The Temple of Concordia at Valley of the Temples in Agrigento is magnificent under the full moon. Whenever possible, plan to see the temples at night (as well as during the day), at least from the roadway. Another place one can see the Valley lit up at night is from the front stairs of the…
Category: Architecture
The Fourth Season In Palermo
In Palermo’s “Theater of the Sun,” the intersection better known as Quattro Canti, four fountains featuring women illustrate the four seasons. Not only the annual seasons, but those of life too. Pictured here is Winter. She’s an older, wiser woman holding a flaming lantern. Showing us the way through the darkest time of the year….
The Two Bell Towers of Palma di Montechiaro
The 17th-century Chiesa Madre of the town of Palma di Montechiaro holds court at the top of a long flight of stairs. Palma di Montechiaro was founded by the Prince of Lampedusa, ancestor of the novelist Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, in 1637.The famers of the area cultivate grapes for wine and the table, almonds, melons,…
Covering Up At Monreale Cathedral
The 228 magnificent columns of the cloister of Montreale Cathedral outside of Palermo each tell a story. Illustrated here are Adam and Eve.
Stunning Sicily October 2021, Day 9
Ciao from Stunning Sicily, Day 9! After bidding farewell to our wonderful hosts in the Sicani mountains, we made our way to Bagheria to the fantastic Villa Palagonia. There our guide Giulia Scalia explained the curious Villa of the Monsters and its historic owner’s motivations for the mysterious statues that decorate it. The hall of…
The Basilica Of The Black Madonna del Tindari, Sicily
Ciao from Sicily! I’ve always had mixed feelings about the design of this basilica for the Black Madonna of Tindari, a most sacred place for those of us who are devotees of the dark mother/goddess archetype. Today, though, was different. Maybe because of this moment in my life when I’ve been strongly devoted to my…
Practice Noticing And Be Inspired In Sicily
The remains of the ancient church and cript of San Marciano (Chiesa e Cripta di San Marciano), Siracusa offer you, the curious traveler, a reminder of the elegance you may find when simply looking up. When you travel with me, Allison Scola of Experience Sicily, as your tour leader, I recommend that you open your…
Walk Through Ancient Temples In Sicily
Selinunte is one of the few archeological sites where you can still walk inside the temples.
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | #50. Inspired, Creative Accommodations
Over the last ten years, Sicily’s tourism industry has matured and grown, and the amount and diversity of accommodations available to tourists is abundant. In a city like Ragusa, for example, right here in the old town of Ragusa Ibla, there exists everything from Locanda Don Serafino, an historic hotel with luxurious rooms furnished inside…
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | #46. There’s Always Something Begging to be Discovered
Considered by many to be the “Sistine Chaple of Sicily,” the Chiesa di San Domenico in Castelvetrano in western Sicily is an unspoiled spectacle. Originally built in the 1470s, artist Antonio Ferraro da Giuliana and his sons spent three years from 1577-1580 creating the stucco scene above the altar titled “Albero di Jesse,” or the…