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Italy

March - April 2022
A 37-day adventure by skip's retirement travel Read more
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  • skip's retirement travelItaly
    Day 2

    Palermo, Sicily

    March 4, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Palermo, the capital of Sicily, dates to the 8th century BCE when it was founded by Phoenicians. Located in the northwest of the island, it has been a bit of a cultural melting pot. Even today the cultural diversity is evident.
    The center of Palermo is a cross roads called Quatro Canti or 4 corners. The buildings on the 4 corners are round, facing the cross road, making the space circular. The 1st picture looks at one of the 4 Canti. The acoustics are such that there are often musicians playing here.
    The 2nd picture looks down one of the main streets to the Porto Nuovo or new gate in the background. This picture is taken from inside the city. It is much more ornate on the other side. Unfortunately, that picture didn't come out. BTW, the gate dates to the early 16th century, and, yes, that's new in this part of the world.
    The 3rd picture looks down from the roof of St. Catherine's Church (see another post) onto the Piazza Praetoria with the large fountain. The fountain is Carrera marble, made in Florence, and purchased by Palermo for this piazza. This piazza is sometimes called the Square of Shame as the statues are in the nude, and one side of the square is a convent that looks down on the sculptures.
    The 4th picture is the Teatro Massimo, the largest opera house in Italy and 3rd largest in Europe, after Paris and Vienna.
    The 5th picture is one of the public gardens here. In the background is the Palazzo Di Normanni or Royal Palace (see another post.).
    The last picture is the Palazzo delle Poste. This monumental post office building is an example of the style of architecture associated with the Mussolini era. It is classical but stripped down to eliminate ornamentation. It is sometimes called Italian Rationalism. I have heard this style called, perhaps tongue in cheek, Mussolini Monumental.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelItaly
    Day 2

    St Catherine's Church and Monastery

    March 4, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    The Chiesa di Santa Catarina d'Alessandria is 1 of many, many churches in Palermo. This one dates to the 14th century and included a convent and monastery. The church has been renovated a number of times, yet still retains much of the original decoration.
    A few of the other churches will appear in other posts.
    The 1st 2 pictures are in the church. The 1st is the nave and the 2nd is a closer look at the chancel.
    The 3rd is the office if the abbess. The 4th is that one of the choir rooms. The grating in the rear overlooks the church.
    The last picture looks down into the cloister. Of particular interest is in the far corner where there is a sweet shop that uses the ancient recipes the nuns we're famous for I neglected to get a picture because I think I was paying too much attention to the sweets, especially the canolis. BTW, it was delicious.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelItaly
    Day 3

    Cappella Palatina

    March 5, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    The Cappella Palatina is the Royal Chapel in the Palazzo dei Normanni (see another post), the royal palace in Palermo. This chapel contains examples of Byzantine, Norman and Fatimid architectural styles, reflecting the 3 principle cultures making up Sicily in the 12th century when it was built. And they work together harmoniously.
    I was blown away in here. These are just some of the pictures I took. If anything, these pictures seriously understate the beauty of the place. These are all mosaics. That is gold, not paint or brass or anything. The tesserae are all precious materials. The effect is stunning, even overwhelming.
    There isn't much I can say except that each section is either a saint or has some biblical reference. Or it may have other significance. For example, in the 2nd picture that shows part of the ceiling, there are 8 pointed stars, a typical Muslim design. What you can't see is that they are placed in the shape of a cross. I truly appreciate this kind of interplay among faith traditions.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelItaly
    Day 3

