Sicily - 2022
Operatif Music-lovers Southern Passion tour.
[Dubai – Malta (Valletta) - Sicily - Dubai]
After 5 days in Malta we caught the ferry for a smooth 2-hour, 80km cruise to Pozallio in Sicily.
Our first stop was at Noto, about 35km away.
Noto
A World Heritage site, the medieval town of Noto was virtually razed by the 1693 Sicilian earthquake.
It was decided to rebuild the town at the present site and this led the town to have similar architecture since most
of the town was all built over the next decades in what is a typical and highly preserved example of Sicilian Baroque.
Palazzo Ducezio
The Town Hall of Noto, Palazzo Ducezio is a beautiful palace located across the piazza from the Cathedral of Noto.
The palace was named in honor of Ducezio, King of the Sicels and founder of Noto.
La Cattedrale di San Nicolò - Cathedral of Noto
Building began in the early 18th century and was completed in 1776. The cathedral is dedicated to Saint Nicholas of Myra.
In 1996 a large part of the cathedral collapsed.
Four of the piers of the southern side of the nave, one of the four piers supporting the dome,
the entire roof and vault of the nave collapsed.
The re-construction was a complex process and the cathedral re-opened in 2007.
Catania
With a population of 1.1 million people, Catania is the second largest city in Sicily (after Palermo).
Catania was founded in the 8th century BC by Chalcidian Greeks.
The city has weathered multiple geologic catastrophes. It was almost completely destroyed by a catastrophic earthquake in 1169.
A major eruption and lava flow from nearby Mount Etna nearly swamped the city in 1669
and it suffered severe devastation from the 1693 Sicily earthquake.
Catania today is the industrial, logistical, and commercial centre of Sicily.
The central "old town" of Catania features late-baroque architecture, built juat after after the 1693 earthquake,
and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It was a short walk from our hotel (Palace Catania UNA Esperienza).
Ancient ruins of a Roman amphitheatre in the centre of Catania.
Established in 1434, the University of Catania is the oldest university in Sicily.
Cattedrale di Sant'Agata - Catania Cathedral is dedicated to Saint Agatha.
The cathedral has been destroyed and rebuilt several times because of earthquakes. Mount Etna is nearby.
It was originally constructed in 1078-1093.
The most catastrophic event was the 1693 earthquake, which again left it mostly in ruins. It was subsequently rebuilt in Baroque style.
Teatro Massimo Bellini (Catania Opera House) was inaugurated in 1890
with a performance of the composer's masterwork, Norma. It seats 1,200.
Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini (1801 – 1835) lived in Catania until he was 18.
This monument of Bellini in Piazza Stesicoro was inaugurated in 1882.
The composer is seated atop a column, but leaning forward, with a manuscript on the left knee.
Below him is a seven step pyramid.
Around him are statues representing four of his operas - Norma, I puritani, La sonnambula, and Il pirata.
Taormina
For us, Taormina was the highlight of the whole 4-week trip.
A beautiful place, Taormina has been a tourist destination since the 19th century.
The city is perched 250 metres on a cliff above the Ionian Sea.
From the city there is a fantastic view of the coast and Mount Etna.
Greek Theatre - Taormina
A Hellenistic theatre stood at Taormina from around the third century BC.
The remains of another Hellenistic building have been found under the theatre.
Under Roman rule, the theatre was rebuilt in the third century AD, with the orchestra turned into an arena and the stage removed.
The ancient theatre had a diameter of 109 metres and could hold around 10,000 spectators.
Isola Bella -Taormina
The trees, rare shrubs and grasses on this small island were planted
by British lady Florence Trevelyan Cacciola (1852–1907).
It is claimed that the young Florence was expelled by Queen Victoria from the English royal court and
high-society, due to an affair she supposedly had with Prince Edward,
the queen's eldest son and the future King Edward VII.
In 1889 she arrived in Taormina and subsequently purchased the Isola Bella, a small rocky island
below the town of Taormina, on which she built a house and established a garden.
She married a local professor and then moved into a villa that she had built
and established gardens that were next to our hotel.
Castel di Tusa
We stopped for lunch at this fishing village on the way from Taormina to Palermo.
Palermo
With population of 1.2 million people, Palermo is the largest city and capital of Sicily.
The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy.
The city was founded in 734 BC by the Phoenicians as Sis ("flower").
Palermo then became a possession of Carthage.
Two Greek colonies were established, known collectively as Panormos.
As Panormus, the town became part of the Roman Republic and Empire for over a thousand years.
From 831 to 1072 the city was under Arab rule during the Emirate of Sicily when the city
became the capital of Sicily for the first time.
The Arabs renamed the city Balarm, the root for Palermo's present-day name.
Following the Norman conquest, Palermo became the capital of a new kingdom,
the Kingdom of Sicily, that lasted from 1130 to 1816.
Palazzo del Normann
The Royal Palace of Palermo was the seat of the Kings of Sicily.
The palace stands on what is the highest point of the ancient centre of the city.
The first building, the al-Qasr is believed to have been started by the Arabs in the 9th century.
After the Normans conquered Sicily in 1072 (just 6 years after they conquered England) and established Palermo as the capital of the new County of Sicily, the palace was chosen as the main residence of the kings.
Since 1946 it has been the seat of the Sicilian Regional Assembly.
