Inside the gold valley, with an ideal climatic and landscaped position, rises the city of Palermo. Situated on the Tirreno coasts, the city offers important artistic and historic testimonies as well as luxurious parks which made Palermo one of the most

important tourist destination of Italy. The historic center of Palermo, with its medieval origins and its small and irregular design, represents the area where most of the monuments are located, monuments that reflect the numerous historic and artistic stories of the city.

Situated on several hills, all side by side, Piazza Armerina, on the higher summit, is dominated by its splendid baroque cathedral (1627-1719) which can be seen from all parts of the country. The period of utmost splendor was during the Middle Age, at the time of Count Ruggero the Norman, and in 1296 Federico III of Aragon summoned in the city the Parliament

which was to decide on the war against his brother Giacomo who together with Charles d'Anjou was about to conquer the island. Piazza Armerina is known in the whole world for the splendid mosaics of the imperial Casale Roman villa which, probably built by Massimiano Erculeo in the III- IVth centuries a. C., was buried and then disappeared because of natural earth landslides. It was discovered by chance in the last century.