A piece of kitsch depicting a Sicilian folk scene.
Category: Fashion, Traditional Dress
Lady in Red
Baroness’ dress, photographed in Scicli… I’m not sure from what era this dress is, but I am going to guess it’s from the 1700s (and that it’s a copy).
Traditional Dress of a Sicilian Cart Driver
According to “Il costume popolare in Italia,” a book by Emma Calderini published in 1934, this is an illustration of what Sicilian cart drivers, or carrettiere, typically wore. So, if you need a last-minute Halloween costume idea, you might be able to pull this off! Just know that in addition to transporting goods–often through the…
Enchanting Sicily, Day 15: Sweet Jasmine
Our final day consisted of waking early in the morning for departure. So early that the jasmine flowers that release their sweet scent after sundown were still strongly aromatic. All of our senses were stimulated and challenged these past days – – for better or worse! My hope is that the sweet smell of jasmine…
A Convenient Souvenir
When I (conveniently) forgot to wear earrings one day in June while in Ortigia, I saw these in a jewelry store window. I walked in and asked to see them. The salesman began his pitch to sell them to me, which I thought was hilarious because I knew exactly what they were… “Hand painted ceramic…
High Ho Folk Art!
The bridle gear and breastplates created for the horses that pull the Sicilian carts are elaborate extensions of the carts’ decorations. This detail gives you an idea of this other form of folk art.
Wearable Sicilian Art
This work of art… I mean, bracelet… was hand crafted by Marilita Borgese for Pizzi & Merletti of Palermo. Available exclusively in the U.S. from Gelsomino Imports, LLC, it was created using a technique called tatting in English. In Italian, it is known as “chiacchierino,” which literally means “little chatting” because women chat while they…
Sophisticated Shopping
Coral jewelry is a popular item to purchase from Sicilian craftsmen in towns like Taormina.
Tataratà: Say It and You’ll Understand
This past Sunday, the town Casteltermini held the Festa di Santa Croce e Sagra del Tataratà. Experience Sicily’s Filippo Buttitta went to see this antique feast and took some magnificent photos which I’ll share over the next few days. Annually held on the fourth Sunday of May, the medieval feast features, among other traditions, citizens…
Irrisistable Kitsch
On my recent visit to Taormina, I couldn’t resist purchasing these earrings featuring Sicilian carts.