Experience Sicily

Tag: architecture

  • Harmonious Light

    The Norman cathedral at Cefalù is world-renowned for its elegant amalgamation of architectural styles. Inaugurated in 1990, the stained glass windows designed by Palermo artist Michele Canzoneri offer a modern element. They are 72 abstract designs that were inspired by stories from the Old and New Testaments. Canzoneri sought to exploit the natural light entering…

  • Elegant Monument

    The Cathedral of Cefalù was commissioned in 1131 by Sicilian King Roger II in homage to the Holy Savior, also known as Santissimo Salvatore, after the king found refuge from a storm on the shores of the town. The Duomo was built over subsequent years and centuries. Inside, its Byzantine-style mosaic of Christ Pantocrator is…

  • Doing the Laundry in Cefalù

    A brilliant use of an underground fresh-water river, this site in Cefalù during Arab-Norman times, was used by locals to wash their laundry. Behind you (if you were standing at the site in the picture), the river flows into the sea.

  • Modica’s Duomo di San Giorgio

    The Cathedral of San Giorgio in Modica is a magnificent example of the late Baroque architecture that has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, “Late Baroque Towns of Val di Noto.” The construction of the original church in this form started in 1643, however, After the devastating 1693 earthquake, during which the roof…

  • Villa Palagonia at Villa Palagonia

    Villa Palagonia in Bagheria continues to inspire me. Today my cousin, Experience Sicily’s Filippo Buttitta, graciously took photos of Joe Ravo and I for our music duo Villa Palagonia at Villa Palagonia! Our debut album of music inspired by our Italian-American roots and Sicily is almost finished. We look forward to getting it out to…

  • Modica’s Saint Peter’s

    Modica’s Duomo di San Pietro was built in the 18th century. We arrived here this evening in time for dinner and to enjoy the town’s baroque beauties such as this one lit up at night.

  • A Tranquil Fountain

    At one corner of the Cloister of the Cathedral of Monreale, there is a bubbling fountain surrounded by a few of the 228 unique columns that make up this tranquil, not-to-be-missed site. Built around 1200 AD, William II commissioned artisans from Sicily as well as those from Venice in order to create a unique sanctuary–both…

  • Palermo’s Quattro Canti: She Represents Summer

    At the center of Palermo, the intersection of Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Via Maqueda is called Quattro Canti, or Four Corners. Quattro Canti is octagonal in shape, and it is flanked by four 18th century Baroque facades, each with a fountain and a series of statues. On the first level–the street level–are images representing the…

  • Reclaimed is Ancient History in Siracusa

    This is one of the more fascinating sites in Sicily: The Duomo of Siracusa. Look carefully–it’s not a mistake. You can see the ancient Doric-style columns of an ancient Temple of Athena, built in the 5th century BC. During the Byzantine age (in the 7th century), the temple’s structure was adopted and used as the…