Today for International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we remember that for generations before the Spanish Inquisition (roughly 1478-1834), Sicily was home to thousands of Jews who lived side by side with their fellow citizens who represented a multicultural salad in the middle of the Mediterranean Basin. Palermo honors the history of its diverse citizenship with street…
Tag: arab
Persia or Palermo?
The Cloister of the Cathedral at Monreale is one of my most favorite places in Sicily. 228 uniquely designed columns and a bubbling fountain line the center garden. The Norman-Arab architecture leads you to believe you could be in ancient Persia. It’s beautiful and peaceful and has a story all its own.
Kalsa’s Magione
“La Magione” basilica in the originally-Arab Kalsa district of Palermo is another example of Norman-Arab architecture. Built around 1190, it is one of the oldest churches in Palermo. It’s proper name is the Basilica of the Holy Trinity of the Chancellor. It came to be commonly known as La Magione because “magione” translates to “mansion.”…