Experience Sicily

Tag: catania

  • The Bust Of Sant’Agata Of Sicily

    Replicas of the bust of Sant’Agata appear all over Catania. The actual bust is made of precious metals and is encrusted with jewels, making it extremely heavy. During these days of the feast, February 3 to 5, Catania’s faithful engage in back-breaking activities to illustrate their devotion and honor their patroness, Sant’Agata. Through rituals, they…

  • Sicily’s Breast Shaped Pastry

    When you see this pastry show up in every pasticceria in Sicily, you know February is upon us. Minna di Sant’Agata (or Minna di Sant’Aita in Sicilian), or Saint Agatha’s Breast, is made and eaten in honor of the Sant’Agata, Catania’s patroness. The breast-shaped pastry represents the virgin martyr who is the patron saint of…

  • Lights Light Up The Night In Sicily

    This is an evening passeggiata in Licodia Eubea along the Strada Lunga (main street). The luminarie (light archways) are a tradition in Sicily, displayed for feast celebrations. These photographed are for the Feast of Santa Margherita, the town’s patron saint. You can walk along with the locals during our Experience Sicily Life In A Remote…

  • May You Dance Through 2020

    May you dance through 2020! Che tu possa ballare per tutto il 2020! Cheers to a fabulous New Year! Auguri per un anno favoloso! (Photo Credit Chiara Musumeci Fotografia)

  • Antique Pasta Shop in Sicily

    I ate fresh cavatelli pasta made at the “pastaru” (Sicilian for pasta maker or pasta seller) during last year’s Presepe Vivente in Licodia Eubea. Le signore hosting this scene were working hard to feed us hungry guests as we walked through the recreation of their ancient village. You’ll learn how to make fresh cavatelli pasta…

  • The Old Fashioned Barber In Sicily

    Locals acting out how things were done at the old fashioned barber shop during last year’s Presepe Vivente (live nativity scene) presented by the proloco (community board) of Licodia Eubea. The townspeople of Licodia Eubea turned the ancient, abandoned quarter of their village into a living diorama. It’s a fascinating combination of art, theater, and…

  • Live Nativity Scenes In Sicily

    Today is Saint Stephen’s Day, a national holiday in Italy. Sicilians and Italians spend the day with family and friends visiting presepi di Natale, or nativity scenes, like this Presepe Vivente that I visited last year in Licodia Eubea in Catania province, where I’ll be hosting our Life in A Remote Sicilian Town tour in…

  • The Castle At Aci Castello, Sicily

    The imposing castle at Aci Castello was constructed out of volcanic rock on top of La Rocca by the Normans starting in the late 11th century. Prior to that time, the promontory hosted both an Arab and Byzantine fortification. The castle was somewhat destroyed in a siege at the turn of the 13th century when…

  • The Power Of The Pomegranate

    Pomegranates (melograni in Italian) are in season. Scholars believe that the fruit was brought to Sicily by both the Phoenicians and the Greeks, not only for food, but also for religious reasons. Pomegranate seeds represent fertility, prosperity, abundance, and generosity. And because of the Persephone myth–when the maiden daughter of the goddess Demeter eats the…