Piazza Armerina

Crowned by a mighty cathedral, the medieval hill town of Piazza Armerina is a magnificent sight from afar. Up close, the historic center's crumbling yellow-stone architecture with Sicily's trademark bulbous balconies creates quite an effect despite a feeling of dilapidation and abandonment (most locals have moved to the modern suburbs). It is a place to visit rather than stay, with the most appealing lodging options in the surrounding countryside.

Piazza Armerina is most famous for the ancient Roman mosaics down the road at Villa Romana del Casale, but lovers of ancient history may be even more entranced by the huge and rarely visited Greek town of Morgantina and the incredible finds from the site, which once graced the galleries of the Getty museum in Malibu, California.