Lago di Pergusa
Cozzo Matrice
Lago di Pergusa is 9 kilometres away from Enna. It is famous for appearing in the legend of “the Rape of Persephone” and also for its motor-racing track which hosts many competitions, including Formula 3000. Some years ago, the lake and its surrounding area were declared a Special Natural Reserve, where many sorts of birds can be seen depending on the season. Nearby, we come to Cozzo Matrice, an archaeological site where the remains of a hellenized indigenous settlement (8th-6th century BC) were found. A long stretch of its ramparts are now visible, as well as some Copper Age huts and various chamber tombs from a rock necropolis.
Piazza Armerina
Piazza Armerina (about 30 kilometres south of Enna) is one of the best known and most requested tourist destinations on the island, with its archaeological and cultural attractions being particularly popular.
Cathedral
Sistema Museale di Piazza Armerina
The town is overlooked by its huge Cathedral in elegant Gothic-Aragonese style. It has an important archive and a very fine art gallery, which together with the Mostra Permanente del Libro Antico (Permanent exhibition of old books) at the former Collegio dei Gesuiti, the archaeological exhibition “Marmi ritrovati e marmi colorati” (“Retrieved and coloured marbles”), the Garibaldi Theatre, the permanent exhibition dedicated to the Lega Zolfatai mining civilization, and the Casa Museo del Contadino (the Peasant’s House Museum) make up the Sistema Museale di Piazza Armerina (Simpa -Piazza Armerina Museums System-).
In addition to the Ronza country park, the city is surrounded by numerous natural attractions, such as the archaeological site of Montagna di Marzo and the Rossomanno Grottascura Bellia Nature Reserve.
Villa Romana del Casale
Since 1997 Piazza Armerina has been linked to the Villa Romana del Casale, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which has one of the best preserved and most extensive set of Roman mosaics in the world. It was built in the third or fourth century AD as a hunting villa for a rich important man. The splendid figurative mosaics adorning the floors of the villa provide a vivid image of Roman life and mythology.
