Tag: piazza armerina
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The Child Hunters of Ancient Rome
Yesterday, I posted the long view of this room in the Roman Villa of Casale in Piazza Armerina. The room is called the Cubical of the Child Hunters. Now, let’s get a bit closer: Note the boy hunting the hare with a spear (upper center), and in contrast, the boy being bitten by a weasle…
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Life in Ancient Rome Documented in Sicily
Scholars of antiquities have learned a great deal from the remarkable mosaics depicting life in ancient Rome at the Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina. It’s always hard to explain exactly what this UNESCO site offers. When I say that the floors of the estate are mosaics with themes that span everything from contemporary…
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Pasta Fresca at a Trattoria
Pasta is glorious when its freshly made and served hot at a local, unassuming trattoria. Sure, there are fancy, chef-run restaurants in Sicily, and I do take our guests to those too, but I’ve learned that they prefer family-run local, casual spots, like this one, La Ruota, that I always look forward to patronizing in…
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Savoring Sicily, Day 5: Eye Popping Opulence
Today’s highlight of Savoring Sicily has most definitely been the Villa Romana del Casale, pictured here. This is the Basilica room, so to speak. I wanted to show you this so you have an idea of the scope of this UNESCO site. It’s not a “villa,” as much as it’s a grand estate from the…
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Antelope Roam Here, sort of
The Villa Romana del Casale may not be as well-known as other UNESCO sites in Sicily, but once you’ve seen it for yourself its magnificence and historical significance will astound you. We’ll tour the sprawling estate on Day 5 of Experience Sicily’s Savoring Sicily tour (Sept. 22 to Oct. 4). I say, “sprawling” because so…
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Our May 2016 Tour, Day 8: Polyphemus and Friends
Sicily is the setting for many of the adventures told in Homer’s Odyssey. And, indeed, some of the stupendous mosaic scenes at the Villa Romana del Casale at Piazza Armerina (Where we’ll be on the morning of Day 8 of our May 2016 Experience Sicily with Melissa Muller tour) illustrate some of the epic poem’s…
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Uh, Luxury “Palace,” not Villa
You might consider the Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina the “dark horse” of Sicily’s UNESCO sites. It’s not as well-known as others in Sicily, but once you have seen it, its magnificence and historical significance overshadows your memories of other sites. First off, calling it a villa is really a misnomer because it…
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Delicate Craft
Delicate enough to be framed, this lace necklace (photographed at Villa Trigona in Piazza Armerina), was created with a technique called tatting. Tatting, which is called “chiacchierino” in Italian, is a craft that’s been practiced by Sicilian women for centuries. Designs are created using thick thread that is manipulated by hand in a series of…
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Portrait of a Young Woman
Portrait of a young Sicilian baroness, 1906, from Villa Trigona.