 Sicily is a land apart .Divided from the main land by
the dangerous Straits of Messina, its roots are more Afro -Moorish.
The art of kidnapping ransom and mafia rules. The Greek legacy
shines through sporadically. Industrialization has blighted it with
a restless energy that has not been properly channel zed. But along
with the modernization, you can feel a great reverence for the past
- in a world view that is looking at the modern world through old
eyes. Horses with plumes and bells lugging painted carts, miles of
verdant vineyards, citrus groves, almond and cherry trees make for
a pretty picture. Greek temples ancient theaters, exquisite
architecture et al complete an already heady journey into the
past.
Sicily is replete with plethora of the cathedrals museums ruins
etc.
Cathedrals
Chiesa di Santa Cita becomes the focal point for its enchanting
oratory. It is lavishly baroque and the stucco designs remain
unparalleled. Gambol with its cherubs and angels. The Arab Norman
art reaches dizzying heights at the Monreal Duomo. The inimitable
mosaics in the interior compels you to compare it with the
better-known Capella Palatina - and favorably.
Museums
Galleria Regionale della Sicilia The collection at the Catalan
-Gothic Palazzo Abatellis is a superb walkthrough the Sicilian
paintings' history and sculpture from 13th to 18th century. The
"Triumph of Death" makes your day- and your visit worthwhile. Museo
archaeological Regionale is remarkable for its British museum that
displays a collection of artifacts from Greek and roman
colonization of the island. The Metopes once buried deep in the
city of Selinunte fill you with wonder. Museo Mandralisca:
Messina's "Portrait of an Unknown Man" and leaves you agape .The
other art treasures well worth looking at are the Chinese puzzle in
ivory and a vase from the 4th century BC . Museco Civico Beliniano.
A complete "museum full" of tribute to the composer Belini is piled
with memorabilia, original folios of his opera , his death mask and
even the coffin in which his body traveled from Paris. Belino's
fans would certainly be well rewarded.
Ruins
The region' s ruins reflect its Hellenic and Moorish legacy.
Tyndaris: once a bustling city, it is being excavated and pieced
together. The basilica and roman theatre are breathtaking but
perhaps the scintillating view of the sea attracts you even more.
Teatro Greco :With Mount Etna in the background, this Greek
amphitheatre was carved out of Mount Tauroo. The remnants have
survived the Moorish dance of destruction.
Ortygia islands( Syracuse)
Part of Greek mythology, it still springs up such surprises at
Tempo Di Apollo. The Apollonian temple it is the world's oldest
peripeteral (single row of column_) Doric temple. |
