How does one describe one of the most beautiful beaches in Sicily? Words aren’t always sufficient. If it’s any indication of just how magnificent Siculiana Marina is, Sicilian guitarist Francesco Buzzurro composed an entire album of songs inspired by it called Il Quinto Elemento (The Fifth Element). When I heard him perform pieces from it…
Category: Art, Ceramics, Music
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…
The Palm Tree Represents Unification In Palermo
Artists from multiple cultural origins contributed to these mosaic designs that exist in the Cappella Palatina, the private chapel commissioned by Sicilian King Roger II (1095-1154) and completed by his heir, King William I (1120-1166). The palm tree, the central icon of this photo, has significance to many peoples, many of whom came together to…
The Outstanding Leadership Of Sicily’s Roger II
More than ever, I’m seeking a dinner date with Roger II (1095-1154) … An outstanding leader, Roger II incorporated and encouraged inclusion of all of the various cultures, religions, and races that shared Sicily–native Sicilian, Norman, Arab, Byzantine, Greek, Jewish, English, German, and more–into his government. As a result, Sicily thrived, and it became the…
The Punic Goddess Tanit In Sicily
After the ancient southwestern Sicilian city of Selinunte was pillaged by Carthaginian (i.e., Punic) forces between 409 and 406 BCE, the Greek city became Punic for a time. The Carthaginians built a new town, recycling the materials and reclaiming temples from the magnificent Greek community that preceded it. Throughout today’s archaeological site, some ruins of…
Sicily’s Teatro Andromeda Is A Work In Progress
Shepherd and sculptor Lorenzo Reina’s Teatro Andromeda in the Sicani Mountains in the middle of Sicily, scrapes the sky. Although it feels ancient, the theater, which sits 1000 meters (3280 feet) above sea level, was built by Reina one stone at a time over the past 30 years. When you talk with the Lorenzo, he’ll…