Page 174 - The Rough Guide of Sicily

At the centre of the upper town is a spacious piazza dominated by the monumental,

pink-fronted, seventeenth-century Duomo. Inside are renowned sculptures by
Marabitti, notably his Madonna del Ponte in the fourth chapel on the right. Really,
though, the views are the thing in Termini, so stroll beyond the Duomo along the palm-
fringed belvedere, which offers an extensive panorama over town, mountain, port and

sea. The promenade continues around the headland to the shady Villa Palmieri
gardens, which shelter the remnants of a public building from the Roman era as well
as the remains of an Anfiteatro Romano – this lies just up from the Porta Palermo, the
former entrance to the city. Outdoor cafés and kiosks between cathedral, belvedere
and gardens offer drinks, ice creams and a shady place to sit.

Museo Civico
Via Marco Tullio Cicerone • Tues–Sat 9am–1pm & 4–6.30pm, Sun 9am–1pm • Free

Opposite the Duomo, down a lane to the side of the Palazzo Margherita, the excellent
Museo Civico has more art treasures, including work by Antonello Gagini, a fine

sixteenth-century Flemish Annunciation and some grisly scenes of martyrdom. There
are also coins, ceramics and other finds from Greek Himera, as well as the marble
bust of an elegant second-century Roman matron.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE: TERMINI IMERESE

By train Termini Imerese is a frequent stop on the line between Palermo, Cefalù and
Messina. There are trains approximately every half hour (sometimes more) and
journey time is 30–45min. To get to the centre from the station, turn right, walk past
Piazza Crispi and down Corso Umberto e Margherita to Via Roma, the stepped street
that climbs to the upper town (a good 15min walk).

By bus Buses arrive at and depart from immediately outside the train station, though

some also make a stop in the upper town. There is a reasonable service to Caccamo
(7–8 daily Mon–Sat; 15min, autobusrandazzo.altervista.org) and Castelbuono
(Mon–Sat 2 daily; 1hr 30min).

By car Drivers would do best to follow signs for “Museo” and “punto panoramico”,
as there’s plenty of parking up by the belvedere.

< Back to Cefalù and the Monti Madonie

Caccamo

Ten kilometres to the south of Termini Imerese, the small town of CACCAMO, set
amid green hills, is worth visiting chiefly for its remarkable castello.

Caccamo itself is not much more than an overgrown village, disturbed only by the