    Royal Palace, Palermo

    March 5, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    The Palazzo dei Normanni dates to the 9th century CE and is said to be the oldest royal residence in Europe. It has been the seat of the government of Sicily since st least 1072 when the Normans conquered the island, and continues to house the regional Sicilian parliament.
    The castle was started by the previous Arab rulers, and there is an Arab Norman style evident in the palace architecture and elsewhere around the city. During the 10th to the 13th century there was a great deal of interchange among Norman, Latin, Arab and Byzantine Greek peoples especially in the sciences and cultures. The Normans were tolerant of all people who settled and contributed, bringing the diversity that makes Sicily unique.
    The 1st picture is the central courtyard with it's arabesque columns and arches. If you enlarge the picture, you will see life size dog sculptures that are part of an exhibition that runs through the palace.
    The 2nd picture is of the royal gardens located within the palace grounds. This small botanical garden has many unusual and rare specimens, probably best known for a large Ficus thst encloses a domestic pine tree.
    The remaining pictures are of various royal apartments. The last one is extraordinary and is a small bit of the Sala di Ruggero. It is so named as it dates to King Roger II. That is gold, and there are design elements reflecting all the cultures in the Norman kingdom of Sicily. The design here are worldly, but they have much in common with the Cappella Palatina (see another post), at least in technique.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelItaly
    Day 3

    More Palermo

    March 5, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    There is so much to see in Palermo. So I've selected a few more examples: some churches, some architecture, some street life.
    The 1st 2 pictures are at the cathedral which dates to the 12th century. It is built upon an older church reportedly dating to Gregory I. During the Muslim period before the Norman conquest, it was used as mosque. That becomes important in the 2nd picture which shows the entrance to the cathedral. The columns are reused from the previous church/mosque. If you enlarge the picture and look at the far left column, you will see a plaque of the same stone. This contains a verse from the Koran. Muslim decoration at a church, demonstrating once again that mutual respect is possible and has precedent.
    The 3rd and 4th pictures are at the Chiesa del Gesu, the Jesuit church here. The 3rd picture is the exterior that is somewhat iconic for Palermo. The 4th picture is the ornately decorated nave. The church dates to the 17th century, though most of what is here is a restoration after extensive bomb damage during world war 2.
    The 5th picture was taken from the roof of St. Catherine's Church (see another post). The most significant thing to see is the building with the 3 red domes. This is another example of the Arab Norman Byzantine architecture found here. The domes reflect Muslim architecture, but the building is a church (Chiesa di San Cataldo). And it was built as a church; it's not a converted mosque.
    The last picture switches to street life. Palermo isn't just a city of churches. There are many street markets around town. I visited most of them and even had a really good sandwich for €5 at one of them. The problem is that I don't remember which one I was at when I took this picture. They are all wonderful. I would be a regular.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelItaly
    Day 4

    On the train

    March 6, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    The train from Palermo to Catania starts along the coast and then goes inland along the length of the island. It rises up over the central highland and returns to the southeastern coast where it turns toward Catania.
    These are simply some scenery from inland Sicily that caught my eye along the way. Notice in the last picture that there is an orange grove in the foreground. This is a mainly agricultural region.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelItaly
    Day 4

    Catania

    March 6, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Catania is the 2nd largest city in Sicily and the economic center of the island. The city is located between Mt. Etna and the sea. Unfortunately, I didn't get pictures because, even on a sunny day, most of the volcano was the clouds (and maybe some smoke--it was hard to tell).
    The city dates back to the 8th century BCE when it was founded by Greek colonists. It has been subject to a number of earthquakes over the centuries. The most significant was in 1693 when the city was flattened. Everything seen today is what was built to replace the destroyed city.
    The 1st picture is the cathedral dedicated to the nativity of Holy Mary. In front of the cathedral is the Piazza Del Duomo where the 2nd picture was taken. The building in the background is the city hall, but more important is the column with the elephant and obelisk (called U Liotru), which is the symbol of the city. Interestingly, paleontology suggests that dwarf elephant were native to Sicily and that they were about the same size as the statue.
    The 4rd picture is Ursino Castle that dates to the 13th century. It is about the only structure to survive the 1693 earthquake. The castle is built on lava, and it is thought that this is why is survived. Some say that lava has seismic benefits for buildings.
    The 4th picture looks on an excavation of some of the Roman ruins. This is part of the theater complex. I'm told that the tunnels that existed for the theater were used as bomb shelters during world war 2.
    The 5th picture looks along the religious street. This is a unique situation where numerous convents and monasteries of several orders with their churched were grouped together, one after another along a single street.
    The last picture is a bit of street art. This particular piece was modified at the beginning of the covid pandemic. I'm sure you'll recognize what was added.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelItaly
    Day 5

