For a unique gift for the Sicilofile in your life, stop here! Gelsomino Imports carries handmade paper jewelry inspired by Sicilian art, landscape, and lights produced by The Foxies. This bracelet is made from the 1154 planisphere of the Mediterranean (specifically Sicily) drawn up by thinker and geographer Muhammad Al-Idrisi (1099–1165). Known as the Tabula…
Category: History
Salemi, Sicily, An Undiscovered Treasure
Live from Sicily! Yesterday, after closing our two-week private tour (What a wonderful time I had with the family!), I headed to Salemi, a truly undiscovered treasure in Trapani Province. I met with Visit Borgo Salemi to learn more about this fascinating town and how we can collaborate to share it with Experience Sicily clients….
Uncovering The Hidden Corners In Palermo
Live from Sicily! One of my favorite things is hearing the awe and wonder in my guests’ reactions once they see Monreale Cathedral Nad its cloister (pictured). You must see it! Palermo has so many hidden corners, like the Church of the Immaculate Conception, for example, that are not easily explored without a guide. Our…
At Caccamo You May Want To Reconsider The King’s Invitation
Live from Sicily! Yesterday, we explored the imposing castle of Caccamo with our local insider Ignazio. It started as a Cartheginian tower and grew into an impenetrable fortification. If you’re invited by the king, beware of the trap door! Can you spot it?
Good Friday In Enna, Sicily
Live from Sicily! Yesterday, we went to the Good Friday procession in Enna, where 16 brotherhoods recognized the death of Christ with humility, covering their solemnity as to keep the focus on the commemoration. I know the costumes may trigger offensive thoughts for Americans. Please set this aside, for our association with hoods such as…
The Light Of The World In Cefalù Cathedral
Santissimo Salvatore della Trasfigurazione (also known as Christ Pantocrator) anchors the apse of the UNESCO recognized cathedral, or duomo, of Cefalù. Boasting a remarkable Byzantine-style mosaic of Christ Pantocrator (pictured), the cathedral was commissioned in 1131 by the visionary Norman King Roger II after his ship found refuge on this spot during a harrowing storm….
Modern Art In Sicily: Il Cretto di Burri
8,000 square meters or 86,111 square feet of concrete mark the place where the town of Gibellina was before the devastating 1968 earthquake that was centered in southwestern Sicily. Artist Alberto Burri spent 30 years to create this sculpture called Grande Cretto or il Cretto, that outlines the streets of the old town where homes,…
Chiesa di San Francesco d’Assisi in Palermo
Built between 1255 and 1277, the Chiesa di San Francesco d’Assisi has survived earthquakes and Allied bombings. Its facade, designed in 1302, sports a zigzag, Gothic design.
Going Places
My uncle Steve on a Vespa in Bagheria, Sicily (1950).
The Goddess Within
Happy International Women’s Day! I offer this statuette of the goddess Cybele, the ancient mother goddess from Anatolia, as homage to all of the mothers and women in leadership and caretaking positions. Your power is profound and inspirational. You all have goddesses within! This marble piece is Roman from 1st-2nd century AD, based on a…