One wing of the palace houses the magnificent Cappella Palatina, the royal chapel of the Norman Palace.
Dating from 1132, it is a mixture of Byzantine, Norman and Fatimid architectural styles.
Shimmering mosaics, presumably dating from the 1140s are attributed to Byzantine artists.
The human faces on the lions appealed to me.
Palermo Cathedral
The cathedral is characterized by the presence of different styles, due to a long history of additions,
alterations and restorations, the last of which occurred in the 18th century.
Contruction of the current church began in 1185 on the area of an earlier Byzantine basilica.
By all accounts this earlier church was founded by Pope Gregory I and was later turned into a mosque
by the Saracens after their conquest of the city in the 9th century.
The Cathedral has a meridian, an earlier type of heliometer (solar "observatory"),
one of a number constructed in Italian churches, mainly in the 17th and 18th centuries.
This one was built in 1801 by the famous astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi, the director of the
Observatory of Palermo who discovered the first minor planet or asteroid, Ceres.
The device itself is quite simple - a tiny hole in one of the minor domes acts as pinhole camera,
projecting an image of the sun onto the floor along a bronze line,
la meridiana on the floor, running precisely N/S.
The image at noon occurs at a different point of the line at different times of the year,
marked by the signs of the zodiac.
The ends of the line mark the positions at the summer and winter solstices.
Leo and Gemini
Fontana Pretoria fountain
The fountain was originally built in 1544 in Florence by Francesco Camilliani, but when the owner got into debt,
it was sold, transferred, and reassembled in Palermo in 1574.
Between the 18th and 19th century, the fountain was considered a sort of depiction of the corrupt
municipality of Palermo. For this reason and because of the nudity of the statues, the square became known as
"Piazza della Vergogna" (Square of Shame).
Quattro Canti - 4 Songs
Very close to our hotel (Hotel Centrale Palace), Quattro Canti, officially known as Piazza Vigliena,
is considered the centre of the historic quarter of the Palermo.
The buildings on the 4 corners have nearly symmetric, concave Baroque facades,
each of four stories with three full size statues in their centres.
This small scale urban plan was laid out on the orders of the Spanish Viceroys between 1608-1620.
The third stories have statues in niches of four Spanish rulers of Sicily; above them in roofline are their
respective coat of arms. The fourth and top stories of the buildings have statues of four
female patron saints of Palermo.
Santa Maria dell' Ammiraglio
The Church of St. Mary of the Admiral (Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio),
also called Martorana, dates from 1143.
The great admiral George of Antioch built the church in thanksgiving to the Mother of God
for her protection during his long political and maritime activity.
The church is a Co-cathedral of the Italo-Albanian Catholic Church, a diocese which includes the Italo-Albanian
communities in Sicily who officiate the liturgy according to the Byzantine Rite
in the Ancient Greek and Albanian language.
The Church bears witness to the Eastern religious and artistic culture still present in Italy today,
further contributed by the Albanian exiles who took refuge in southern Italy and Sicily from the 15th century
under the pressure of Turkish-Ottoman persecutions in Albania and the Balkans.
The Oratorio del Rosario di Santa Cita
This Baroque chapel is best known for the remarkable stucco tableux scenes
sculptured by Giacomo Serpotta between 1687 and 1718.
Teatro Massimo - Palermo Opera House
Seating 1381 and after 22 years of construction,
the opera house opened in 1897 with a performance of Verdi's Falstaff.
It is the biggest opera house in Italy, and the third largest opera house in Europe
(after the Palais Garnier in Paris, and the K. K. Hof-Opernhaus in Vienna).
It is renowned for its perfect acoustics.
The view from the Royal Box.
Garibaldi Theatre
(Teatro Politeama Garibaldi)
In 1864 the original project was for a building to house more popular shows
(operetta, festivals, equestrian shows, etc.) unlike the "aristocratic" Teatro Massimo.
In 1874 the theatre was inaugurated with the Bellini's opera I Capuleti e i Montecchi.
During the following years the name of the building was simply Teatro Municipale Politeama.
In 1882 Giuseppe Garibaldi died and the theatre was named after him.
I was impressed by the thoughtful design of the lamp-posts in the port area.
Erice
Erice is an historic town located on top of Mount Erice, at around 750 metres above sea level,
overlooking the city of Trapani.
We stopped here for lunch on our way from Palermo to Marsala.
Unfortunately it was in the clouds so there were no views from the town today.
We poked around some souvenir shops.
Salt pans of Trapani and Marsala
Dating back as far as the reign of the Phoenicians some 2700 years ago, the ancient salt pans between Trapani
and Marsala reached their peak production in the 1860s, with 31 salt pans producing
over 100,000 tonnes per year, exported as far afield as Norway and Russia.
During this period, salt was a vital method of preserving food and demand for it was high.
Today, the salt here is primarily produced for a niche market,
such as the gastronomes who swear by the salt’s unique qualities.
Being 100% natural and containing a higher proportion of potassium and magnesium,
the flavour of Sicilian salt is enhanced and works exceptionally well with fish dishes.
Marsala
Marsala is built on the ruins of the ancient Carthaginian city of Lilybaeum.
The three entrance gates into the town date from Norman times.
The city council decided to demolish the city walls in 1887 to make way for the rapidly-expanding town.
