One of the most popular movies ever made, The Godfather was filmed in a pretty village called Savoca, just 20 minutes north of Taormina. Though surprisingly not on the tourist trail, its bars and churches will resonate with fans of Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece.

Rebuilt after the earthquake of 1693, Sicily’s second city is remarkable for its magnificent, lava-built Baroque buildings and black volcanic flagstones. The city’s newly pedestrianised centre makes it the ideal place to stroll and feel the buzz of Sicilian life.

Built on an ancient Greek settlement founded by Corinthians in 734 BC, Siracusa rivalled Athens at the height of its glory, and was later the birthplace of renowned mathematician Archimedes.

This charming, unspoilt village has winding, narrow, medieval streets and delightful restaurants overlooking a rocky coast. It is dominated by both a huge rock, La Rocca, which was once the site of a Temple of Diana, and by a splendid Norman cathedral.