Sicilia Aprile 2008 Concetta Nicolosi

The Greeks called Sicily the “Land of Figs and Olives” The word “Sicily” derives from the Greek: syco – sici = fig + Ilia – ily = olive

Trinacria, Symbol of Sicily (Taormina):

The 'trinacria' of Sicily represents the fertility of the island and the three legs the extreme points of Sicily: Punta del Faro in the province of Messina Capo Passero near Siracusa Capo Lille west of Marsala

Trinacria in Ancient Greek (triskèles) means 'three promontories‘ or “shape of a trident.” It features a Gorgon's with a hair-do of snakes holding ears of wheat. According to Greek legend the Gorgon was a terrible creature made up, in part, of three daughters of the gods of the sea. The creature also possessed bronze hands, gold wings and wild boar's tusks. It lived at the ends of the earth (Sicily and the Isle of Man?) and could petrify a man with its glance, being also part Medusa. The symbol of a man's leg bent at the knee was popular with Spartan warriors and represented power or force.

It was only in February 2000 that the 'trinacria' was approved for the Sicilian flag. Flag of Sicily

Because of its strategic location, Sicily was invaded over the centuries by many armies. Evidence of human settlements, 10,000 BC Its original inhabitants were the Sicans (or Sicels), 8C BC Invaders and rulers: Phoenicians, Greeks 8 – 4C BC Carthaginians, 4C BC Romans, 3C BC - 5C AD Byzantines, 7C AD Arabs, 9C AD Normans, 11C AD Swabians, Angevins, Aragonese, Bourbons, 12C – 19C (Sicilian Vespers – 1282, revolt against the Angevins) 1860 – Garibaldi lands, leads attack against the Bourbons, Italy unified. Allied invasion 1943 Sicilia: Timeline of Invasions

Arabs introduced terracing and irrigation for farming; plus rice, cotton, sugar cane, pistachios, pomegranates, apricots, peaches, citrus, indigo, early forms of ice cream; roses and jasmine for perfume; mulberry trees for silk-worms, and goldsmithing . Jasmine

Palermo, via della Libert à , Aquila, il stemma di Palermo, durante il Periodo Medeovale

Duomo, Palermo, 1184, Norman, founded on site of Muslim mosque. Competed with Monreale Duomo for grandeur: “Battle of Two Cathedrals”

Duomo, Palermo

Duomo, Palermo

Duomo, Palermo

Duomo, Palermo

Duomo, Palermo

Duomo, Palermo

Duomo, Palermo

Duomo, Palermo

Duomo, Palermo

Duomo, Monreale, Built 1174

Duomo, Monreale

Duomo, Monreale, close-up of mosaic

Duomo, Monreale, Cristo, il Pantocratore “Ruler of All”

Madonna, Duomo, Monreale

Duomo, Monreale

Un carretto artificiale

Neighborhood street, Palermo

Ceramiche siciliane

Palermo, via della Libert à

Palermo, via della Libert à

Palermo, via della Libert à Francesco Crispi 1819-1901 Sicilian Patriot Fought with Garibaldi in Italian Unification, 1860

Palermo, via della Libert à

Palermo, la Chiesa di Santa Raffaella Maria

Palermo, il giardino inglese

Palermo, il giardino inglese Garibaldi

Palermo Hotel

Palermo, Mont Pellegrino

Grotto of St. Rosalia, (d. 1160). patron saint of Palermo. Saved it from the plague (1666). Reposing statue is of marble with gold overlay Top of Mont Pellegino, overlooking port of Palermo

Mondello

Mondello

Mondello

Mondello

Mondello

Agrakas (Agrigento) Valle dei Templi Founded 581 BC

Agrigento, Claudio, our guide, fluent in Latin, Greek, English, French, Italian!

Agrigento 800-year-old olive tree

Agrigento, 800-year-old olive tree

Agrigento, Olive Tree

Agrigento, Capperi (capers)

Agrigento, Almond Tree

Agrigento, Cocoa Tree

Broom

Agrigento, Acanthus (leaf design adapted by Romans for Corinthian capitals)

Agrigento, Tempio di Giunone (Juno)

Agrigento, Tempio di Giunone (Juno)

Agrigento, Tempio di Giunone (Juno)

Agrigento, Tempio di Giunone (Juno)

Agrigento, Tempio di Giunone (Juno)

Agrigento, Tempio di Giunone (Juno)

Agrigento, Valle dei Tempi, Tempio di Concordia, 440-430 BC, best preserved temple

Agrigento, Tempio di Concordia

Agrigento, Tempio di Concordia, 440-430 BC, Valle dei Tempi

Agrigento, Tempio di Concordia

Agrigento, Tempio di Concordia

Agrigento, Catacombs

Agrigento, tracks made by wheels carting large stones

Agrigento, Tempio di Giove

Agrigento, Tempio di Giove

Agrigento

Agrigento

Agrigento

Agrigento, carretto siciliano, now only a tourist attraction

Carretto Siciliano, Painted carts of Sicily, introduced by the Greeks. Panel illustrations depicted the Crusades, chivalry and other important events in Catholic and European history.

“ Lapa”, 2003, the tradition continues in small, three-wheeled motorized vehicles, called lapa, often painted in the traditional way.

