Category: Architecture
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The Gothic Ruin in Ragusa Ibla, Sicily
The Portale di San Giorgio or the Portal of Saint George is the only thing that remains of the gothic-style church of Saint George that existed in Ragusa Ibla before the 1693 earthquake. The original church was built in the early 1300s, then modified in the 1500s after it suffered damage from an earthquake in…
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Looking Like Lace In Erice
The 19th-century stucco ceiling of the mother church of Erice resembles lace as a tribute to the women of the city, who since Medieval times were renowned for their lace making. So, when you visit the charming walled city during your tour of Sicily, be sure spend a few minutes under its neo-Gothic vaulted arches.
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Tell Me More: The Arch of Noto, Sicily
Feel like a royal when you walk through the Porta Reale or Ferdinandea of Noto. Constructed as a triumphal arch for the king’s entry into the baroque city, the Porta Reale or Ferdinandea was commissioned and financed in 1838 by the Marquis of Cannicarao in anticipation of a visit to Noto by King Ferdinand II…
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Day 11 of 16 Days of Sicily | Reaction to the Rubble
During the night of January 14 and 15, 1968 through early February 1968 western Sicily’s Belice Valley experienced a series of earthquakes. It was before the Richter Scale was employed to measure tremors in Italy, so it’s hard to say in those terms how strong they were but know this: it was many seismic events…
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January 1693 Leveled Everything
I can’t emphasis enough how significant the infamous earthquakes of 1693 were to eastern Sicily. First of all, it wasn’t just one day or one event. “The earthquake” was a series of tremors that started on January 9, 1693 with a hypothetical 6.2 magnitude (there was no Richter Scale at the time) followed by a…
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Look Up (In Sicily’s Capella Palatina)
The ceiling of the Capella Palatina inside the Palazzo dei Normanni in Palermo is an extraordinary work of Arab Norman art. We were at this fascinating palace during our stay in Palermo earlier this week during our Spring in Sicily tour.
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In Erice, Look Up
The stucco ceiling of the mother church of Erice was designed to recall the revered lace and tadding craftsmanship created for centuries by the women of the walled, mountain-top city.
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Enna, Sicily’s Mother Church
Enna, Sicily’s Duomo Maria SS della Visitazione is an amalgamation of architectural styles drawn from many centuries.