Then there are ancient sites next to psychodelic baroque (Chiesa di Santa Caterina and Casa Professa, to name just two mind-blowing experiences!) next to Arab-Norman style architecture, next to Liberty Style… Oh, and royal palaces! Check out these mosaic-tiled lions (pictured) in the chambers of Roger II from the 12th century. And don’t forget Castello…
Tag: mosaic
Dancing In Piazza Armerina
Waving a red scarf, this woman depicted in the Room of the Dance at the Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina wears a decorative dress, elegant jewelry (note her bangles), and red shoes. She’s even sporting a cat eye makeup style! I like this woman! Archeologists think this 3rd/4th century C.E. mosaic was inspired…
Ancient Roman Barbecue In Sicily
This mosaic scene from the Roman Villa del Casale at Piazza Armerina features hunters at an altar for the goddess of the hunt, wild animals, moon, and childbirth, i.e. the Roman Diana or Greek Artemis. The Roman Villa, a UNESCO site, is better described as an ancient plantation. Scholars believe that the original owner was…
The Palm Tree Represents Unification In Palermo
Artists from multiple cultural origins contributed to these mosaic designs that exist in the Cappella Palatina, the private chapel commissioned by Sicilian King Roger II (1095-1154) and completed by his heir, King William I (1120-1166). The palm tree, the central icon of this photo, has significance to many peoples, many of whom came together to…
The Outstanding Leadership Of Sicily’s Roger II
More than ever, I’m seeking a dinner date with Roger II (1095-1154) … An outstanding leader, Roger II incorporated and encouraged inclusion of all of the various cultures, religions, and races that shared Sicily–native Sicilian, Norman, Arab, Byzantine, Greek, Jewish, English, German, and more–into his government. As a result, Sicily thrived, and it became the…
The Punic Goddess Tanit In Sicily
After the ancient southwestern Sicilian city of Selinunte was pillaged by Carthaginian (i.e., Punic) forces between 409 and 406 BCE, the Greek city became Punic for a time. The Carthaginians built a new town, recycling the materials and reclaiming temples from the magnificent Greek community that preceded it. Throughout today’s archaeological site, some ruins of…
The Chamber Of The Ten Maidens
This scene from the UNESCO site Villa Romana del Casale is commonly known as the “Bikini Girls,” but did you know the official name for this palestra within the Roman Villa is the “Chamber of the Ten Maidens?” Learn this factoid and others like it tonight during Experience Sicily’s Trivia Happy Hour with Carla Gambescia,…
Sicily Trivia On Tuesday Night
I love getting up close and into the details about Sicily. Perhaps you do too! Join us for some fun on Tuesday for Sicily Trivia! Experience Sicily Trivia Happy Hour with Carla Gambescia, author of La Dolce Vita University. When: Tuesday, May 19, 2020 19:00 Eastern Time (US and Canada) Where: Zoom Register in advance…
Sicily’s Roman Villa Illustrates Life
Fisherman are hard at work getting the fresh catch for all of your feasting the next couple of days! This image from the Roman Villa of Casale in Piazza Armerina, Sicily, a 4th century AD estate that boasts 43,055 square feet of mosaic tile floors, shows us how they did it in ancient Roman times….
Peacocks From Roger II’s Hall In The Norman Palace
The original mosaic artwork from Sicilian King Roger II’s Hall in the Palazzo dei Normanni (12th century) in Palermo and the print copying it, created by Gioaria di Marilena Trovato. I can’t wait to hang this art in my home with the others in the set I purchased in the Norman Palace.