52 Reasons to Love Sicily #35. Amazing Architecture. When driving east along the SS 113 from Palermo city center, you’ll come across this intriguing building that could be modern, could be Arab-Norman, and could be ancient. What exactly is it? Built in 1905, Stand Florio was constructed for the industrious Florio family as a daytime…
Tag: arab norman
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | Rock A Kasbah
52 Reasons to Love Sicily #34. Rock a Kasbah. In the southwestern, multi-cultural Sicilian city of Mazara del Vallo, there is a kasbah — that is, a maze of narrow alleyways with high walls that one usually finds in North Africa (It was designed for safety — the locals know where to go, but invaders…
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | East Meets West in Sicily
52 Reasons to Love Sicily #25. Sicily is a bridge where east meets west, especially in Palermo where north African and middle-eastern sensibilities blend with European ones, as illustrated by the Arab-Norman heritage of Palermo. The Arabs were in power in Sicily from roughly 827 to 1061, and many Sicilians will tell you they are…
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | Palermo Goes To 11
52 Reasons to Love Sicily #3. When talking coolness factor, the city of Palermo goes to 11. It’s European. It’s north African. It’s exotic. It’s got flirtatious nightlife (La Vucciria open-air market becomes a people-watching hub after dark and in nearby Ballarò, jazz clubs take over the alleyways.). It’s got high-art — the city is…
The Red Domes Of Palermo
Whenever I see the church of San Cataldo, I feel Palermo is welcoming me home. The red domes of this ancient church overlook Via Maqueda and Piazza Bellini. San Cataldo was built during the early-Norman era in the 1150s by Maio of Bari, William I’s top emir, or commander. Its cherry-on-top domes and elegant window…
Symbols Are Everywhere In Sicily
Pomegranates and grapes are carved into the detail work of the Duomo of Cefalù. Both are coming into season now. Both represent fertility and abundance.
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.
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…
A Bell Tower In Cefalù, Sicily
One of the bell towers of the 12th century, Arab-Norman style Cathedral of Cefalù, Sicily from the duomo’s other bell tower
Peacocks From Roger II’s Hall In The Norman Palace
The original mosaic artwork from Sicilian King Roger II’s Hall in the Palazzo dei Normanni (12th century) in Palermo and the print copying it, created by Gioaria di Marilena Trovato. I can’t wait to hang this art in my home with the others in the set I purchased in the Norman Palace.