Demeter’s view. Back in ancient times on this spot at the top of the mountain on which perches the city of Enna was a temple dedicated to the mother goddess Demeter. As a most significant deity to ancient Greeks and Romans (The Romans called her Ceres.), this protector of fertility, the harvest, and grains was…
Tag: demeter
Persephone, The Goddess Of The Underworld, And Sicily
Persephone is the daughter of the great goddess Demeter and the Goddess of the Underworld. Here she is as interpreted during the 2019 Arches of Easter in San Biagio Platani (Agrigento). (Yes, this art is made with beans and other natural elements!) During these last weeks of summer, she is preparing for her annual return…
On Sicily | Demeter And Persephone With Rosa Rizza
One can’t talk about Sicily without considering the ancient myth of the goddesses Demeter and Persephone (aka Kore). An agricultural society from the time of the ancient Greeks, the 4000-year-old story of mother and daughter and the circle of life and death helped the leadership of the Sicilian colony establish a new civilization and create…
Demeter Left Her Scythe Behind In Sicily
Ancient Greek legend says that the port of Trapani on Sicily’s coastline at the foot of Mount Eryx, is the scythe of Demeter, her principal harvest tool, which she left behind when she hastened to look for her wailing daughter Persephone. This view from Erice includes the Egadi Islands in the background.
The Goddess Demeter To Santa Lucia
Join us for a party for La Festa di Santa Lucia (Saint Lucy)! This 3rd century BCE bust was found in Siracusa at the site of what was the sanctuary of Demeter and Kore (Persephone). Do you know the myth of the goddess Demeter and her maiden daughter? This Sunday, December 8 at Cacio e…
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…
Enna, The Belly Button Of Sicily
Live from Sicily! I spent a fascinating day in Enna, known as the belly-button of Sicily because of its location in the middle of the island. It’s easy to fall for this medieval city on top of a very tall mountain because even with some of the fascist architecture you’ll see in town, it still…
The Saintly Details
Santa Rosalia, as illustrated in this year’s Archi di Pasqua… Created in a mosaic style using cereals. She is depicted holding a skull, which is a reminder of our mortality.
Gifts From Mother Earth
The chandeliers that line the main corridor of San Biagio Platini’s Archi di Pasqua (Arches of Easter) are made with natural materials. Citizens of the town spend months creating these works of art that celebrate the gifts from Mother Earth.
Circular Loaves For Maria Santissima
The Maria Santissima or Madonna brotherhood side of the Archi di Pasqua in San Biagio Platani, Sicily is decorated in blue and features artwork illustrating the legends and myths of Sicily and its saints and ancient divinities. Pictured here is the entrance archway that displays the cuddura circular bread (behind the white, glazed bread loaves)…