For millennia, Sicily has called to us like a siren. It is an island like no other, one of legends and myths. Conjuring both monsters and maidens, Sicily has served as the backdrop to many of the classic stories of antiquity.
On his epic ten-year voyage home from the Trojan War, Odysseus came to Sicily and was kidnapped by Polyphemus the Cyclops, who he blinded in order to escape. From Cyclops’ lair, Odysseus circled Sicily, passing between the clutches of Scylla, a man-eating monster that lived in a cliff-side cave (and who grabbed and gobbled up a few of his crew members), and the whirlpool of Charybdis, thought to be the Straits of Messina.
Today’s Postcards from the Boot will circumnavigate the island, stopping at some of my favorite beaches and coastal towns.
We begin our journey on the northwestern coast in seaside town of Cefalù with its magnificent Norman style cathedral decorated with Byzantine mosaics.
Heading south is the charming harbor town of Castellammare del Golfo, the picturesque village of Scopello, known for its ancient tonnara (tuna fishery), and Zingaro Nature Reserve, a gorgeous protected coastal area with many walking trails.
Perched high above the sea is the medieval town of Erice where you’ll discover the remains of a Norman fort and the Chiesa Matrice (Mother Church) which incorporates elaborate Islamic decorative motifs.
Just south of Erice is one of the most beautiful coastal landscapes in the world: the Salt Flats of Trapani and Paceco. They extend to the salt pans of Marsala and the island of Mozia, once an important Phoenician settlement.
Built upon cliffs that rise dramatically from its bustling port, the town of Sciacca offers stunning views of the sea.
Founded as a Greek colony in the 6th century B.C., Agrigento became one of the leading cities in the Mediterranean world. Its extensive archeological area, the Valley of the Temples, boasts the world’s best preserved Greek temple and many other magnificent Doric remains that still lie intact under today’s fields and orchards.
Less than 10 miles from Agrigento is the Scala dei Turchi, a masterwork crafted by the sea and wind, and one of Sicily’s most impressive natural wonders.
Rounding the southern tip of the island and heading north we encounter Marzamemi, a small seaside village not far from the famous “baroque queen” of Noto. Marzamemi is deliciously colorful and a “must” if you are visiting eastern Sicily.
The great Roman scholar Cicero called Siracusa the “the greatest and most beautiful of all Grecian cities.” Today it still remains completely alluring, most especially its charming historical center, Ortigia, a small island at its tip.
Taormina was an unmissable stop of the Grand Tour, the cultural pilgrimage of nineteenth-century European aristocracy and a must-see for today’s travelers (especially if you enjoyed the series White Lotus). Its Greek theater, which regularly hosts performances, attests to the taste of the ancient Greeks in choosing scenic places to situate their buildings. From there you can see Mount Etna and on clear days you can even see the coast of Calabria. The view is simply breathtaking.
We have reached today’s last stop, the legendary Aeolians, a cluster of seven volcanic islands where Odysseus visited Aeolus, the god of the winds, who lived in a castle protected by a solid bronze wall on the island of Lipari. Residing on the Aeolian Island of Vulcano was Vulcan, the god of fire, responsible for making the weapons of the gods.
I hope you liked today’s “mini odyssey” and that you enjoy the fullness of summer.
Ciao for now e ci vediamo a Settembre (see you in September)!
The Eternal City— timeless yet ever-vibrant—commemorates its mythical founding each April 21st marked by elaborate parades, theatrical performances and historical re-enactments showcasing the rituals of ancient Rome. Better known, when in Rome, as Natale di Roma, these special festivities (a 3-day affair) speak to the city’s multi-millennia legacy as a cradle of Western civilization.
Today’s “Postcards” serves as an homage to the singular city of seven hills once known as Caput Mundi—Latin for “head of the world.”
Few civilizations have left as indelible a mark as that of ancient Rome. The streets of the city are paved with history and myth that still invite to take a journey back in time to a civilization whose scale and ambition seem almost superhuman: the imposing grandeur of the Colosseum; aqueducts that snake like arteries; and roads that extend like a sophisticated nervous system, all emanating from Roma.
Roman architecture is an eternal wonder. The Pantheon, more than any other structure, transcends its materials to make a statement both of grandeur and grace. It speaks to a civilization whose combined practicality and design genius redefined space and defied time.