Town of Nicolosi… the gateway to Etna

Town of Nicolosi… They call Connie “nicolosi-ssima”

Nicolosi

Nicolosi

Nicolosi… “nicolosi-ssima”

Nicolosi

Etna

Monte Etna

Monte Etna

Monte Etna

Monte Etna

Jay and me on Monte Etna

Monte Etna, restaurant just below caldera

Shrine leaving Monte Etna

Taormina, centro storico, amphitheater

Taormina, roman amphitheater, Corinthian columns (based on acanthus leaf)

Taormina, centro storico, amphitheater

Taormina, centro storico, amphitheater

Taormina, centro storico, amphitheater

Taormina, centro storico, amphitheater

Taormina, centro storico, amphitheater

Taormina, centro storico, amphitheater

Taormina

Taormina

Taormina

Taormina

Taormina

Taormina

Taormina

Taormina, Alcantara Gorges

Taormina, Alcantara Gorges

Taormina, centro storico

Taormina

Taormina…organic, local

Taormina

Taormina

Taormina

Taormina, Ristorante da Nino, Audrey Hepburn

Taormina, Ristorante da Nino, Gregory Peck

Taormina, Ristorante da Nino, Fellini e Ingrid Bergman

Taormina, Ristorante da Nino, la Frutta (le nespole)

Taormina, Ristorante da Nino

Taormina, Ristorante da Nino

Giovanna (Jay) nella via Giovanni di Giovanni

Giardini-Naxos, Hotel Sant Alphio

Giardini-Naxos, Hotel Sant Alphio

Comune di Giardini-Naxos

Giardini-Naxos, Bottle-brush bush

, Hotel Sant Alphio

Giardini-Naxos, Hotel Sant Alphio, view from room

Giardini-Naxos, Hotel Sant Alphio, view from room

Siracusa

Siracusa, Greek theater, preparation for summer festivals, carved out of limestone hill

Siracusa, Greek theater, preparation for summer festivals

Siracusa, Greek theater

Siracusa, Roman amphitheater: “theater in the round” (two Greek theaters), made of brick

Siracusa

Siracusa, walkway from amphitheater

Siracusa, Dionysus’s ear, Tyrant of Siracusa, 404-3 BC, Garden of Paradise (Greek limestone quarry),

Siracusa, Dionysus’s ear, Garden of Paradise

Siracusa, Dionysus’s ear, inside looking out

Siracusa, Dionysus’s ear, inside looking out

Siracusa, Garden of Paradise, shell fossil in limestone

Siracusa, Papyrus

Siracusa, il venditore di sanguinello

Siracusa, squeezing blood oranges

Siracusa, sanguinello (blood orange juice)

Blood oranges

Marzipan

Cefalu

Duomo, Cefalu, begun 1131 by the Norman king, Roger II; completed 1240. Apse with mosaic of Cristo, il Pantocratore.

Ortigia (island in the city), off Siracusa

Ortigia “ Island in the City” off Siracusa, connected by a crosswalk

Ortigia, Greek Temple of Apollo

Ortigia, Cute Cop

Ortigia, Fountain of Diana

Ortigia

Ortigia, Jasmine

Ortigia, Trinacria

Ortigia, Duomo Originally Greek Temple of Athena, 5C BC

Ortigia, Duomo

Ortigia, Duomo

Ortigia, Duomo

Ortigia, Duomo

Ortigia, Duomo

Ortigia

Ortigia, “Wise Guys”

Ortigia

Reggio Calabria

Reggio Calabria, Tempio di Apollo, Secolo VI a.C.

View of Sicily (Messina from Ferry to Reggio Calabria)

Port of Messina, Madonna della Lettura, (20’ high) patron saint of sailors and ports.

Madonna of the Letter "Vos et ipsam civitatem benedicimus," "We bless you and your city." According to popular legend, the Virgin Mary presented a letter to Messina residents who visited her in Palestine in 42 AD, congratulating the city on their Christian conversion. The letter is said to be in safe keeping inside one of Messina's churches, and “… promising to you, and all your posterity, to assist you in the presence of My Son." Madonna della Lettura was unveiled in 1934 when Pope Pius XI who, using a remote control device created by Gugliemo Marconi, illuminated the statue from the Vatican City.

Messina

Messina

Messina

Messina

Messina

Messina

Reggio Calabria

Reggio Calabria

Reggio Calabria

Reggio Calabria

Salvatore Irace, Tour Director

Neptune, Guarding Port of Messina

Messina

Messina

On the way to Cefalu, looking down from bus

On the way to Cefalu

On the way to Cefalu

City Map

City Map - Raised Detail

Cefalu

Cefalu

Cefalu, il fruttivendolo

Cefalu, le nespole (loquat or medlar fruit)

Melanzane

Cefalu

Cefalu

Cefalu

Cefalu, Duomo, Cristo, il Pantocratore

Cefalu, Duomo, Cristo, il Pantocratore

Cefalu, Duomo, Madonna (marble & gold overlay)

Cefalu

Cefalu

Cefalu

Carciofi

Porri

Le ragazze alla classe a Cefalu

Corleone – Birthplace of the Nicolosi Clan (Ignazio Nicolosi, 1873)

Corleone – Birthplace of the Nicolosi Clan

(Ignazio Nicolosi, 1873)