Tag: Italy

  • Presenting Him In Palermo: The Epiphany

    Buona Epifania! Happy Epiphany! This magnificent depiction of the Nativity was commissioned by Palermo’s Oratorio of San Lorenzo in 1609. It illustrates the newborn baby Jesus with Saint Francis (top right) and Saint Lawrence (left) looking over the shoulder of the Virgin Mother. Painted by Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610)) in the chiaroscuro technique,…

  • Traveling Solo To Sicily With Experience Sicily

    Come on, let’s dream! Yes, I know. At the moment travel, once again, feels out of reach; however, the experts are predicting that this current pandemic wave will pass. YES! I’m mustering up all of the positive thinking that I can (Can you tell from my photo?), and Monday, Jan. 10 at 7:30PM Eastern, I’m…

  • Happy New Year! Cheers to Safe Travels In 2022!

    Happy New Year! Buon Anno! Wishing you a healthful, joyful, and prosperous 2022 full of safe travel adventures!

  • Lasagne For New Year’s In Sicily

    While sporting red underwear, enjoying lasagne for New Year’s is traditional in some parts of Sicily (NB there are many, many traditions according to your “church bell” zone, aka campanilismo.). Importantly, however, it isn’t the lasagne that you might think. This Sicilian-style lasagne is more like a broad tagliatelle cut how you like it… And…

  • Capturing The Sunset Through Photography In Sicily

    As the sun sets on 2021, I’m thinking ahead to September 2022, when we at Experience Sicily are co-hosting Photography In Sicily, a small-group tour, with Hunt’s Photo and Video. Luminary Don Toothaker will be your photography guru on this curated experience. I planned for us to be at this spot at sunset one evening.…

  • A Table With A View In Sicily

    Your table is ready for you. (Photo taken in the Sicani Mountains, north of Agrigento)

  • Visit A Sicilian Village On Market Day

    In small mountain villages like Sant’Angelo Muxaro (pictured) and Licodia Eubea (where we host our Secret Sicily tour in July), “Market Day” is a significant day each week. Traveling vendors from all over Sicily set up shop in the main piazza to sell everything from fresh fish brought from the coast to vegetables from other…

  • The Nativity Scenes Of Caltagirone, Sicily

    Today, Saint Stephen’s Day, is a national holiday in Italy. Traditionally, Sicilians and Italians spend the day with family and friends visiting presepi di Natale, or nativity scenes, like this one pictured from Caltagirone, a city renowned for its ceramic presepi. In fact, the city is home to a museum of nativity scenes that boasts…

  • Serendipitously Seen In Sicily: Lucia’s Relics Come Home

    My friend Ed, who lives in Siracusa, sent me this photo (along with some video). On the Tuesday evening, the night of the solstice, he and his wife serendipitously came upon a marching band in the Piazza Duomo proudly performing as the fire department escorted the sacred relics of Santa Lucia back to their usual…