2 Best Sights in Sicily, Italy

If the other palazzoli in Scicli simply hint at the luxury of the town's golden age, then this is a full-on assault on the senses. The exterior is covered by stone-carved statues, including representations of mythical creatures and enslaved people that serve as an essential reminder of the town's role in the region's slave trade. The private residence's saloni cannot be visited, but there's an interesting contemporary art gallery and small printworks at the street-level Bassi Beneventano ( www.lomagnoartecontemporanea.it).

A moderately easy hike across the beach at Zimmari and up a stepped stone path brings you to Punta Milazzese, the rugged headland along the southern coast. There you'll find the remnants of an ancient Bronze Age village that was inhabited between the 13th and 15th centuries BC, with the outlines of the 23 stone huts discovered in 1948 still clearly visible. During the excavation, examples of Mycenaean pottery were discovered and are now on display in Lipari's archaeological museum. A set of steps lead down from the village to Cala Junco below, a rocky cove with clear water that's popular with snorkelers.