AERIAL VIEW photos of cities in Sicily, Italy. VEDUTA AEREA, Italia.

Mount Pellegrino is a 606-meter-high summit within the city of Palermo. From the summit’s viewpoint, there is a beautiful panoramic view of the entire city and the rocky coastline of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Palermo is the capital of the autonomous region of Sicily, it has a population of around 635,000 (2021 stats). Palermo, Province of Palermo, Sicily, Italy.

Nestled between steep mountains and majestic cliffs, Palermo is Sicily’s capital of tourism. Visitors can take the ferries from Tunis, Civitavecchia (Rome), Naples, Cagliari, Livorno and Genova to get to Palermo, its harbor is the island’s biggest. The town has also an international airport. The scenic backdrop for the harbor is Mount Pellegrino. Province of Palermo, Sicily, Italy.

Marina Villa Igiea (left) and Marina Arenella (right) at the foot of Mount Pellegrino. Palermo, Province of Palermo, Sicily, Italy.

Marina La Cala is the oldest port in the city of Palermo. It was developed from a natural cove that was already used by the Phoenicians who were the founder of the city in 734 BCE. Palermo, Province of Palermo, Sicily, Italy.

Palermo Cathedral is a cathedral of the Roman Catholic faith, it is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The church was erected in 1185 and, architecturally, it is a collection of different styles (Norman, Islamic, Gothic, Baroque, Neocalssical) reflecting all the nations which at one time controlled Sicily. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Province of Palermo, Sicily, Italy.

The Cathedral of Cefalù is a beautiful religious monument on a picturesque promontory. The Cathedral of Cefalù and eight other structures dating from the era of the Norman kingdom of Sicily (1130-1194) are listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites. The Cathedral of Cefalù and the eight other monuments are fine examples of syncretism between Western, Islamic and Byzantine cultures. Cefalù, Province of Palermo, Sicily, Italy.

Sandbar of Punta Marinello jutting out into the Tyrrhenian Sea. On the clifftop of the rocky promontory of Capo Cefalo, the historic Sanctuary of Tindari overlooks the beautiful scenery. Metropolitan City of Messina, Sicily, Italy.

The Sanctuary of Tindari, also known as the Sanctuary of the Black Madonna of Tindari, is an important religious building dating back to the early Christian era. From its clifftop, pilgrims and tourists have a stunning view of the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Bay of Marinello. Metropolitan City of Messina, Sicily, Italy.

The Sanctuary of Madonna delle Lacrime (Virgin of Tears) is a religious building dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The 103-meter-high structure was completed in 1994. Its unusual architecture was controversial, some seeing a giant teardrop hitting the earth, others seeing an inverted ice-cream cone. For some people, the size of the Marian shrine was not appropriate to honor a putative miracle. Syracuse, Province of Syracuse, Sicily, Italy.

The cemetery of Santa Maria Dei Rotoli is the largest cemetery in Palermo. Its origin dates back to 1837, when the cemetery of Sant'Orsola reached full capacity during the cholera epidemic. It is located at the foot of Mount Pellegrino a short distance from the Tyrrhenian coast. Palermo, Province of Palermo, Sicily, Italy.

Ortygia Island is the ancient Syracuse, it has been continuously inhabited for around 3000 years. The oldest traces remaining are those of the Temple of Apollo dating back to the 6th century BCE. At the end of the promontory stands Maniace Castle. Mount Etna can be seen in the distance. Syracuse, Province of Syracuse, Sicily, Italy.

Maniace Castle is named after George Maniakes, the Greek general who built the first castle in 1038 after he took the city of Syracuse from the Arabs. The current castle was built by Emperor Frederick II between 1232 and 1240. Ortygia Island, Syracuse, Province of Syracuse, Sicily, Italy.

Roccella Castle. Campofelice di Roccella, Province of Palermo, Sicily, Italy.

Milazzo Castle is built on the rocky ridge of the 6-kilometer-long Milazzo Promontory. On this elevated site of strategic importance above the Thyrrenian Sea, there was already a fortification dating back to about 4000 year BCE. The Greeks, Romans, Normans, Spanish who once occupied Sicily, all modified the fortress. Milazzo, Metropolitan City of Messina, Sicily, Italy.

Taormina is a prime destination for international tourism as this historic city has beautiful monuments spanning more than two thousands years of its history. It sits on a terrace high above the spectacular rocky Ionian shores and, at a short distance, one of the most famous volcano in the world is there, displaying its ever-present smoke. The town has been a destination spot for the European aristocracy as there is no shortage of sunshine in this idyllic setting, even in the winter. Even higher, the hilltop medieval village of Castelmola overlooks the hilltop town of Taormina. Metropolitan City of Catania, Sicily, Italy.

The medieval village of Castelmola sits on a clifftop at an elevation of 550 meters above the Ionian Sea. The village is labelled "one of the most beautiful village of Italy." Metropolitan City of Catania, Sicily, Italy.

The archeological area of Solunto on a mesa overlooking Capo Zafferano. Province of Palermo, Sicily, Italy.

Abandoned buildings in Syracuse. Province of Syracuse, Sicily, Italy.

Palermo is a topographically picturesque town with a rich history spanning millennia, and a touristic destination but it is plagued with a serious accumulation of trash that is sporadically collected. It is an eyesore present on many streets of the capital of Sicily. Eastern entrance of Palermo. Province of Palermo, Sicily, Italy.

The Milazzo Refinery is a large facility producing fuel, combustible and raw material from imported oil. It is the third largest refinery in Italy for its production capacity with more than 10 millions tonnes per year. Covering a surface area of 2.12 square kilometers in Milazzo on the Tyrrhenian shores, the refinery has a history of over 60 years. Metropolitan City of Messina, Sicily, Italy.

The Milazzo Refinery does not own the oil that gets in or the transformed product that gets out. It belongs to shareholders (in 2024: Eni 50% and Kuwait Petroleum 50%). More than 600 people work at the Milazzo Refinery. Metropolitan City of Messina, Sicily, Italy.

Imported oil brought in by oil tankers will leave the refinery by ships as a totally different product. Transformed products are gasoline for cars, diesel for ships, jet fuel for jet aircrafts, liquified petroleum gas (LPG) for engines or central heating, sulphur as fertilizer for the agriculture, propylene for polymers and platics, and naphtha for the chemical sector. Metropolitan City of Messina, Sicily, Italy.

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