After being sacked by Arab conquerors in 878 and its Norman-era steeple and stone roof collapsing with the historically powerful earthquake of 1693, the current baroque-style cathedral, dedicated to the Navtività di Maria Santissima, was constructed at the beginning of the 18th century. Still today, though caked with layers of architectural history, Siracusans will point…
Tag: doric
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | #9. Pinch-me Moments At Valley Of The Temples
At the end of the 6th century CE, it was consecrated by the Christian Church — an effort to clean it of pagan demons — in the name of Saints Peter and Paul, transforming the sacred structure into a Byzantine-style basilica. In the mid-18th century, all signs of the church were removed in order to…
Sicily’s Graceful Example Of Doric Architecture
The doric temple at Segesta, built c. 420 BCE by a Sicilian architect who was influenced by his Greek forefathers’ design styles, sits in the Trapani Province countryside.
Selinunte In Western Sicily
Considered Europe’s largest archaeological site, Selinunte was a Greek city built on the southwestern coast of Sicily by colonists from the eastern Sicilian Greek outpost of Megara Hyblea. Founded around 651 BC, it displayed its power by building massive temples dedicated to various gods, like this one pictured, Temple E, which scholars believe was dedicated…
The Graceful Temple At Segesta
The doric temple at Segesta, built c. 420 BC by a Sicilian architect who was influenced by his Greek forefathers’ design styles
Be Awe-Inspired By Harmony In Agrigento, Sicily
The Temple of Concordia is one of seven ancient Greek houses of worship you can discover at Valley of the Temples in Agrigento. It was named for a Latin inscription that was found on a dedication marker unearthed in the vicinity of the archaeological site–i.e., a marker not associated with the temple; however, spirited archaeologists…
Google (and We) Know What’s Awe-Inspiring
In just a few days, the exclusive summit for Google Camp will take place in Sicily. Their annual milestone dinner will be held at the foot of this temple, Temple E (archeologists believe it was for the ancient Greek goddess Hera), at the Archeological Park of Selinunte. This Doric-style temple was completed between 490 and…
At Selinunte, I Feel Ghosts
Yesterday, Tony, Dominic, and I visited the magnificent ancient city of Selinunte with our guide Gianluca. I’m always taken aback by this site because it’s expansive. It’s strewn with ruins of massive temples and abandoned homes. To me it possesses ghosts everywhere, who continue to protect it. Selinunte was a Greek city built on the…
Temple E Is Electric
Today considered Europe’s largest archeological site, Selinunte was a Greek city built on the southwestern coast of Sicily by colonists from the eastern Sicilian Greek outpost of Megara Hyblea. Founded around 651 BC, it displayed its power by building massive temples dedicated to various gods, like this one pictured, Temple E, which scholars believe was…
Holding Court in Siracusa
The Duomo of Siracusa represents layers of history. The foundation–both base and walls of the structure–is an ancient, Doric-style Temple of Athena, built in the 5th century BCE (Once inside, you can easily see the columns of the Greek temple!). During the Byzantine age in the 7th century CE, the temple was converted into a…