The economy of Marsala still depends on the production of wine.
Marsala fortified wine was probably first popularized outside Sicily by the English trader John Woodhouse.
In 1773, he landed at the port of Marsala and discovered the local wine produced in the region, which was aged
in wooden casks and tasted similar to Spanish and Portuguese fortified wines then popular in England.
Fortified Marsala was, and is, made using a process called in-perpetuum,
which is similar to the solera system used to produce sherry in Jerez, Spain.
Woodhouse recognized that the in-perpetuum process raised the alcohol level and alcoholic taste of this wine
while also preserving these characteristics during long-distance sea travel.
Woodhouse further believed that fortified Marsala would be popular in England.
Marsala indeed proved so successful that Woodhouse returned to Sicily and, in 1796,
began its mass production and commercialization.
In 1806, it was Benjamin Ingham (1784–1861), arriving in Sicily from Leeds,
who opened new markets for Marsala in Europe and the Americas.
A partially reconstructed Carthaginian liburna (warship) which
sunk off the Egadi Islands during the First Punic War which ended in 241 BC is the main feature of Marsala Archaeological Museum and Park.
The slender lines and the bottom of the hull identify it as a rowing combat ship.
About 68 oarsmen would have rowed it.
It was recovered between 1971 and 1974.
A feature of Archaeolgical Park is the well-preserved Decumanus Maximus (Roman ceremonial road) is paved with giant stones.
Marzara del Vallo
Marzara del Vallo is an agricultural and fishing town. The largest fishing fleet in Italy operates out its port.
Mazara was founded by the Phoenicians in the 9th century BC, with the name of Mazar (Tombstone).
It then passed under the control of Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Ostrogoths,
Byzantines, before being occupied by the Arabs in the year 827 AD.
In 1072, Mazara was conquered by Normans, headed by Roger I.
Marzara del Vallo - Kasbah
A labyrinth of narrow streets and lanes with Norman, Baroque and North African architecture
was built after the Arabs began occuping Marzara del Vallo in the year 827 AD.
It is known as the Kasbah - an Islamic term for the fortified quarter of a city.
Marsala to Agrigento
This was the most fertile part of Sicily that we saw on this tour.
Valley of the Temples - Agrigento
Dating from the Greek times in the 5th century BC, much of the excavation and restoration of the temples was
due to the efforts of archaeologist Domenico Antonio Lo Faso Pietrasanta (1783–1863).
During the 20th century, the archeological excavation was mainly
funded by British Army Captain Alexander Hardcastle.
The term "valley" is a misnomer, the site being located on a ridge outside the town of Agrigento.
Agrigento was one of the leading cities during the golden age of Ancient Greece
with population estimates in the range of 200,000 to 800,000 before 406 BC.
The Valley includes remains of seven temples.
There are 3 that stand out.
As we walked downhill in the afternoon heat, the first one we visited was The Temple of Giunone.
[The Temple of Juno (Hera)]
The Temple of Concordia
The last of the main temples was The Temple of Hercules.
[Tempio di Ercole (Eracle) Heracles)]
La Scala dei Turchi - The Turkish Steps
Located near Agrigento, the cliffs were named due to Saracen and Barbary pirates who anchored their boats
in the bay and the fact that the cliffs resemble a staircase.
The area was a natural landing area for the invaders as the steps provided access up the cliffs.
The white cliffs are made of marl, an unconsolidated sedimentary rock consisting of clay and lime,
with a characteristic pure white color.
Piazza Armerina Villa
The Villa Romana del Casale is a large, elaborate Roman villa located
about 3 km from the town of Piazza Armerina.
Excavations have revealed one of the richest, largest, and varied collections of Roman mosaics in the world.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the villa dates to the early 4th century CE.
The mosaic floors cover some 3,500 sq metres and they are
in an excellent state of preservation due
I thought that the highlight of all of the mosaics was the Room of the Gymnasts.
In 1959–60, a mosaic on the floor of a room identified as the "Room of the Gymnasts",
and also dubbed the "Chamber of the Ten Maidens" was excavated.
The subjects of the artwork appear in a mosaic that scholars have named Coronation of the Winner.
Several women athletes are shown competing in sports that include weight-lifting,
discus throwing, running and ball-games.
A toga-wearing official on the bottom left holds the victor's trophies (a crown and a palm frond),
and the victor herself appears crowned in the centre of the mosaic.
Much attention has been given to the competitors' two-piece outfits,
which closely resemble modern-day bikinis.
Enna
At 931m above sea level, Enna towers over surrounding countryside.
The ancient city was placed on the level summit of a gigantic hill, surrounded on all sides
with precipitous cliffs almost wholly inaccessible.
The few paths were easily defended, and Enna was one of the strongest natural fortresses in the world.
.Latin mythology has it that Ceres, goddess of fertility and agriculture, inhabited the slopes of Enna
and gave mortals a gift of bread, obtained from the ears of wheat.
The people of Enna wanting to thank the Goddess for the new food created to feed them,
erected in her honor a temple on Rocca di Cerere, a large rock near the castle that was built much later.
Ragusa
A UNESCO World Heritage site, Ragusa is a city built on a wide limestone hill between two deep valleys.
In 1693, Ragusa was devastated by a huge earthquake, which killed some 5,000 inhabitants.
