The stucco ceiling of the mother church of Erice was designed to recall the revered lace and tadding craftsmanship created for centuries by the women of the walled, mountain-top city.
Tag: stucco
52 Reasons to Love Sicily | #46. There’s Always Something Begging to be Discovered
Considered by many to be the “Sistine Chaple of Sicily,” the Chiesa di San Domenico in Castelvetrano in western Sicily is an unspoiled spectacle. Originally built in the 1470s, artist Antonio Ferraro da Giuliana and his sons spent three years from 1577-1580 creating the stucco scene above the altar titled “Albero di Jesse,” or the…
Learning from San Sebastiano
His story is a bit extreme, however, it’s a good reminder to me to keep the faith and get up again over and over. Although San Sebastiano lived and died in Rome, in Sicily on January 20, the early Christian martyr is celebrated with fervor in the towns of Acireale (Catania), Tortorici (Messina), and Barcellona…
The Assumption: Celebrating the Virgin Mother’s Life
August 15, a national holiday in Italy, marks the Feast of the Assumption, the day that the Virgin Mother ascended body and soul into Heaven. Thoughout Sicily it is celebrated in various ways, most often with processions, festivals, and gatherings with near and dear ones at the sea or in the mountains. The Assumption is…
Castelbuono Celebrates Sant’Anna
The city of Castelbuono is currently celebrating its patroness Sant’Anna whose feast day is July 26. Each day since July 17, devotees have been processing a life-size statue of the saint through the alleys and thoroughfares of the walled-city–most in costumes illustrating the pride they have in their Medieval past. On July 25, in the…
Lace Up
Yesterday, I discussed a church without a ceiling (Lo Spasimo in Palermo). Today, I show you a church with an unforgettable ceiling–the Chiesa Matrice, or Mother Church, of Erice. Outside, this Norman-era building that was first constructed starting in 1314 is modest, yet elegant. Inside, the vaulted, neo-Gothic ceiling that was reconstructed during the 19th…
Happy Name Day
January 20 is Saint Sebastian’s Day. I’d like to wish my friends named Sebastian and Sebastiano, “Buon Onomastico!” In Italy, your name day, i.e., the feast day of the saint for whom you are named, is as important as your birthday. So, if you have a friend named Sebastian, wish him “Auguri di buon onomastico…
Sicily’s Sistine Chapel
The Chiesa di San Domenico in Castelvetrano in Trapani Province is a masterpiece. Originally built in the 1470s when commissioned by the Tagliavia family, the church gained spectacle status once artist Antonio Ferraro da Giuliana and his sons spent three years from 1577-1580 creating the stucco scene above the altar titled “Albero di Jesse,” or…
A Glimpse of Oratorio Santa Cita
The Oratorio di SS. Rosario in Santa Cita was built in the 1600s. Oratories were meeting halls of confraternities or religious societies. In Palermo, there are a number of oratories that were built in the Baroque era. The Oratorio di SS. Rosario in Santa Cita was decorated with the magnificent stucco-work of Giacomo Serpotta (1656-1732)….
Erythraean Sibyl
Throughout the ancient Mediterranean, sibyls–priestesses, prophetesses, and seers who were described as having healing powers inspired by Apollo–responded to faithful pilgrims’ requests for guidance and grace. These women were well-known for their work, attracting visitors from far and wide. The most famous is perhaps the Delphic Sibyl (at Delphi in Greece). The Cumaean Sibyl, who…