Experience Sicily

Tag: architecture

  • When They Found Out

    The splendid cloister of the Cathedral at Monreale built circa 1200 boasts 228 uniquely designed columns. This one depicting Adam and Eve is one of my favorites.

  • 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…

  • Summer at Palermo’s Quattro Canti

    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…

  • An Arab-Norman-Greek-Byzantine Star

    Every inch of the Cappella Palatina is embellished with intricate mosaics of inlaid marble, colorful stones, and golden glass tiles. This 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.

  • Framing Selinunte

    Flowers are everywhere in Sicily. These at Selinunte framed a view of the remains of one of the massive ancient Greek temples.

  • Greet the Day from “Your” Balcony

    Balcony, Castelbuono.  (A girl can dream, right?)

  • San Cataldo in Palermo Boasts Spellbinding Mosaics

    The inlaid floor of Chiesa Capitolare di San Cataldo in Palermo is a spectacular example of Arab and Norman architectural and decorative styles. Stone and marble pieces create spellbinding pavement mosaics. The church was built in the 1150s by Maio of Bari, William I’s top emir, or commander.

  • A Monster to Welcome You

    This is one of the two statues flanking the back entrance (now the main entrance and ticket booth) to Villa Palagonia in Bagheria. These are two of about 70 left from the original 600 or so that decorated the gardens and grounds of the Baroque “Villa of the Monsters,” built in the 18th century.

  • Red on the Outside, Light on the Inside

    The interior of Palermo’s San Giovanni degli Eremiti (1132) is at once ancient and modern. The church’s renowned five domes–red on the outside–sing with light and tranquility on the inside.