After the catastrophe, the city was largely rebuilt,
and many Baroque buildings from that time remain in the city.
Ragusa is now a dynamic and wealthy city and home to numerous companies.
It is an important financial centre because the Banca Popolare Cooperativa di Ragusa has its headquarters there.
It the fourth most popular bank in Italy.
Teatro Donnafugata
Dating back to the first half of the 19th century, this small theatre is located inside the Palazzo Donnafugata.
Built by a noble family the jewel-box theatre looks like a grand Italian opera house in miniature form.
It seats 99 people and has all the trimmings of other theatres - box seats, impeccable acoustics, a 5x7m stage
and an orchestra pit large enough for a piano or quartet.
Today it offers varied theatrical activity, with a drama season featuring some of the most illustrious names on
the Italian scene, and a prestigious season of classical music.
Siracusa
Siracusa (Syracuse) was our last stopover on this tour.
The city is notable for its rich Greek and Roman history, culture, amphitheatre, architecture,
and as the birthplace of Archimedes.
This 2,700-year-old city played a key role in ancient times,
when it was one of the major powers of the Mediterranean world.
The city was founded by Ancient Greek Corinthians and became a very powerful city-state.
Described by Cicero as "the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all",
it equaled Athens in size during the fifth century BC.
It later became part of the Roman Republic and the Byzantine Empire.
It served as the capital of the Byzantine Empire (663–669).
Palermo later overtook it in importance, as the capital of the Kingdom of Sicily.
Cattedrale di Siracusa
The Cathedral has a fasinating history.
The structure was originally a Greek doric temple.
The great Greek Temple of Athena was built in the 5th century BC.
The temple had six columns on the short sides and 14 on the long sides.
Plato mentions the temple.
The present cathedral was originally constructed in the 7th century.
The battered Doric columns of the original temple were incorporated in the walls of the current church.
They can be seen inside and out. The building was converted into a mosque in 878,
then converted back when the Normans re-took the city in 1085.
Further re-building took place after the 1693 Sicily earthquake,
including the entrance which was built in High Sicilian Baroque style.
You can see how the walls have been filled-in between the Greek columns.
Temple of Apollo ruins - Siracusa
Dating to the 6th century B.C., this temple is one of the most ancient Doric temples in Sicily,
and among the first with stone columns. This layout became standard for Greek temples.
The temple underwent several transformations.
It was closed during the persecution of pagans in the late Roman Empire.
It was a Byzantine church, and then an Islamic mosque during the Emirate of Sicily.
After the Norman defeat of the Saracens, it was reconsecrated at the Church of the Saviour,
which was then incorporated into a 16th-century Spanish barracks and into private houses.
Siracusa Archaeological Park
This archaeological site contains the impressive remains of an ancient city
dating as far back as the eighth century BC.
The city of Syracuse was founded by Greek colonists from Corinth in 734 BC.
At its height, Syracuse was the most powerful city in Sicily and according to Cicero,
was the "most beautiful" of all Greek cities.
By the 5th to 4th century BC, Syracuse controlled Sicily, especially during the reign of Dionysus the Elder (405BC-367BC).
The Orecchio di Dioniso, or Ear of Dionysius.
The Ear of Dionysius was most likely formed out of an old limestone quarry.
It is 23 metres high and extends 65 metres back into the cliff.
Horizontally, it bends in an approximate "S" shape, vertically it is tapered at the top like a teardrop.
Because of its shape the Ear has extremely good acoustics, making even a small sound resonate
throughout the cave. It is said that people's voices echo up to 16 times.
This cave was dug in Greek/Roman times as a water storage for Syracuse.
Siracusa Greek Theatre
The Greek Theatre of Siracusa lies on the south slopes of the Temenite hill,
overlooking the modern city of Syracuse.
It was first built in the 5th century BC, rebuilt in the 3rd century BC and renovated again in the Roman period.
Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Around 220 BC, the theatre was expanded by Hiero II.
61 rows of seats offered space for 15,000 spectators, making it the largest theatre of the entire ancient world.
The Romans reduced the rows of seats to 46 to have a larger stage area for bloody gladiatorial games.
Operatif arranged for us to see a performance of Agamennone, a Greek tragedy.
In Greek mythology, Agamemnon was a king of Mycenae,
the brother of Menelaus and the husband of Clytemnestra.
When Menelaus's wife, Helen, was taken to Troy by Paris,
Agamemnon commanded the united Greek armed forces in the ensuing Trojan War.
Upon Agamemnon's return from Troy, he was killed by his wife's lover, Aegisthus.
Tonight's version has a modern setting. He returned from Troy in an aeroplane.
Ortigia waterfront
Our hotel, Grand Hotel Ortigia, was located on the small island, Ortigia,
which is connected to the modern Siricasusa by 2 low, short bridges.
Is the historical centre of the city. The island contains many historical landmarks.
The name originates from the ancient Greek ortyx, which means "quail".
A myth says that the goddess Asteria metamorphosed into a quail (ortyx), then threw herself into the sea,
and was metamorphosed into the island of Ortygia.
From Siracusa we travelled to Catania airport about an hour away.
We flew to Rome, a 1½ hour flight.
From Rome we flew to Dubai (6½ hours).
We had a 3½-hour wait in Dubai and then a 12½-hour flight to Melbourne.
