"To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is not to have seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the clue to everything."
Johann Wolfgang Goethe, 1749-1832
The story of Gruppo Lombardo, Our Story, began a century ago in 1915, when our ancestor founded a bus company to connect countryside villages around the Sicilian Madonie Mountains to the main cities of the Island.
Following the end of World War II, our grandfather, Angelo, continued the inherited activity, acquiring new and more comfortable buses and moving the company HQ from the tiny village of San Mauro Castelverde, in the Madonie area, to the famous seaside town of Cefalù.
For over 30 years, Angelo’s son, Mauro, has led the company, through strong will and determination, towards new horizons. Mauro modernized the bus fleet, expanded the bus line company by moving into the tourist sector, launched a tour operator, and built a small fleet of boats, which today is made up of 5 fast boats with a capacity ranging from 240 to 350 seats. Our boats connect Taormina, Milazzo, and Cefalù with the Aeolian Islands, Palermo with Ustica, and Mazzara del Vallo with the Aegadean Islands.
However, Mauro’s entrepreneurship did not stop there, as he also launched the company into the hotel sector. Luogo Marchese, an enchanting countryside property in the Madonie area, became a wonderful agritourism location for those wishing to experience the typical Sicilian countryside in an original way. Following the success of Luogo Marchese, the Cefalù Sea Palace was opened. It is a prestigious hotel, amongst the most well-renowned hotels of Sicily, and is located along the Cefalù coast, a few metres away from the crystal waters of the Mediterranean Sea. In 2017, a new hotel, the Victoria Palace, opened along the same stretch of beautiful coastline as the Cefalù Sea Palace.
Today, Angelo’s grandsons, Angelo and Sergio, have taken on this rich legacy. Together, they see the role of Gruppo Lombardo, with offices in Cefalù, Taormina and Palermo, as the main actor in the Sicilian tourism industry. In line with the inherited professionalism of their ancestors that has been enriched by 100 years of experience, Gruppo Lombardo is fast becoming a leader, and an inspiring example of tradition and innovation.
Strong dedication, a deep sense of responsibility, striving for excellence, and strong client orientation are the key characteristics of our work at Visit Sicily Tours.
