One with the Tiles

Here I am, one with the tiles of Caltagirone’s Staircase of Santa Maria del Monte, which was built in 1609 to connect the old lower town to the new upper town. Since 1954, each of its 142 steps was decorated with a unique design of colorful, handcrafted majolica ceramic tile, a craft for which the…

A Genius Feat 

If you are into art, architecture, and ceramics, Le Stanze al Genio (The Rooms to the Genius) is for you. This home-museum features a collection of majolica ceramic floor tiles sporting designs from Naples and Sicily that were produced from the end of the 16th century to the beginning of the 20th century. You must…

Old Woman Winter 

At the busy intersection of Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Via Maqueda, in Palermo’s historic center, sits Quattro Canti–four corners. The crossroads is flanked by four 18th century Baroque facades, each with a series of statues: At the top, the city’s patron saints prior to Santa Rosalia; in the middle, the Spanish kings of Sicily; and…

Palermo’s (In)famous Fountain

This (in)famous fountain that dominates Palermo’s Piazza Pretoria was originally designed and constructed in 1554-55 by Florentine sculptor Francesco Camilliani for the garden of a Tuscan villa. Purchased and augmented by the city of Palermo in 1573, government officials placed it in front of the Palazzo Pretorio, the city’s principal municipal building, with pride. However,…

Walk into the Light Vincent

In honor of my friend Vincent Titone, the president/chief-organizer of the New York Sicilian Meet-Up group who was laid to rest today, I post a photo of the apse of his favorite church in Sicily, Monreale Cathedral. Christ Pantocrator, the Savor, dominates the temple and gives his blessing in the Greek style: “I am the…

Be Enchanted by Sicily in September 2017

We’re thrilled to announce Enchanting Sicily, our September 14-28, 2017 tour. During Enchanting Sicily, our group of less than 12 guests will discover the region’s hidden corners, interact with locals, immerse ourselves in Sicilian culture and history, and explore UNESCO World Heritage sites such as Valley of the Temples, the Roman Villa of Casale, Mount…

Selinunte’s Graceful Temple E

Selinunte was a Greek city built on the southwestern coast of Sicily by colonists from the eastern Sicilian Greek outpost of Megara Hyblea. Founded around 651 BC, it displayed its power by building massive temples to dedicated to the gods, like this one pictured, Temple E, which scholars believe was dedicated to Hera. The Doric-style…