During May 2020’s Experience Sicily Myths and Mysteries of Sicily: As Above/So Below tour co-hosted by Tony Allicino, we’ll go deep into the center of Sicily, where you’ll have your breath taken away by one of Sicily’s hidden gems, the stupendous Teatro Andromeda. From the top of the mythic mountains, you will nourish your awareness…
Category: Architecture
Sicily Shook On January 11, 1693
After a magnitude (hypothetical) 6.2 foreshock on January 9, 1693, at 9PM on January 11, 1693 the earth shook in southeastern Sicily for what historians say was four minutes. Etna erupted, and a tsunami struck the Ionian coasts of eastern Sicily and the Strait of Messina. We don’t know the exact scope of the earthquake’s…
The Cloisters Of Monreale
Norman King William II, “The Good” (1153-1189), commissioned Monreale Cathedral in the late 12th century. The cloisters were built in the Arab Norman style in the early 13th century by Venetian artisans. Today, the cathedral is part of the UNESCO site that features nine Arab Norman monuments. Its cloister boasts 128 columns, all possessing different…
Hercules Went Clubbing In Sicily
Hercules and the Hydra of Lerna, a fresco in the lobby of the main entrance of Villa Palagonia (18th century), Bagheria, Sicily… Hercules killed the serpentine monster during his second of 12 Labors, an ancient Greek and Roman myth.
Be Awe-Inspired By Harmony In Agrigento, Sicily
The Temple of Concordia is one of seven ancient Greek houses of worship you can discover at Valley of the Temples in Agrigento. It was named for a Latin inscription that was found on a dedication marker unearthed in the vicinity of the archaeological site–i.e., a marker not associated with the temple; however, spirited archaeologists…
May You Dance Through 2020
May you dance through 2020! Che tu possa ballare per tutto il 2020! Cheers to a fabulous New Year! Auguri per un anno favoloso! (Photo Credit Chiara Musumeci Fotografia)
Sicily’s Roman Villa Illustrates Life
Fisherman are hard at work getting the fresh catch for all of your feasting the next couple of days! This image from the Roman Villa of Casale in Piazza Armerina, Sicily, a 4th century AD estate that boasts 43,055 square feet of mosaic tile floors, shows us how they did it in ancient Roman times….
The Alleys Of Ortigia
The alleyways of Ortigia Island in Siracusa are purposefully designed as a type of labyrinth, and there is a good reason for it. Strategically speaking, if you are planning to defend your village from invaders (The island of Ortigia was invaded many times, most egregiously by the Arabs in 877-878.), curved streets not in a…
Start October Here In Taormina
Join me here in October 2020! Enchanting Taormina’s ancient amphitheater was built in phases, starting in the 3rd century BC by the Greek inhabitants of Mount Tauro, who added to the structure significantly in the 2nd century AD. The Romans then added their ingenuity in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, transforming it from a…
The Castle At Aci Castello, Sicily
The imposing castle at Aci Castello was constructed out of volcanic rock on top of La Rocca by the Normans starting in the late 11th century. Prior to that time, the promontory hosted both an Arab and Byzantine fortification. The castle was somewhat destroyed in a siege at the turn of the 13th century when…