Operatif Music-lovers Southern Passion tour.
[Dubai – Malta (Valletta) - Sicily - Dubai]
After 5 days in Malta we caught the ferry for a smooth 2-hour, 80km cruise to Pozallio in Sicily.
Our first stop was at Noto, about 35km away.
Noto
A World Heritage site, the medieval town of Noto was virtually razed by the 1693 Sicilian earthquake.
It was decided to rebuild the town at the present site and this led the town to have similar architecture since most
of the town was all built over the next decades in what is a typical and highly preserved example of Sicilian Baroque.
Palazzo Ducezio
The Town Hall of Noto, Palazzo Ducezio is a beautiful palace located across the piazza from the Cathedral of Noto.
The palace was named in honor of Ducezio, King of the Sicels and founder of Noto.
La Cattedrale di San Nicolò - Cathedral of Noto
Building began in the early 18th century and was completed in 1776. The cathedral is dedicated to Saint Nicholas of Myra.
In 1996 a large part of the cathedral collapsed.
Four of the piers of the southern side of the nave, one of the four piers supporting the dome,
the entire roof and vault of the nave collapsed.
The re-construction was a complex process and the cathedral re-opened in 2007.
Catania
With a population of 1.1 million people, Catania is the second largest city in Sicily (after Palermo).
Catania was founded in the 8th century BC by Chalcidian Greeks.
The city has weathered multiple geologic catastrophes. It was almost completely destroyed by a catastrophic earthquake in 1169.
A major eruption and lava flow from nearby Mount Etna nearly swamped the city in 1669
and it suffered severe devastation from the 1693 Sicily earthquake.
Catania today is the industrial, logistical, and commercial centre of Sicily.
The central "old town" of Catania features late-baroque architecture, built juat after after the 1693 earthquake,
and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It was a short walk from our hotel (Palace Catania UNA Esperienza).
Ancient ruins of a Roman amphitheatre in the centre of Catania.
Established in 1434, the University of Catania is the oldest university in Sicily.
Cattedrale di Sant'Agata - Catania Cathedral is dedicated to Saint Agatha.
The cathedral has been destroyed and rebuilt several times because of earthquakes. Mount Etna is nearby.
It was originally constructed in 1078-1093.
The most catastrophic event was the 1693 earthquake, which again left it mostly in ruins. It was subsequently rebuilt in Baroque style.
Teatro Massimo Bellini (Catania Opera House) was inaugurated in 1890
with a performance of the composer's masterwork, Norma. It seats 1,200.
Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini (1801 – 1835) lived in Catania until he was 18.
This monument of Bellini in Piazza Stesicoro was inaugurated in 1882.
The composer is seated atop a column, but leaning forward, with a manuscript on the left knee.
Below him is a seven step pyramid.
Around him are statues representing four of his operas - Norma, I puritani, La sonnambula, and Il pirata.
Taormina
For us, Taormina was the highlight of the whole 4-week trip.
A beautiful place, Taormina has been a tourist destination since the 19th century.
The city is perched 250 metres on a cliff above the Ionian Sea.
From the city there is a fantastic view of the coast and Mount Etna.
Greek Theatre - Taormina
A Hellenistic theatre stood at Taormina from around the third century BC.
The remains of another Hellenistic building have been found under the theatre.
Under Roman rule, the theatre was rebuilt in the third century AD, with the orchestra turned into an arena and the stage removed.
The ancient theatre had a diameter of 109 metres and could hold around 10,000 spectators.
Isola Bella -Taormina
The trees, rare shrubs and grasses on this small island were planted
by British lady Florence Trevelyan Cacciola (1852–1907).
It is claimed that the young Florence was expelled by Queen Victoria from the English royal court and
high-society, due to an affair she supposedly had with Prince Edward,
the queen's eldest son and the future King Edward VII.
In 1889 she arrived in Taormina and subsequently purchased the Isola Bella, a small rocky island
below the town of Taormina, on which she built a house and established a garden.
She married a local professor and then moved into a villa that she had built
and established gardens that were next to our hotel.
Castel di Tusa
We stopped for lunch at this fishing village on the way from Taormina to Palermo.
Palermo
With population of 1.2 million people, Palermo is the largest city and capital of Sicily.
The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy.
The city was founded in 734 BC by the Phoenicians as Sis ("flower").
Palermo then became a possession of Carthage.
Two Greek colonies were established, known collectively as Panormos.
As Panormus, the town became part of the Roman Republic and Empire for over a thousand years.
From 831 to 1072 the city was under Arab rule during the Emirate of Sicily when the city
became the capital of Sicily for the first time.
The Arabs renamed the city Balarm, the root for Palermo's present-day name.
Following the Norman conquest, Palermo became the capital of a new kingdom,
the Kingdom of Sicily, that lasted from 1130 to 1816.
Palazzo del Normann
The Royal Palace of Palermo was the seat of the Kings of Sicily.
The palace stands on what is the highest point of the ancient centre of the city.
The first building, the al-Qasr is believed to have been started by the Arabs in the 9th century.
After the Normans conquered Sicily in 1072 (just 6 years after they conquered England) and established Palermo as the capital of the new County of Sicily, the palace was chosen as the main residence of the kings.
Since 1946 it has been the seat of the Sicilian Regional Assembly.
