Category: Art, Ceramics, Music
-
Votive Offerings Through The Millennia
Archaeologists are very careful to identify to whom an ancient temple is dedicated until they have concrete evidence (and I don’t just mean concrete in the sense of stone!). In Siracusa, for example, we know that the temple to Apollo on Ortigia is for Apollo because there is an inscription on the east-facing stairs stating…
-
They Looked To Venus For Love
In ancient times, if you were looking for love and passion, western Sicily was the place to go. I’ve written about Erice in the past, where for centuries there was a temple to Venus, the Roman goddess of love, and before that, it was a temple to the Carthaginians’ and Phoenicians’ goddess of love. Well,…
-
The Extraordinary Church Of San Domenico In Castelveltrano, Sicily
The Chiesa di San Domenico in Castelvetrano in Trapani Province is a masterpiece. Originally built in the 1470s when commissioned by the Tagliavia family, the church gained spectacle status once 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 Feast Of Sant’Agata Is Upon Us
The three day mid-winter Feast of Sant’Agata is upon us! Agata was a virgin martyr who died in 251 CE. Legend is that she was the beautiful daughter of a wealthy family from Catania. A faithful Christian, Agatha swore herself to Jesus. Important to know, during her lifetime, Christianity was illegal under Roman rule. So,…
-
Tonight: Wintertime, Sicily-Inspired Yoga
Could it be Warrior II?! Join us Friday at 5:30PM (Eastern) for Sicily-Inspired Yoga: Embrace Winter’s Inner Wisdom. Clio Mallin, host of Experience Sicily’s future Yoga in Sicily tour, will led us in a wintertime practice aimed to create balance in your body, mind, and heart. You’ll feel grounded as you nurture your seeds of…
-
The Sanctuary of Demeter Malophoros, Selinunte (Part I)
The ancient Greek community of Selinunte was founded as a sub-colony of Megara Iblea in 651-650 BCE. One of the first sacred sites in the western Sicilian city, which is considered one of the world’s largest archaeological zones, is the Santuario della Malophoros or the Sanctuary of the Fruit Bearer. “Malophoros” implies pomegranates or apples,…
-
The Mystery Of The Madonna of Custonaci, Sicily
The Madonna of Custonaci is a cherished, sacred painting in the towns of Erice and Custonaci, where her sanctuary is located. It has a fascinating legend of its origins “from the east.” I’ll discuss its story and more on Tuesday, January 19 at 7:30PM Eastern on Zoom. To register and attend this complimentary presentation, visit…
-
Sicily-inspired Yoga: Winter’s Inner Wisdom
Next Friday at 5:30PM Eastern, Clio Mallin and Experience Sicily will present Sicily-Inspired Yoga: Embrace Winter’s Inner Wisdom. Join us to embrace the cocoon of winter, when your seeds of promise are below the surface. Winter as a time to relax, quiet down, connect to what’s important, pause, and listen to inner wisdom. Our gentle…
-
Messina’s Clock Tower, Part 3
Buon Anno! Happy New Year! These past days I’ve focused on this clock since time–i.e., the changing of the year–has been on our minds. Now, with the start of a new trip around the sun, we turn to the cathedral side of Messina’s astronomical clock tower. We already saw the Perpetual Calendar, which shows the…