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…
Category: Architecture
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | Historic Opulent Villas
52 Reasons to Love Sicily #43. Historic Opulent Villas. Sicily was home to many princes, princesses, and barons prior to the Republic of Italy’s founding in 1946. Palaces (palazzi) of noble families constructed during different eras exist all over the island, and many are open to the public. My favorite, which is about a half-hour’s…
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | European Grandeur and Stateliness
52 Reasons to Love Sicily #41. European Grandeur and Stateliness. Southeastern Sicily’s Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto impress with the sophistication that we Americans imagine when conceptualizing a trip to Europe. When strolling through the “stone garden” city of Noto, for example, you may feel as if you’ve been transported to an…
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | Amazing Architecture
52 Reasons to Love Sicily #35. Amazing Architecture. When driving east along the SS 113 from Palermo city center, you’ll come across this intriguing building that could be modern, could be Arab-Norman, and could be ancient. What exactly is it? Built in 1905, Stand Florio was constructed for the industrious Florio family as a daytime…
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | Rock A Kasbah
52 Reasons to Love Sicily #34. Rock a Kasbah. In the southwestern, multi-cultural Sicilian city of Mazara del Vallo, there is a kasbah — that is, a maze of narrow alleyways with high walls that one usually finds in North Africa (It was designed for safety — the locals know where to go, but invaders…
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | Strolls Through Graceful Piazzas
52 Reasons to Love Sicily #32. Take A Stroll In A Graceful Piazza. The main piazza in Grammichele is one of the most sweeping public spaces you’ll encounter. When taking a stroll through it, you’ll recognize that it’s a hexagon that sits in the middle of the planned town, which was constructed after the devastating…
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | Ancient Surprises
52 Reasons to Love Sicily #29. Turn the corner, and there’s a good chance you’ll encounter something ancient, like these Doric columns of the ancient Greek Temple to Athena that have been incorporated into the construction of the Duomo of Siracusa on Ortigia. Built in the 5th century BCE, the house of the goddess of…
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | East Meets West in Sicily
52 Reasons to Love Sicily #25. Sicily is a bridge where east meets west, especially in Palermo where north African and middle-eastern sensibilities blend with European ones, as illustrated by the Arab-Norman heritage of Palermo. The Arabs were in power in Sicily from roughly 827 to 1061, and many Sicilians will tell you they are…
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | Castles and Their Stories
52 Reasons to Love Sicily #21. Castles and their stories pervade hilltop towns in Sicily. This castle pictured, Il Castello di Caccamo in Palermo Province, presents travelers an especially interesting glimpse into Europe’s medieval past. Scholars think the site has been home to some kind of fortress for millennia, meanwhile, this impenetrable iteration, the largest…
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | Catania, Sicily’s Second City
52 Reasons to Love Sicily #13. Sicily’s second city Catania recalls Roma, while holding fast to its local character. Its historic downtown boasts broad avenues that are lined with baroque palazzi and that lead to sweeping views of the volcano, Etna. The center not only supports its beautiful cathedral dedicated to Sant’Agata and Liotru, the…