The history of Piazza Armerina began in Norman times,
however,
in prehistoric times, people alredy lived here,
in fact,
archaeological finds from Monte Navone and Montagna di Marzo proved that.
The area must have flourished in the Roman era,
in fact the splendid Roman Villa Del Casale with its world famous mosaics floors,
dating from the early 4th century AC,
shows all of that.
Over the centuries it experienced mixed fortunes,
but it has often played leading political roles and
its cultural and economic life has always been particularly active,
so much that it was described by Emperor Charles V as an “extremely wealthy town“.
Piazza Armerina is the ideal place for a relaxing holiday with a touch of culture.
It is a town in which there is a happy compromise between natural and manmade environment.
During the hot summer the climate is made cooler
by the 20,000 hectares of luxuriant woodland surrounding the town,
making it an ideal holidey location.
It is also a historic town and,
thanks to its numerous monuments,
Piazza Armerina is also a centre of culture and art with a heritage worth discovering.
The Norman Palio of Piazza Armerina
The Norman Palio takes place every year from 12th to 14th August.
On the first day the Grand Magistrate parades through Piazza Armerina carrying a lighted lamp,
which he places in the Cathedral,
as a sigh of gratitude and devotion to the Patron Saint.
On the afternoon of the 13th young knights,
noblemen and women parade around their own district,
along the winding basalt paved streets of the the old town,
lined with crowds of people,
until they reach the Cathedral where they will pay homage to Count Roger and his troops.
The partecipants represent the historic district of Piazza Armerina which are:
Monte, Casalotto, Canali and Castellina.
The following day,
at the St Ippolito sports-ground,
the knights representing the four districts of the town participate in the so called “quintana”,
the most colorful part of the three days event.
The knights challenge one another in tests of skill and ability,
being awarded points on the basis of their performance.