Monreale, Bagheria (Villa Palagonia) and Cefalù from Palermo, Private Tour

You will be dropped off by your driver in Piazza Guglielmo II. Here you can visit the beautiful cathedral of Monreale. It has been included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is considered one of the most important medieval churches in the world.  The mosaics of the cathedral are something simply unique and perfect. An area of over 6,000 square meters and over 130 Byzantine mosaics that adorn the church. You can also access, for a fee, to different areas of the cathedral, such as the terraces. Adjacent to the cathedral is the monastery of San Benedetto. The cloister of the monastery has a Romanesque square plan, characterized by more than 90 columns decorated with mosaics and Romanesque capitals. At the center of the cloister there is a garden, with a palm-shaped fountain from whose leaves the water flows. Also near the cathedral is the interesting Diocesan Museum, where collections of paintings, sacred vestments and liturgical objects are housed, as well as a beautiful cycle of 1700 frescoes. From Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II you can see the Duomo, while you can calmly admire the garden with the famous marble fountain called Fontana del Tritone. Another place that is impossible to resist is the Belvedere, located a few steps from the Palazzo del Municipio. From the Belvedere you can look out over the Conca d'Oro and let yourself be conquered by the Palermo hills.

Villa Palagonia, known as the Villa of the Monsters of Bagheria, is one of the most important Sicilian monuments. The entrance avenue, topped by a triumphal arch, is populated by a host of disturbing-looking statues of monsters and animals, which from the two hundred that were originally today have remained sixty-two and which currently constitute one of the main attractions of the villa. Legends said that statues had an evil influence on men. This did not diminish the notoriety and charm exerted by the villa on writers (such as Goethe) and on directors and artists. Like Salvador Dalì, who declared that he wanted to buy Villa Palagonia for the holiday periods in Sicily. Or Renato Guttuso, born in Bagheria, who called it "the place of my games as a child" and created three works dedicated to the villa. Villa Palagonia also served as the location for some scenes of the film Il Mafioso by Alberto Lattuada with Alberto Sordi (1962), The wedding director by Marco Bellocchio with Sergio Castellitto (2006) and Baarìa by Giuseppe Tornatore (2009). The entrance ticket to the villa costs 5 euros and the visiting hours from Monday to Sunday are from 9 to 13 and from 16 to 19.

Cefalù is an ancient medieval village, among the most beautiful and best preserved in Italy. The itinerary to see Cefalù starts from the Lungomare Giuseppe Giardina and follow it to the beginning of via Vittorio Emanuele, where the houses begin. From here a walk through the small narrow streets, the old houses, the shops, the restaurants and the ice cream parlors. In the middle of via Vittorio Emanuele is the medieval wash-house, which can be accessed through a lava stone staircase. The waters that flow into the washhouse are those of the Cefalino river, considered very pure because according to an ancient legend they were created by the tears of a nymph, who repented after killing the man he loved guilty of treason. Continuing beyond the washhouse, arrived at Porta Pescara, an opening from which you can see the sea. Shortly after Porta della Pescara on your left you will find Piazza Marina with the pier of the old port. From the old port you can see the most fascinating part of Cefalù: the houses with balconies directly on the sea. Follow via Carlo Ortolani di Bordonaro, after a few tens of meters on your left you will find the Bastione di Capo Marchiafava. It is an ancient defensive construction that overlooks the sea and which over time has been transformed into a lookout. The view from here is spectacular, you can admire the entire coast from east to west, with the view that is lost on the horizon on the Aeolian islands. Leaving the Bastione behind you, take what is the main street of Cefalù or Corso Ruggero. After a few meters you will find yourself in the town hall square in front of which you can see the Cathedral of Cefalù. The facade of the Cathedral of Cefalù faces west and the Rocca stands behind it. In addition to the medieval village Cefalù can boast one of the most beautiful beaches in Sicily with white sand and crystal clear waters.