The Hotel Florio is located in the heart of the historical center of Castiglione di Sicilia, in B. Villadicanense 10 street.

Castiglione di Sicilia, located at 621 m. level, is a medieval town set like a jewel among the slopes of Etna, the golden beaches of Taormina and the beautiful gorges of the Alcantara. Recognized among the most beautiful places in Sicily for the entire landscape and the unique charm that comes from its rich and prestigious history. The origins of the town are lost in the mists of time. Evidence of ancient settlements of Sicilian populations date back to the Copper Age and Bronze Age, but with the Greek refugees in the eighth century B.C. that it was born as a settlement housing, in the position of defense, following the destruction of the historic Naxos by Dionysius I, tyrant of Siracusa. Here refugees amazed by the presence of two huge hills of a massive sandstone that stood on the Alcantara valley, they built their new site with a fortified lookout "the castle". The village, called over the centuries Quastellum, Castillo, Castiliorum etc. terms that recall, according to the etymological meaning, a cluster of fortified houses and castles to control the only way of penetration from the sea towards the interior of Sicily. The castle became the symbol of the settlement (of the lion, emblem of the city), now headquarters of the Regional wine store and considered among the most striking and impressive castle of the area. The strategic location of the place has always attracted the interest of (...continued from the homepage --> ) all conquerors who have followed on the island: the Romans, who built bridges, Arabs who revolutionized irrigation systems, and came even to breed crocodiles in the river Alcantara, Norman and Swabian, under which Castiglione became royal city, and Roger of Lauria, the last feudal lord.
Castiglione grew and prospered under all dominations: the castle continued to fortify himself, he built churches and palaces, through the wealth derived from the cultivation and processing of flax and walnuts. Country full of history and legends of the castle are many related, but also to the Basilian "cube", and the so-called "cannizzu", a lookout tower that is said has been split in two by a terrible lightning.
The country controls a vast territory and visually dominates the river Alcantara with much of the valley. To date, comprises seven districts: Rovittello, Solicchiata, Passopisciaro, Verzella, Grave, and Mitogio Castrorao. Castiglione is now one of the most famous Sicilian wine producer in the world, not surprisingly, alongside more than 500 wine producers, there are a dozen companies with their marketing and bottling plants exporting throughout the world, the wines of Etna. Also known as the processing of local products, is an ideal destination for tourists for a stay characterized by relaxation, nature trails and rediscovery of the Sicilian traditions. By any route will arrive in Castiglione di Sicilia, access is always something spectacular because you are suddenly immersed in the web of typical medieval streets paved with basalt lava.

On the slopes of Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe that offers the most spectacular eruptions in the world.

Its height varies over time because of its eruptions, but is currently around 3340 m. s.l.m. Its diameter is about 45 kilometers. The territory of the volcano is a whole world of different environments for morphology and typology. Grown up to a thousand meters s.l.m. and highly urbanized east and south slopes is presented mainly from the wild and barren western side where a thousand meters then dominated by "skiing," especially in the area of Bronte. Shortly urbanized, but looking sweeter by the dominance of the north woods above Linguaglossa. The east side is dominated looking ominous of Valle del Bove on the margins of which climb up the thick woods. Above 1000 m, in winter there is snow often lasts almost until summer. This is easily reachable from the south and north sides. Consequently Etna were also two ski resorts whose particularity is to be able to ski on the snow could observe the sea. From the South of Rifugio Sapienza, on the territory of Nicolosi, you can admire the gulf of Catania and the valley of Simeto. In the tracks to the north, those of Piano Provenzana in the territory of Linguaglossa, the scenario that opens out before Taormina and includes the coasts of Calabria. Nicolosi tracks were damaged by the summer of 2001 when a lava flow destroyed the station on arrival of the cable car and the service center through a few meters from the same "Rifugio Sapienza". The slopes of Piano Provenzana have been affected by the casting of Autumn of 2002.

Just 15 minutes from the Alcantara Gorges, which are characterized by partitions of hard basalt shaped prismatic smooth by the river.

At a time that is lost to the roots of history, a little north of the Etna volcano wakes up and vomits a huge mass of lava that makes its way to the sea and diving head Schisò form. The tortuous path of the river of lava is then crossed by a stream that winds polishing and cleaning the rocks lava from the dross.
Towards the end of its journey, the water meets the land mass of perhaps a more brittle and makes her way by releasing two high walls of hard basalt characterized by fascinating prismatic shapes. Are the gorges, of which only a section is now easily accessible.