new buildings that were put up in the 1970’s, and situated to the east of the town is a large petro-chemical plant.

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