Tag: archeologia
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Immortal Leaves
This column capital from the small archaeological museum at Tindari is a classic example of Greco-Roman Corinthian architectural design. What we learned from our guide Sebastiano was that the ornamental leaves accenting the column’s top are from the Acanthus mollis plant (also known in English as bear’s breeches). Acanthus mollis and its sister-plant Acanthus spinosus…
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Mother Goddess
During our tour these past days, we spent a provoking morning in Siracusa, first at the archaeological park, and then at one of Europe’s best archaeological museums, the Museo Archeologico Orsi. Pictured here is one of the museum’s star pieces, a “Mother Goddess,” dated to be from 550 BC and made of local limestone. Found…
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A Temple for Hera
The Doric-style Temple “E” at the ancient Greek site of Selinunte was completed between 490 and 480 BC. Recent research reveals that it was probably dedicated to the goddess Hera, the protectress of weddings, engaged couples, and pregnant women.
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Summer and the Divine Feminine
The end of August and beginning of September in Sicily is a period that marks many feasts in honor of various feminine saints, celebrations that are linked to ancient rites that expressed gratefulness to the earth for the bounty of the harvest. The ancient Greeks, who started to settle in Sicily in the 8th century…
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An Ancient Mask from Siracusa
Ancient mask, Siracusa’s Museo Archeologico Regionale “Paolo Orsi”
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Selinunte’s Temple C by the Sea
Temple “C,” or the Temple of Apollo, at the ancient Greek colony of Selinunte was built between 560 and 540 B.C. The majestic and massive temple faces the sea off of the southern coast of Sicily. The tympanum, or triangular facade, of the temple once sported a large portrait of the Gorgon Medusa (remains of…
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Framing Selinunte
Flowers are everywhere in Sicily. These at Selinunte framed a view of the remains of one of the massive ancient Greek temples.
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Ancient Greek-era Lekythos in Sicily
This ancient Sicilian-Greek-era lekythos caught my eye because of the drummer and flute player depicted in its design. A lekythos is a specific shape of Greek pottery–narrow with one handle–that was used for storing olive oil c. 500 BC. They commonly showed men practicing rituals or daily tasks because it was a vessel used primarily…
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Ancient Greek Drums in Sicily
This ancient lekanis dipicts women holding drums (Why I was interested in it!). Lekanides were ceramic vessels often used by women to store items or serve food (The lid could be overturned and used as a second serving dish.). I don’t know the age of this one (Unfortunately, I didn’t make a note when I…