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…
Category: divine feminine
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…
There’s More To Sicily’s Santa Rosalia Than You Might Think
For many years I’ve worn on my wrist a bracelet of red roses with a charm of Santa Rosalia. I purchased the first one years ago when I visited the sanctuary for La Santuzza on the top of Mount Pellegrino. I’ve replaced it a couple of times with the same €2 souvenir purchased at the…
If We Need Santa Rosalia, It Is Now
During the late spring and summer of 1624, Palermo was under siege from a plague that cursed more than 10,000 inhabitants. Things were looking pretty bleak until in early July, when a lost hunter had a vision: Santa Rosalia appeared to him and promised to help him and the city of Palermo once he followed…
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…
Sicily-Inspired Yoga Online
The summer solstice is upon us, so it’s a perfect time to pause and recognize the glories of Mother Nature. Join us online on Thurs., June 25 at 5:30pm EDT for Nourish Your Soul-stice, a Sicily-inspired yoga practice and discussion. Certified yoga instructor Clio Mallin will lead a 20-minute gentle chair/standing practice that will connect…
They Looked For Love In Erice, Sicily
The town Erice (pronounced Èh-ree-chay) is named for Eryx (or Eros), the mythical son of the goddess Venus and her lover, King Bute of the ancient Elimi tribe (NB that makes the Greco-Roman hero Aeneas his half-brother.). Erice boasts a 12th century Norman castle (pictured), known as Il Castello di Venere or the Castle of…
Demeter Left Her Scythe Behind In Sicily
Ancient Greek legend says that the port of Trapani on Sicily’s coastline at the foot of Mount Eryx, is the scythe of Demeter, her principal harvest tool, which she left behind when she hastened to look for her wailing daughter Persephone. This view from Erice includes the Egadi Islands in the background.
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…
Behold Princess Sicilia, A Legend
Behold Princess Sicilia! A legend thought to have originated in post Byzantine times (c. 535 CE to c 827 CE). Long ago, along the sun kissed eastern coast of the Mediterranean, perhaps on the shores of modern-day Lebanon, a baby girl was born to a noble family. Her proud parents named her Sicilia. The couple’s…