The beautiful ceramics of Mirella Pipia need to be shared! Mirella Pipia hails from Bagheria, where you can visit her workshop and boutique. An artist in every sense of the word, Pipia’s works are inspired by the myths and folklore of Sicily, but even more so by her mother’s needlework in tadding and lace. So…
Tag: ceramica
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | #51. Imaginative Ceramics
Throughout Sicily there are various ceramic centers that developed over the centuries around natural sources of clay. Of course, the raw material is one thing, but more significant, however, are the artists and painters that produce and imagine the remarkable designs and/or playful scenes found on plates, bowls, pinecones, heads of men and women, vases,…
More Sicilian Ceramics In Burgio
Burgio, a remote mountain town in Agrigento province, is one of Sicily’s ceramic centers, where for centuries different family studios created distinct pottery. Different from Santo Stefano di Camastra, Caltagirone, and Sciacca, most of Burgio’s are most depicted on tan-colored and off-white beds. If looking for an off-the-beaten path stop, it’s a great place to…
Let’s Dream of Traveling To Sicily On Tuesday
Whimsical ceramics made by Nino Parrucca from Palermo grace my home. What other ceramic artists do I suggest and where to buy their art is a question that I can answer during Tuesday evening’s Let’s Dream of Traveling to Sicily online presentation and Q&A. Let’s Dream of Traveling to SicilyPresentation and Question & Answer SessionTuesday,…
The Significance Of Pine Cone Ceramics In Sicily
You’ll see majolica pine cones like this one I photographed in the ceramic center, Caltagirone, all over Sicily and southern Italy. It’s a significant symbol. As a botanical, the pine cone is a reproductive organ. Female pine cones hold seeds. Male pine cones hold pollen. From ancient Greek times, the pine cone recalls the Greek…
A Landmark Staircase In Sicily
The Staircase of Santa Maria del Monte in Caltagirone, Sicily was built in 1609 to connect the old lower town to the new upper town. Since 1954, each of the risers of its 142 steps has been decorated with colorful, handcrafted majolica ceramic tiles. This UNESCO recognized baroque town is world renowned for its ceramic…
I Want To Be Your Sicily Travel Hero
Today is National Travel Advisor Day. Given the current circumstances that we travelers face and the complexities of what travel may look like in this post-Covid-19 world, when things go wrong, I ask you to remember that working with a small tour operator such as Experience Sicily (That’s me, Allison Scola, owner/curator of Experience Sicily,…
Custom for the Customer
This is my new soap dispenser, made for me by ceramic artist Angelo Varsallona, who is based in Caltagirone. In May, I went hunting along the famous stairs of the baroque town seeking two different dispensers for our new apartment. When I couldn’t find what I was looking for, Angelo offered to make them for…
Bringing Sicily Home
When your clients come home from their Sicily tour and create a Sicilian-inspired dinner on a summer night in Massachusetts and send you the photos … Joy!
Ascending Into A Different Realm
Today, walking up and down Caltagirone’s Staircase of Santa Maria del Monte felt magical. There is something ethereal about connecting the “upper and lower” parts of town via this 1609 staircase–here with spring flowers decorating it! It’s as if you are ascending into a different realm using the 142 steps that have unique, colorful majolica…