Dan Brown was here
December 15, 2018 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C
This is the real Priory of the Knights of Malta, at the intersection of via di S. Sabina and via di Porta Lavernale on the Aventine hill.
Although the property has been in their hands for centuries,Read more
Bath: Royal Crescent or Diocletian?
December 15, 2018 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 6 °C
The Piazza della Repubblica impressed me for what is not there any more. It was formerly known as the Piazza dell'Esedra because it was laid down on the remains of an exedra (a semi-circular open roomRead more
A church I liked!
December 16, 2018 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C
Behind the scruffy facade on the North side of the Pazza della Republica, behind the scruffy ruined walls, lies the church that Michelangelo built by order of Pope Pius IV on top of part of the coldRead more
More Santa Maria degli Angeli
December 16, 2018 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C
A few more photos of this impressive church.
+ Chapel
+ Modern painting
+ Skylight
+ Front door
+ Back door to the rest of the ex-baths
+ An impressive organ, recently bought, has 5,400 tubes butRead more
Just in time
December 16, 2018 in Italy ⋅ 🌧 9 °C
In the 18th century a meridian sun dial had been built in a Spanish church that, while Christian, was not in Rome. To rectify this disparity of grandeur Pope Innocence XII had the meridian line clockRead more
Amalfi
December 30, 2018 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C
Heading South to my next job, I followed the coast road South from Rome, avoiding the hills where one is obliged to carry snow chains after Nov 11th, and expecting a beautiful and picturesqueRead more
Calabria
January 2, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
Still going South I hurry through bandit country. Well, that's what everybody told me but I had no problems with the Calabrese who were friendly, hospitable and waiting to join their relos inRead more
Another ferry
January 2, 2019 in Italy ⋅ 🌧 13 °C
After an interesting couple of hours in the ports commercial parking area, where a steady stream of cars with single people inside cruised past inquisitively but only one wound down her window toRead more
Caltagirone, Sicily
January 17, 2019 in Italy ⋅ 🌧 9 °C
Caltagirone, a UNESCO world heritage site, is one of the eight towns of south-eastern Sicily known as the baroque towns of the Val di Noto, which were almost entirely destroyed and rebuilt after theRead more
Caltagirone views
January 17, 2019 in Italy ⋅ 🌧 9 °C
Another taste of town
+ The Taking of the Bell of Altavilla to Caltagirone, (Polychrome maiolica mosaic in the square of Santa Maria del Monte.)
+ The bank and the church, not quite joined at theRead more
A subtle warning to all husbands!
January 17, 2019 in Italy ⋅ 🌧 9 °C
The Moors dominated Sicily around the year 1100.
At that time, there lived in the Kalsa district of Palermo 'a beautiful girl with pink skin comparable to peach blossoms at the height of flowering andRead more
Logos or mythos?
January 17, 2019 in Italy ⋅ 🌧 10 °C
The Triseklion is the symbol of the Isle of Man as we all know, but Sicily has its own logo, a female version called the Trinacria.
Apparently, 3 nymphs danced around the world gathering the bestRead more
Flight of fancy
January 17, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C
What raises the blood pressure of the Caltagirone people is this big staircase, the Scalinata di Santa Maria del Monte, which rises from Piazza Municipio to the Chiesa di Santa Maria del Monte, at theRead more
Noto bene
January 20, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
This hillside town was called Neas, founded by the Sicans.
Conquered by the Syracuseans, it absorbed Hellenic customs and rites, before falling to the Romans when it became a federated city. Later itsRead more
Something fishy
January 20, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
Marzamemi started and continues as a tuna fishing village. No Greek roots here! It was settled first by by the Arabs and originally called Marsa' al Hamen (which translates as "harbour of the turtleRead more
The end of Sicily
January 20, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
+ Castello Tafuri a palace built in 1933 by marquis Bruno di Belmonte. The walls were built with the stone extracted from the cave of the Isola delle Correnti. It was never inhabited by the family ofRead more
Dead space
January 26, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C
In the second half of the 1800s the town council of Caltagirone built in a Gothic-Sicilian style his monumental cemetery, which was recognised as a national monument in 1931.
The plan is square withRead more
My hosts
January 27, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
Pinella and Luca have incorporated me into their families during my stay and have made me feel very welcome.
Luca is a criminal lawyer, (who has heard the old joke which is the same in Italian as inRead more
Pinella's house
January 27, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
Getting ready to leave this workaway in the Sicilian countryside.
The house was an old winery, converted by the present owners into a very attractive house.
Guess the name?
Prickly pears are regardedRead more
Inside the winery
January 27, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
The old winepress, juice channels and vats have been incorporated into the main sitting room.
What used to be the animal quarters is now a large kitchen.
Pile of dirt
January 27, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
My first Hugel.
This is a technique for growing veggies that was developed by central Europeans and now forms part of the permaculture bible. The bed is prepared like a compost heap, but starting withRead more
Stalag
January 29, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C
The Germans were here during WWII and left their camps behind. This one is a medium security prison, not more than 500m from the house. It is easy to see into the yard from the road outside the house,Read more
Ceramics
February 1, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C
This is an example of the sculpture produced by some masters in Caltagirone. They only sell for €150 or thereabouts which seems to me to be a bargain.
A Treasure
February 2, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
This site as been occupied since the Bronze Age, but the ruins look as though they are not more than 100 years old. The important part however, is the part you don't see. For buried underneath thisRead more


























































































































Tony HammondCertainly beats what the butler saw!