Tag: architettura
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Santa Maria della Catena, Palermo
Palermo’s Santa Maria della Catena church was built in a Catalonian Gothic style in the early 16th century. It stands to the east of La Cala, now a marina for pleasure boats, but in past centuries, the city’s main port that at night would be closed using a chain. The church’s name, Saint Mary of…
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Savoring Sicily, Day 5: Eye Popping Opulence
Today’s highlight of Savoring Sicily has most definitely been the Villa Romana del Casale, pictured here. This is the Basilica room, so to speak. I wanted to show you this so you have an idea of the scope of this UNESCO site. It’s not a “villa,” as much as it’s a grand estate from the…
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Well, I’ll Be Domed
Domed roof, part of the Castello di Lipari (Lipari Castle) on Lipari Island
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Seeking Lords and Ladies
Like something out of a fairy tale, the (almost) 800-year old Santa Maria Cathedral in the City of Randazzo was constructed in the Frederick Gothic Style, a style encouraged by a civic and military program sponsored by Holy Roman Emperor and King of Sicily Frederick II of Hohenstaufen. The black lava stone blocks of the…
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Exhale in Monreale
Most people visit William II’s Cathedral at Monreale in the morning–but something to note is how beautiful it is in the evening when the sunlight is majestic on the 228 columns of the cloister. The inlaid lava stone designs (known as intarsias) create mesmerizing archways, while the peacefulness of the early 13th century corridors built…
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Antelope Roam Here, sort of
The Villa Romana del Casale may not be as well-known as other UNESCO sites in Sicily, but once you’ve seen it for yourself its magnificence and historical significance will astound you. We’ll tour the sprawling estate on Day 5 of Experience Sicily’s Savoring Sicily tour (Sept. 22 to Oct. 4). I say, “sprawling” because so…
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Today, Wear Comfortable Shoes
On Day 4 of Savoring Sicily, you’ll start the morning by greeting the gods at Agrigento’s Valley of the Temples. First stop, the 5th century B.C. Temple of Juno (or Hera, if you are Greek!). This magnificent monument is just one of seven in the UNESCO World Heritage Site that spans 2 kilometers. So wear…
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Palermo’s Oasis of Tranquility
My favorite Norman, King Roger II, commissioned Palermo’s San Giovanni degli Eremiti (Saint John of the Hermits) in 1130. Completed in 1148, its red domes rise above a garden of citrus trees, roses, fichi d’india, jasmine, and other exotic plants. On Monday afternoon, we wandered through the pathways and cloister of this oasis of tranquility…