Experience Sicily

Tag: architecture

  • She Wore a Red Cherry Beret

    The red domes of San Cataldo church overlook Via Maqueda and Piazza Bellini in Palermo. San Cataldo was built during the early-Norman era in the 1150s by Maio of Bari, William I’s top emir, or commander. Its red domes and elegant window details illustrate the unique Arab-Norman architectural style found only in Sicily.

  • Another Flower in the Stone Garden

    The off-the-beaten-path town of Scicli is a jewel among the “Stone Garden,” Baroque, UNESCO-designated-area of south-eastern Sicily. Like Modica, Ragusa, and Noto, Scicli suffered from the great earthquake of 1693 and much of it was rebuilt in the following century in the Sicilian Baroque style.  (Photo Credit: Experience Sicily’s Filippo Buttitta)

  • Watch Your Step

    Every inch of the Cappella Palatina is embellished with intricate mosaics of inlaid marble, colorful stones, and golden glass tiles. This floor detail illustrates the multi-cultural mix (Norman, Arab, Greek, and Byzantine) that existed during Roger II’s 12th-century rule, when the Palazzo dei Normanni’s chapel was built.

  • Even the Roofs are Art

    Roofs from the Late-Baroque Era reconstructed town of Ragusa Ibla, Sicily. Ragusa Ibla is part of the Val di Noto, multi-town-group UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Photo Credit: Experience Sicily’s Filippo Buttitta)

  • The Splendid

    La Zisa, which is currently open to the public as a museum, had been a residence since the 12th century when it was first constructed. Parts of it still maintain its original Moorish splendor–a good word to use because its name “La Zisa” was derived from the Arab word “al-Aziz,” meaning splendid. Throughout its history,…

  • La Zisa: Another Jewel of Palermo

    Palermo’s La Zisa is a 12th century palace that was constructed by Moorish craftsmen in the Norman-Arab style. (Photo Credit: Experience Sicily’s Filippo Buttitta)

  • Temple of Hera, Goddess of Marriage

    The Temple of Hera (which in the Roman era was known as the Temple of Juno) is a 5th century BC temple dedicated to the Greek goddess of marriage, childbirth, and families. One of the many magnificent ruins at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Valley of the Temples, the Temple of Hera possesses an altar…

  • Temple of an Unknown Deity

    Thought to have been built by a Elymian-Sicilian who was influenced by Greek architects, this Doric temple at Segesta was constructed between 430 and 420 BC. Scholars believe that it never had a roof put on its 36 limestone columns–perhaps the reason why it is so well-preserved. Very little is understood about for what the…

  • Inspired by the Ancients

    Architectural detail of Palermo’s Teatro Massimo, the largest opera house in Italy. Teatro Massimo was designed by Giovan Battista Basile in 1875. The construction was completed by his son Ernesto in 1897. The elder Basile incorporated decorative details from the ancient temples at Agrigento and Selinunte into the theater’s design.