52 Reasons to Love Sicily #3. When talking coolness factor, the city of Palermo goes to 11. It’s European. It’s north African. It’s exotic. It’s got flirtatious nightlife (La Vucciria open-air market becomes a people-watching hub after dark and in nearby Ballarò, jazz clubs take over the alleyways.). It’s got high-art — the city is…
Tag: UNESCO
52 Reasons To Love Sicily | Take The Train
52 Reasons to Love Sicily #2. Taking a daytrip on the train from Palermo to Cefalù (or from Cefalù to Palermo) is convenient and offers excellent people watching (both at your destination and on the train itself). The north coast rail corridor between Messina and Palermo presents a reliable schedule and very prompt trains (Arrive…
Baroque Balcony In Palazzolo Acreide, Sicily
Balcony and front door in the UNESCO recognized town of Palazzolo Acreide
Commemorating The Tremendous 1693 Earthquake In Sicily
After a magnitude (hypothetical) 6.2 foreshock on January 9, 1693, at 9PM on January 11, 1693 the earth shook in southeastern Sicily like it hasn’t since. Etna was erupting, and a tsunami struck the Ionian coasts of eastern Sicily and the Strait of Messina. We don’t know the exact scope of the earthquake’s power according…
The Red Domes Of Palermo
Whenever I see the church of San Cataldo, I feel Palermo is welcoming me home. The red domes of this ancient church overlook Via Maqueda and Piazza Bellini. San Cataldo was built during the early-Norman era in the 1150s by Maio of Bari, William I’s top emir, or commander. Its cherry-on-top domes and elegant window…
Tonight: Online Sicily Trivia
Sicilian-Style Trivia Challenge & Happy Hour Today! Friday, October 9 at 7pm (Eastern) Register Now: https://wiccny.webinarninja.com/live-webinars/512255/register. Join me with my friend Carla Gambescia for a fun evening that was created specially by La Dolce Vita University to celebrate La Bella Sicilia! Presented by the Westchester Italian Cultural Center. Here’s a warm-up: What is the architectural…
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…
Symbols Are Everywhere In Sicily
Pomegranates and grapes are carved into the detail work of the Duomo of Cefalù. Both are coming into season now. Both represent fertility and abundance.
The Faces Of Power In Ragusa
The faces decorating Ragusa’s Palazzo Bertini send a message. The palace, built in the late 18th century in the style of the Late Sicilian Baroque, sits on the road marking the dividing line between the old, aristocratic Ragusa Ibla and the new, up-and-coming city of Ragusa–in other words, the line between old money and new….
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…