    Ancient Siracusa

    March 7, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    Siracusa was founded in the 8th century BCE, and became an important city in the Greek empire that arose in the Mediterranean region before the Romans. They say Siracusa equaled Athens in the 5th century BCE. The city was founded on the island of Ortygia; that is where the UNESCO listed is; and that is where all these pictures were taken.
    The 1st picture looks back to ancient Siracusa fro the outer end of the Castello Maniace that was built at the tip of Ortygia where it just out onto the sea to protect the harbor. The Castello was built also as a royal residence, and the 2nd picture is in the main hall.
    The 3rd picture is of the Piazze del Duomo. The cathedral (Duomo) is to the left (see another post).
    The 4th picture is the facade of a noble palazzo, one of many here. The 5th picture is of a street in the old city. This is what most of ancient Siracusa looks like . A good deal of housing is in courtyards located through gates from the street. The last picture looks into one of these.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelItaly
    Day 5

    Monumental Siracusa

    March 7, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    There is s lot of history in Siracusa. So it doesn't surprise me in the least that there are lots of monuments here.
    I'll begin with the man who is probably the most famous son of Siracusa: Archimedes. To give you an idea of the breadth of his genius, he is variously consider a mathematician, astronomer, physicist, engineer, inventor and more. The 1st picture is of his monument where he is holding a representation of a convex mirror, reminiscent of the legend where he focused sunlight on invading ships causing them to burn. There are innumerable scientific advances credited to him.
    The 2nd picture is the fountain of Diana where she is protecting the nymph Arethusa from Alpheo who is chasing her. Diana was the protector of Siracusa in Roman times, given her attributes as goddess of hunting, fertility, the moon and more. She is equated with Artemis.
    The 3rd picture is the fountain of Arethusa, the same one in the previous picture. Diana changed Arethusa to water to escape Alpheo. When a fresh water spring was found near the seashore, legend had it that Arethusa had returned to provide water for the local people.
    The 4th picture is the Castello Maniace, the fortress the protects the harbor of Siracusa. (See also the Ancient Siracusa post.)
    The 5th picture is the Temple of Apollo that was built to give thanks and commemorate a victory in battle of the Siracusans over the invading Carthaginians.
    The last picture is the cathedral referenced in the Ancient Siracusa post. The cathedral dates to the 7th century and is built on the site of a Temple of Athena that dates to the 5th century BCE. Some of the columns from the ancient temple were incorporated into the cathedral construction and are visible today.    Read more

  • skip's retirement travelItaly
    Day 5

    Neapolis

    March 7, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Neapolis is an archaeological park near Siracusa,l. Probably the most famous of it's many historic sites is the Greek theater dating to the 5th century BCE, shown in the 1st picture. Events are still staged here as you might be able to guess from all the work apparently being done. If you look around, you'll find out indications of lighting, sound and all the rest.
    The 2nd picture is the Grotto of Nefro which is a surprisingly large spring near the top of the limestone cliff above the Greek theater.
    The 4rd picture is the so called Ear of Dionysus, named because of it's shape like an ear and the ear canal. It is one of the man made excavations in this limestone quarry. It was used as a prison for a period. It is said that the acoustics are such that the jailers we're able to eavesdrop on the inmates.
    The 4th picture is another man made grotto, that of the cordari. This is where the cord makers spent their time making rope. I'm told there is cave art here, but access to the grotto was closed.
    The 5th picture looks at what has been dubbed Archimedes' tomb. However, it's clear that this isn't possible as all the work here had been dated to the Roman period, well after Archimedes' time.
    The last picture is a part of the Latomie Paradiso. This is the bottom of the urban limestone quarry within which the Neapolis is located. Over the centuries, it use evolved to become a citrus orchard.    Read more

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