Illuminating

On this, the longest night of the year, I think about something beautiful…. In Agrigento, the UNESCO World Heritage Site Valley of the Temples is magnificent to see. The individual temples, like this one, the 5th century BC Temple to Castor and Pollux, are illuminated at night for a breathtaking effect.

The Light of Life

The Norman cathedral at Cefalù is world-renowned for its elegant amalgamation of architectural styles and its Byzantine-style mosaic of Christ Pantocrator. Not to take anything away from those breathtaking features; however, a pleasant addition inaugurated in 1990 is the stained glass windows designed by Palermo artist Michele Canzoneri. The 72 abstract designs were inspired by…

Daughter of Light

Under the ancient Roman calendar, December 13 was the shortest day of the year: the winter solstice. Under our modern Gregorian calendar, the solstice now falls on December 21/22; in Sicily, however, December 13 is still recognized as the ancient celebration of Santa Lucia, the patron saint of the city of Siracusa, of the blind,…