The city of Modica is divided into two parts: Modica Alta and Modica Bassa (pictured here). Modica Bassa is a shorter hillside division than Modica Alta (i.e., a taller hillside). These opposite hills, once dotted with cave dwellings, are now seas of ivory-colored, Baroque buildings. Outfitted with pedestrian staircases and alleyways, Modica is not automobile-friendly….
Tag: UNESCO world heritage site
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…
Rooms with a View
Baroque balconies, Caltagirone.
Temple of Harmony
The magnificent Temple of Concordia is named for a Latin inscription that was found on a dedication marker unearthed in the vicinity of the Valley of the Temples archaeological site–i.e., a marker not associated with the temple; however spirited archaeologists took the text on the marker that said something to the effect of “dedicated to…
Innocent and Majestic
This scene of Original Sin, that is, Adam and Eve with the snake from the Old Testament, is one of dozens of scenes that cover the walls of the Cathedral at Monreale. The Byzantine-style mosaic designs tell Biblical stories without words; however with incredible majesty–using glass, semiprecious stones, and hundreds of gold leaf tiles. Such…
About 885 Years Old
King Roger II commissioned Palermo’s San Giovanni degli Eremiti (Saint John of the Hermits) in 1130. Completed in 1148, its red domes rise above a garden of citrus trees, roses, fichi d’india, and jasmine that was once flanked the city’s ancient Kemonia River. There is evidence that on its site was once a pagan building,…
San Cataldo: Keeping it Simple
Palermo’s San Cataldo church in Piazza Bellini possesses three remarkable red domes on the outside, yet on the inside, those domes illuminate an elegant, simply designed stone chapel. In contrast to its sister church La Martorana, San Cataldo, which was built around 1160, has never possessed mosaics or other such decoration.
Elegant Monument
The Cathedral of Cefalù was commissioned in 1131 by Sicilian King Roger II in homage to the Holy Savior, also known as Santissimo Salvatore, after the king found refuge from a storm on the shores of the town. The Duomo was built over subsequent years and centuries. Inside, its Byzantine-style mosaic of Christ Pantocrator is…
A Lady in the Rough
A pearl set in the midst of an ancient gorge, San Bartolomeo Church in Scicli is a sublime example of Sicilian late Baroque. The church’s dome sits proudly like an elegantly dressed woman donned for the ball in the midst of rugged cliffs and antique homes carved out of caves. Realized by Syracusean architect Salvatore…
Modica’s Duomo di San Giorgio
The Cathedral of San Giorgio in Modica is a magnificent example of the late Baroque architecture that has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, “Late Baroque Towns of Val di Noto.” The construction of the original church in this form started in 1643, however, After the devastating 1693 earthquake, during which the roof…