One wing of the palace houses the magnificent Cappella Palatina, the royal chapel of the Norman Palace.
Dating from 1132, it is a mixture of Byzantine, Norman and Fatimid architectural styles.
Shimmering mosaics, presumably dating from the 1140s are attributed to Byzantine artists.
The human faces on the lions appealed to me.
Palermo Cathedral
The cathedral is characterized by the presence of different styles, due to a long history of additions,
alterations and restorations, the last of which occurred in the 18th century.
Contruction of the current church began in 1185 on the area of an earlier Byzantine basilica.
By all accounts this earlier church was founded by Pope Gregory I and was later turned into a mosque
by the Saracens after their conquest of the city in the 9th century.
The Cathedral has a meridian, an earlier type of heliometer (solar "observatory"),
one of a number constructed in Italian churches, mainly in the 17th and 18th centuries.
This one was built in 1801 by the famous astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi, the director of the
Observatory of Palermo who discovered the first minor planet or asteroid, Ceres.
The device itself is quite simple - a tiny hole in one of the minor domes acts as pinhole camera,
projecting an image of the sun onto the floor along a bronze line,
la meridiana on the floor, running precisely N/S.
The image at noon occurs at a different point of the line at different times of the year,
marked by the signs of the zodiac.
The ends of the line mark the positions at the summer and winter solstices.
Leo and Gemini
Fontana Pretoria fountain
The fountain was originally built in 1544 in Florence by Francesco Camilliani, but when the owner got into debt,
it was sold, transferred, and reassembled in Palermo in 1574.
Between the 18th and 19th century, the fountain was considered a sort of depiction of the corrupt
municipality of Palermo. For this reason and because of the nudity of the statues, the square became known as
"Piazza della Vergogna" (Square of Shame).
Quattro Canti - 4 Songs
Very close to our hotel (Hotel Centrale Palace), Quattro Canti, officially known as Piazza Vigliena,
is considered the centre of the historic quarter of the Palermo.
The buildings on the 4 corners have nearly symmetric, concave Baroque facades,
each of four stories with three full size statues in their centres.
This small scale urban plan was laid out on the orders of the Spanish Viceroys between 1608-1620.
The third stories have statues in niches of four Spanish rulers of Sicily; above them in roofline are their
respective coat of arms. The fourth and top stories of the buildings have statues of four
female patron saints of Palermo.
Santa Maria dell' Ammiraglio
The Church of St. Mary of the Admiral (Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio),
also called Martorana, dates from 1143.
The great admiral George of Antioch built the church in thanksgiving to the Mother of God
for her protection during his long political and maritime activity.
The church is a Co-cathedral of the Italo-Albanian Catholic Church, a diocese which includes the Italo-Albanian
communities in Sicily who officiate the liturgy according to the Byzantine Rite
in the Ancient Greek and Albanian language.
The Church bears witness to the Eastern religious and artistic culture still present in Italy today,
further contributed by the Albanian exiles who took refuge in southern Italy and Sicily from the 15th century
under the pressure of Turkish-Ottoman persecutions in Albania and the Balkans.
The Oratorio del Rosario di Santa Cita
This Baroque chapel is best known for the remarkable stucco tableux scenes
sculptured by Giacomo Serpotta between 1687 and 1718.
Teatro Massimo - Palermo Opera House
Seating 1381 and after 22 years of construction,
the opera house opened in 1897 with a performance of Verdi's Falstaff.
It is the biggest opera house in Italy, and the third largest opera house in Europe
(after the Palais Garnier in Paris, and the K. K. Hof-Opernhaus in Vienna).
It is renowned for its perfect acoustics.
The view from the Royal Box.
Garibaldi Theatre
(Teatro Politeama Garibaldi)
In 1864 the original project was for a building to house more popular shows
(operetta, festivals, equestrian shows, etc.) unlike the "aristocratic" Teatro Massimo.
In 1874 the theatre was inaugurated with the Bellini's opera I Capuleti e i Montecchi.
During the following years the name of the building was simply Teatro Municipale Politeama.
In 1882 Giuseppe Garibaldi died and the theatre was named after him.
I was impressed by the thoughtful design of the lamp-posts in the port area.
Erice
Erice is an historic town located on top of Mount Erice, at around 750 metres above sea level,
overlooking the city of Trapani.
We stopped here for lunch on our way from Palermo to Marsala.
Unfortunately it was in the clouds so there were no views from the town today.
We poked around some souvenir shops.
Salt pans of Trapani and Marsala
Dating back as far as the reign of the Phoenicians some 2700 years ago, the ancient salt pans between Trapani
and Marsala reached their peak production in the 1860s, with 31 salt pans producing
over 100,000 tonnes per year, exported as far afield as Norway and Russia.
During this period, salt was a vital method of preserving food and demand for it was high.
Today, the salt here is primarily produced for a niche market,
such as the gastronomes who swear by the salt’s unique qualities.
Being 100% natural and containing a higher proportion of potassium and magnesium,
the flavour of Sicilian salt is enhanced and works exceptionally well with fish dishes.
Marsala
Marsala is built on the ruins of the ancient Carthaginian city of Lilybaeum.
The three entrance gates into the town date from Norman times.
The city council decided to demolish the city walls in 1887 to make way for the rapidly-expanding town.