The Rome of Christendom attests to another great history and awe-inspiring spiritual venture. At its center is St Peter’s Basilica, with its double colonnade and an elliptical piazza in front and bordered by palaces and gardens. It is the largest ecclesiastical structure in the world, the fruit of the combined genius of Bramante, Raphael, Michelangelo and Bernini
In the seventeenth century, Rome became the ultimate testament to Catholic majesty and triumph as expressed in all the arts. Baroque architects, artists, and urban planners so magnified and invigorated the classical and ecclesiastical traditions of the city that it became for centuries afterward the acknowledged capital of the European art world—not only a magnet for tourists and artists but also a font of inspiration throughout the Western world.
Today Rome’s particular vibrance derives from how the city’s multi-layered illustrious past and fashionable present so harmoniously coexist in its fascinating and varied neighborhoods that attract young and old the world over.
From the Centro Storico areas such as Campo Marzio to Prati and Monti, and from the Trastevere, now one of Rome’s most beautiful and beloved neighborhoods, to the Testaccio, for diehard foodies, Rome hums with a unique vivacity.
Off the tourist radar is the fantastical Art Nouveau Coppedè District located just north of the city center. Its fountains and villas were designed solely by Gino Coppedè who drew inspiration from ancient Greek, Baroque, Medieval, neoclassical, and Gothic styles—a milestone of eclecticism—well worth an afternoon of exploration.
For the past three decades Natale di Roma has been celebrated by the Gruppo Storico Romano, a historical dramatic society that re-enacts battles, gladiator fights, costumed processions, Roman rituals and displays of ancient theater and dance. The theme of this year’s Natale di Roma festival is Regina Viarum, a reference to the Appian Way—the “queen of roads”— for which Italy is currently seeking UNESCO World Heritage status.
La primavera—can there be a more delightfully pictorial or euphonious word? Derived from two Latin roots: primus meaning “first” and ver meaning “spring” (as a verb “spring” means to well up, leap forth, and to come into existence) and the verb has become a noun that describes the cycle of nature it characterizes. And it sounds as full of life as the season itself.
To celebrate spring’s arrival let’s take a close look at the painting, The Allegory of Spring, by Sandro Botticelli which, like his Birth of Venus, has become a beloved icon of Western art. The work depicts a group of mythological figures in a garden and is an allegory for the fecundity of spring.
Reading the painting from right to left, the biting March wind Zephyrus, depicted as a bluish male creature with aggressively puffed cheeks, kidnaps wood nymph Chloris, the maiden with flowers springing from her mouth. He then “marries” her and transforms her into the deity Flora, represented by the the flower-crowned figure in a delightful floral-patterned frock scattering the flower petals. The elaborate scenery has been shown by botanists to contain over 500 identified plant species and about 190 different flowers. Clustered on the left, the Three Graces in diaphanous sheaths dance in a circle watched over by Mercury, who holds a staff to usher away the clouds and guard the garden—providing a spiritual balance to nature’s fecundity on the right. Somewhat set apart and above the others, but very much at the heart of all the springtime activity, is Venus (looking a bit like a Blessed Virgin Mary), goddess of love and harmony. Above her is Cupid, her son, and behind him the limbs of the fruiting orange grove form an arch gracefully framing Venus, providing a privileged position to serenely preside over the garden and beckon us to join in the celebration of la primavera.
About 140 years later Antonio Vivaldi, composer, conductor, and virtuoso violinist composed his best-known work—a series of 4 violin concertos titled Le Quattro Stagioni, The Four Seasons. The first, “La Primavera”, is the most well-recognized and best loved piece of classical music in the world (with the first bars of “Spring” rivaling the opening of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony).
And Florence, birthplace of the Renaissance, is delightfully abuzz with chirping birds and ablaze with colors this glorious time of year. Florence is also the birthplace of Dante, the world’s greatest poet and author of The Divine Comedy. He chose to write his magnum opus in the vernacular rather than Latin and is celebrated as the Father of the Italian Language and revered as national hero on the order of George Washington. Countless Italian cities have erected statues of him or named streets or piazzas after him. And most recently March 25th (this Monday) has been recognized as Dantedi and a national day of celebration of Dante and his towering legacy.
Happy Dantedi and may these early day of la primavera fill you with hope and joy!
Copyright - Postcards from the Boot.