Experience Sicily

Tag: chiesa

  • Palermo’s Santa Caterina’s Dizzying Baroque

    The dizzying rococo baroque decorations of the Church of Santa Caterina, built between 1580 and 1596 on Palermo’s Piazza Bellini, feature multicolored marble inlay. The altar, pictured, is lit by the sun through a window at midday.

  • A Diamond In The Mishmash of Palermo’s Cathedral

    When you visit Palermo’s Cathedral, be sure to go around to the north side of it, pictured. To me, the back side posesses the most beautiful architectural elements of the mishmash of styles that make up this temple dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin. The inlaid lava stone designs (AKA intarsias) are from the…

  • Randazzo’s Dazzling Cathedral

    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…

  • From the Stone Garden

    The Parrocchia San Sebastiano in Palazzolo Acreide, Sicily offers a classic example of the elegant, UNESCO recognized architectural design of the “Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto.” Palazzolo Acreide is one of the towns that make up the UNESCO site. The town was rebuilt after the earthquake of 1693 that flattened much of…

  • When She Learned

    The basilica cathedral of Maria S. S. Annunciata (the Blessed Virgin Mary) in Arcreale, Catania Province (built between the 17th and 18th centurires) … March 25 is the Feast of the Annunciation.

  • Ragusa’s Duomo

    The Duomo di San Giorgio in Ragusa was built in the 18th century in the late baroque Sicilian style, following the historic earthquake of 1693. We’ll visit Ragusa, one of the UNESCO towns that is part of the Sicilian Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto, on Day 2 of our Sept. 2018 Stirring…

  • The Palm for Paradise

    These images, found in Palermo’s Palatine Chapel (and importantly, also at the Cathedral of Monreale) depict palm trees. Palm trees are symbolic of different things: In Christianity, palm branches are attributed to the “victory of the spirit over the flesh” (Wikipedia); hence why many martyrs are depicted holding palm branches. We also need to consider…

  • Walk into the Light Vincent

    In honor of my friend Vincent Titone, the president/chief-organizer of the New York Sicilian Meet-Up group who was laid to rest today, I post a photo of the apse of his favorite church in Sicily, Monreale Cathedral. Christ Pantocrator, the Savor, dominates the temple and gives his blessing in the Greek style: “I am the…

  • San Bartolomeo Church in Scicli 

    For some reason, today I have Scicli on my mind. When I think of Scicli, I think of San Bartolomeo Church. Here’s a revisit to a past post, with a new photo. A pearl set in the midst of an ancient gorge, San Bartolomeo Church in Scicli is a sublime example of Sicilian late Baroque.…