The economy of Marsala still depends on the production of wine.
Marsala fortified wine was probably first popularized outside Sicily by the English trader John Woodhouse.
In 1773, he landed at the port of Marsala and discovered the local wine produced in the region, which was aged
in wooden casks and tasted similar to Spanish and Portuguese fortified wines then popular in England.
Fortified Marsala was, and is, made using a process called in-perpetuum,
which is similar to the solera system used to produce sherry in Jerez, Spain.
Woodhouse recognized that the in-perpetuum process raised the alcohol level and alcoholic taste of this wine
while also preserving these characteristics during long-distance sea travel.
Woodhouse further believed that fortified Marsala would be popular in England.
Marsala indeed proved so successful that Woodhouse returned to Sicily and, in 1796,
began its mass production and commercialization.
In 1806, it was Benjamin Ingham (1784–1861), arriving in Sicily from Leeds,
who opened new markets for Marsala in Europe and the Americas.
A partially reconstructed Carthaginian liburna (warship) which
sunk off the Egadi Islands during the First Punic War which ended in 241 BC is the main feature of Marsala Archaeological Museum and Park.
The slender lines and the bottom of the hull identify it as a rowing combat ship.
About 68 oarsmen would have rowed it.
It was recovered between 1971 and 1974.
A feature of Archaeolgical Park is the well-preserved Decumanus Maximus (Roman ceremonial road) is paved with giant stones.
Marzara del Vallo
Marzara del Vallo is an agricultural and fishing town. The largest fishing fleet in Italy operates out its port.
Mazara was founded by the Phoenicians in the 9th century BC, with the name of Mazar (Tombstone).
It then passed under the control of Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Ostrogoths,
Byzantines, before being occupied by the Arabs in the year 827 AD.
In 1072, Mazara was conquered by Normans, headed by Roger I.
Marzara del Vallo - Kasbah
A labyrinth of narrow streets and lanes with Norman, Baroque and North African architecture
was built after the Arabs began occuping Marzara del Vallo in the year 827 AD.
It is known as the Kasbah - an Islamic term for the fortified quarter of a city.
Marsala to Agrigento
This was the most fertile part of Sicily that we saw on this tour.
Valley of the Temples - Agrigento
Dating from the Greek times in the 5th century BC, much of the excavation and restoration of the temples was
due to the efforts of archaeologist Domenico Antonio Lo Faso Pietrasanta (1783–1863).
During the 20th century, the archeological excavation was mainly
funded by British Army Captain Alexander Hardcastle.
The term "valley" is a misnomer, the site being located on a ridge outside the town of Agrigento.
Agrigento was one of the leading cities during the golden age of Ancient Greece
with population estimates in the range of 200,000 to 800,000 before 406 BC.
The Valley includes remains of seven temples.
There are 3 that stand out.
As we walked downhill in the afternoon heat, the first one we visited was The Temple of Giunone.
[The Temple of Juno (Hera)]
The Temple of Concordia
The last of the main temples was The Temple of Hercules.
[Tempio di Ercole (Eracle) Heracles)]
La Scala dei Turchi - The Turkish Steps
Located near Agrigento, the cliffs were named due to Saracen and Barbary pirates who anchored their boats
in the bay and the fact that the cliffs resemble a staircase.
The area was a natural landing area for the invaders as the steps provided access up the cliffs.
The white cliffs are made of marl, an unconsolidated sedimentary rock consisting of clay and lime,
with a characteristic pure white color.
Piazza Armerina Villa
The Villa Romana del Casale is a large, elaborate Roman villa located
about 3 km from the town of Piazza Armerina.
Excavations have revealed one of the richest, largest, and varied collections of Roman mosaics in the world.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the villa dates to the early 4th century CE.
The mosaic floors cover some 3,500 sq metres and they are
in an excellent state of preservation due
I thought that the highlight of all of the mosaics was the Room of the Gymnasts.
In 1959–60, a mosaic on the floor of a room identified as the "Room of the Gymnasts",
and also dubbed the "Chamber of the Ten Maidens" was excavated.
The subjects of the artwork appear in a mosaic that scholars have named Coronation of the Winner.
Several women athletes are shown competing in sports that include weight-lifting,
discus throwing, running and ball-games.
A toga-wearing official on the bottom left holds the victor's trophies (a crown and a palm frond),
and the victor herself appears crowned in the centre of the mosaic.
Much attention has been given to the competitors' two-piece outfits,
which closely resemble modern-day bikinis.
Enna
At 931m above sea level, Enna towers over surrounding countryside.
The ancient city was placed on the level summit of a gigantic hill, surrounded on all sides
with precipitous cliffs almost wholly inaccessible.
The few paths were easily defended, and Enna was one of the strongest natural fortresses in the world.
.Latin mythology has it that Ceres, goddess of fertility and agriculture, inhabited the slopes of Enna
and gave mortals a gift of bread, obtained from the ears of wheat.
The people of Enna wanting to thank the Goddess for the new food created to feed them,
erected in her honor a temple on Rocca di Cerere, a large rock near the castle that was built much later.
Ragusa
A UNESCO World Heritage site, Ragusa is a city built on a wide limestone hill between two deep valleys.
In 1693, Ragusa was devastated by a huge earthquake, which killed some 5,000 inhabitants.
