Persephone is the daughter of the great goddess Demeter and the Goddess of the Underworld. Here she is as interpreted during the 2019 Arches of Easter in San Biagio Platani (Agrigento). (Yes, this art is made with beans and other natural elements!) During these last weeks of summer, she is preparing for her annual return…
Tag: archi di Pasqua
Behold Princess Sicilia, A Legend
Behold Princess Sicilia! A legend thought to have originated in post Byzantine times (c. 535 CE to c 827 CE). Long ago, along the sun kissed eastern coast of the Mediterranean, perhaps on the shores of modern-day Lebanon, a baby girl was born to a noble family. Her proud parents named her Sicilia. The couple’s…
Yes, Chandeliers Made With Pasta, Dates, and Corn
Do you see the pasta? The chandeliers or “ninphe” of the Arches of Easter or Archi di Pasqua in San Biagio Platini are made of natural elements. Learn more about this extraordinarily creative feast in Sicily from the latest episode On Sicily, when I talk with local insider Pierfilippo Spoto. More at https://experiencesicily.com/2020/04/16/conversations-on-sicily-vol-2020-2/
Conversations On Sicily, Vol. 2020.2
Join Allison Scola, owner of Experience Sicily, along with Pierfilippo Spoto, owner of Val di Kam, for a conversation about one of Sicily’s most artistic annual feasts produced by the citizens of San Biagio Platani in Agrigento Province.
An Easter Lamb From San Biagio Platini, Sicily
Happy Easter! Buona Pasqua! This is a work of art made of grain and other elements from the natural world as part of the Arches of Easter or Archi di Pasqua in San Biagio Platini (Also known as the Bread Arches or Archi di Pane). The lamb represents purity and sacrifice. The white and red…
Sicily’s Legend Of Colapesce
The Sicilian legend of Colapesce was illustrated beautifully during the 2019 Archi di Pasqua of San Biagio Platani. Colapesce is a hero in Sicilians’ eyes. Born Nicola di Messina, the name Colapesce is rooted in Cola from Nicola and Pesce, fish. Colapesce was nicknamed so because he was an apt swimmer who could hold his…
Day 6 of Myths & Mysteries of Sicily: As Above/So Below
Live from Sicily! Day 6 of Experience Sicily Myths & Mysteries of Sicily: As Above/So Below. Our hearts were filled by the hospitality of the people of Sant’Angelo Muxaro and San Biagio Platini thanks to Pierfilippo Spoto of Val di kam. We got our feet dirty on Aldo’s magical farm, where we connected with the…
The Saintly Details
Santa Rosalia, as illustrated in this year’s Archi di Pasqua… Created in a mosaic style using cereals. She is depicted holding a skull, which is a reminder of our mortality.
Gifts From Mother Earth
The chandeliers that line the main corridor of San Biagio Platini’s Archi di Pasqua (Arches of Easter) are made with natural materials. Citizens of the town spend months creating these works of art that celebrate the gifts from Mother Earth.
Circular Loaves For Maria Santissima
The Maria Santissima or Madonna brotherhood side of the Archi di Pasqua in San Biagio Platani, Sicily is decorated in blue and features artwork illustrating the legends and myths of Sicily and its saints and ancient divinities. Pictured here is the entrance archway that displays the cuddura circular bread (behind the white, glazed bread loaves)…