Category: Architecture
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The “Tormented” Spasimo
Located in the historic Kalsa district, the roof-less Chiesa di Santa Maria dello Spasimo, commonly known as “Lo Spasimo,” was once a church, tracing its inception to 1509. There is doubt however, that it was actually ever considered finished. Throughout its history, the building’s walls have served as a hospital and shelter to the poor.…
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Floor as Status Symbol
In January, when my cousin Giulia and I visited the private museum Stanze al Genio in Palermo, we learned that many of the majolica works of art that decorate churches and palazzi throughout Sicily are from Naples. Between the 16th and 20th centuries, for noble families and wealthy churches that could afford such decor, it…
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Palermo’s Domes, Towers, and Crowns
A photo of Palermo’s skyline looking south, with the top of the rotunda of Chiesa del Santissimo Salvatore and the dome and tower of the Cattedrale di Palermo in the foreground, and the crowning mountains of Monreale in the distance.
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Uphill in Modica
Street, Modica Now, imagine a group of men carrying a very heavy statue of Saint George slaying a dragon up this hill, galloping. That’s what’s happening today in author and poet Salvatore Quasimodo’s (1901-1968) hometown for la Festa di San Giorgio.
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The Pearl for Saint George
The magnificent cathedral in Modica, pictured, is dedicated to Saint George (c.275 – 303 AD). On Sunday in the UNESCO recognized Baroque town, for Saint George’s Day (which falls on April 23), devotees of “San Giorgio” celebrate the Christian martyr. Saint George grew up in the Middle East devoted to Jesus. The son of a…
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A Palace Reflective of a Kingdom
La Zisa palace was commissioned by Norman King William I (1153-1166) and finished by his son, William II (1172-1189) in 1175. The name Zisa is derived from the Arab word “El Aziz,” or The Splendid. The palace was originally surrounded by gardens. Today, it still is the focal point of a public park, but the…
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Arab-Norman Design: Give Credit Where Credit is Due
Feeling somewhat like a miniature of a basilica 3 or 4 times as large as it is, the 32 meter long Cappella Palatina inside Palermo’s Royal Palace (Palazzo dei Normanni) is, simply put, spectacular. As soon as you enter, you’ll become lost in the dozens of stories depicted by dizzying mosaic scenes. Constructed between 1132…
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Persia in Palermo
Illustrating the Persian-Middle Eastern influences on Arab-Norman architecture, the mosaic designs of the Sala di Re Ruggero (King Roger’s Salon) inside Palermo’s Royal Palace (Palazzo dei Normanni) are splendid. Unlike their siblings in the Cappella Palatina (just downstairs in the palace), these mosaic designs are secular in nature, depicting hunting and natural scenes featuring trees,…
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The Royal Palace of Palermo
The Royal Palace in Palermo, better known as il Palazzo dei Normanni, is today the seat of Sicily’s regional parliament. However, since the middle of the 16th century, it was the seat of the Spanish viceroys and then the Bourbons who built it to its (more or less) current state. Its hodgepodge of architectural styles…