After the catastrophe, the city was largely rebuilt,
and many Baroque buildings from that time remain in the city.
Ragusa is now a dynamic and wealthy city and home to numerous companies.
It is an important financial centre because the Banca Popolare Cooperativa di Ragusa has its headquarters there.
It the fourth most popular bank in Italy.
Teatro Donnafugata
Dating back to the first half of the 19th century, this small theatre is located inside the Palazzo Donnafugata.
Built by a noble family the jewel-box theatre looks like a grand Italian opera house in miniature form.
It seats 99 people and has all the trimmings of other theatres - box seats, impeccable acoustics, a 5x7m stage
and an orchestra pit large enough for a piano or quartet.
Today it offers varied theatrical activity, with a drama season featuring some of the most illustrious names on
the Italian scene, and a prestigious season of classical music.
Siracusa
Siracusa (Syracuse) was our last stopover on this tour.
The city is notable for its rich Greek and Roman history, culture, amphitheatre, architecture,
and as the birthplace of Archimedes.
This 2,700-year-old city played a key role in ancient times,
when it was one of the major powers of the Mediterranean world.
The city was founded by Ancient Greek Corinthians and became a very powerful city-state.
Described by Cicero as "the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all",
it equaled Athens in size during the fifth century BC.
It later became part of the Roman Republic and the Byzantine Empire.
It served as the capital of the Byzantine Empire (663–669).
Palermo later overtook it in importance, as the capital of the Kingdom of Sicily.
Cattedrale di Siracusa
The Cathedral has a fasinating history.
The structure was originally a Greek doric temple.
The great Greek Temple of Athena was built in the 5th century BC.
The temple had six columns on the short sides and 14 on the long sides.
Plato mentions the temple.
The present cathedral was originally constructed in the 7th century.
The battered Doric columns of the original temple were incorporated in the walls of the current church.
They can be seen inside and out. The building was converted into a mosque in 878,
then converted back when the Normans re-took the city in 1085.
Further re-building took place after the 1693 Sicily earthquake,
including the entrance which was built in High Sicilian Baroque style.
You can see how the walls have been filled-in between the Greek columns.
Temple of Apollo ruins - Siracusa
Dating to the 6th century B.C., this temple is one of the most ancient Doric temples in Sicily,
and among the first with stone columns. This layout became standard for Greek temples.
The temple underwent several transformations.
It was closed during the persecution of pagans in the late Roman Empire.
It was a Byzantine church, and then an Islamic mosque during the Emirate of Sicily.
After the Norman defeat of the Saracens, it was reconsecrated at the Church of the Saviour,
which was then incorporated into a 16th-century Spanish barracks and into private houses.
Siracusa Archaeological Park
This archaeological site contains the impressive remains of an ancient city
dating as far back as the eighth century BC.
The city of Syracuse was founded by Greek colonists from Corinth in 734 BC.
At its height, Syracuse was the most powerful city in Sicily and according to Cicero,
was the "most beautiful" of all Greek cities.
By the 5th to 4th century BC, Syracuse controlled Sicily, especially during the reign of Dionysus the Elder (405BC-367BC).
The Orecchio di Dioniso, or Ear of Dionysius.
The Ear of Dionysius was most likely formed out of an old limestone quarry.
It is 23 metres high and extends 65 metres back into the cliff.
Horizontally, it bends in an approximate "S" shape, vertically it is tapered at the top like a teardrop.
Because of its shape the Ear has extremely good acoustics, making even a small sound resonate
throughout the cave. It is said that people's voices echo up to 16 times.
This cave was dug in Greek/Roman times as a water storage for Syracuse.
Siracusa Greek Theatre
The Greek Theatre of Siracusa lies on the south slopes of the Temenite hill,
overlooking the modern city of Syracuse.
It was first built in the 5th century BC, rebuilt in the 3rd century BC and renovated again in the Roman period.
Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Around 220 BC, the theatre was expanded by Hiero II.
61 rows of seats offered space for 15,000 spectators, making it the largest theatre of the entire ancient world.
The Romans reduced the rows of seats to 46 to have a larger stage area for bloody gladiatorial games.
Operatif arranged for us to see a performance of Agamennone, a Greek tragedy.
In Greek mythology, Agamemnon was a king of Mycenae,
the brother of Menelaus and the husband of Clytemnestra.
When Menelaus's wife, Helen, was taken to Troy by Paris,
Agamemnon commanded the united Greek armed forces in the ensuing Trojan War.
Upon Agamemnon's return from Troy, he was killed by his wife's lover, Aegisthus.
Tonight's version has a modern setting. He returned from Troy in an aeroplane.
Ortigia waterfront
Our hotel, Grand Hotel Ortigia, was located on the small island, Ortigia,
which is connected to the modern Siricasusa by 2 low, short bridges.
Is the historical centre of the city. The island contains many historical landmarks.
The name originates from the ancient Greek ortyx, which means "quail".
A myth says that the goddess Asteria metamorphosed into a quail (ortyx), then threw herself into the sea,
and was metamorphosed into the island of Ortygia.
From Siracusa we travelled to Catania airport about an hour away.
We flew to Rome, a 1½ hour flight.
From Rome we flew to Dubai (6½ hours).
We had a 3½-hour wait in Dubai and then a 12½-hour flight to Melbourne.
