Experience Sicily

Category: Art

  • Symbols Are Everywhere In Sicily

    Pomegranates and grapes are carved into the detail work of the Duomo of Cefalù. Both are coming into season now. Both represent fertility and abundance.

  • The Faces Of Power In Ragusa

    The faces decorating Ragusa’s Palazzo Bertini send a message. The palace, built in the late 18th century in the style of the Late Sicilian Baroque, sits on Corso Italia leading to the old, aristocratic Ragusa Ibla from the new, up-and-coming city of Ragusa–in other words, the avenue between old money and new. The three faces…

  • The Significance Of Pine Cone Ceramics In Sicily

    You’ll see majolica pine cones like this one I photographed in the ceramic center, Caltagirone, all over Sicily and southern Italy. It’s a significant symbol. As a botanical, the pine cone is a reproductive organ. Female pine cones hold seeds. Male pine cones hold pollen. From ancient Greek times, the pine cone recalls the Greek…

  • Ancient Roman Barbecue In Sicily

    This mosaic scene from the Roman Villa del Casale at Piazza Armerina features hunters at an altar for the goddess of the hunt, wild animals, moon, and childbirth, i.e. the Roman Diana or Greek Artemis. The Roman Villa, a UNESCO site, is better described as an ancient plantation. Scholars believe that the original owner was…

  • Icarus, Daedalus And Sicily

    Icarus got carried away with the ability to fly. His father Daedalus, an inventor, craftsman, and artist, created two sets of wings for Icarus and himself to escape imprisonment in Crete. Daedalus instructed Icarus not to fly too high and not to fly too low: The heat of the sun would melt the wax holding…

  • Modica, Sicily And Saint Peter And Saint Paul

    Today is the feast day of the Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Peter, of course, is the protector of Rome (and popes too). But importantly (For my family especially, since my father is named Peter and I come from a long line of fishermen), he is the patron saint of net-makers, shipbuilders, and fishermen, and…

  • Grab A Chair For Sicily-inspired Yoga

    Sicily-inspired Yoga! Today, Thursday, at 5:30pm EDT grab a chair and join Experience Sicily’s Allison Scola and instructor Clio Mallin for a Sicily-inspired gentle yoga practice and discussion about the ancient Greek goddess Demeter. Register now at https://experiencesicily.com/events/online-sicily-events/sicily-inspired-yoga-practice/ for *Nourish Your Soul-stice* on Zoom. Our practice will be a gentle 20 minutes followed by a…

  • The Lions Of Palermo’s Royal Palace

    The mosaics from the chambers of Roger II (Sala di Re Rogero) in the Royal Palace in Palermo are a spectacular example of Arab Norman secular design. They date to the mid 12th century, the same period that the Cappella Palatina was constructed.

  • A Landmark Staircase In Sicily

    The Staircase of Santa Maria del Monte in Caltagirone, Sicily was built in 1609 to connect the old lower town to the new upper town. Since 1954, each of the risers of its 142 steps has been decorated with colorful, handcrafted majolica ceramic tiles. This UNESCO recognized baroque town is world renowned for its ceramic…