Sicily Guide

My parents arrived from Sicily two days ago and brought to me lots of goodies. Among them is a CD loaded with pictures of Sicily that I am going to share with you throughout this week. All the images were taken by professional photographer Franca Calderone, a childhood’s friend back home. THANK YOU, Franca!

Mount Etna Pictures © Franca Calderone

Technorati Tags [ mount etna | etna |  sicily | volcano etna | images of mount etna | mount etna covered with snow | snow on mount etna | franca calderone ]

A question that I am always asked by people traveling or planning their trip to Sicily is if it gets too hot in the summer. The answer is yes, Sicily gets hot! So, is it a bad idea to go there during this time of the year? It depends…I actually love going back in August. I truly live ten days of “dolce vita“. In sharp contrast to my hyperactive life in New York City, time stops when I am there. I wake up late, I have my favorite breakfast (granita con panna) at the pastry shop nearby, I go to the beach and return home for lunch time. I do pretty much the same with granita at the end in the afternoon. Nightlife is a big list of choices: concerts and festivals are to be found in every village around. Not a bad life!

If you are planning to do all the tourist activities and visit the archeological sites, it is a different matter. I strongly encourage you not to fill in your schedule and try to see as much as possible in the few days of traveling. Limit your sightseeing and enjoy the ocean! Sicily needs to be flavored slowly, even more so in summertime!

For an idea of the average temperature in Sicily throughout the year, click here!

Technorati Tags [ sicily | sicily’s weather | sicily’s temperatures | granita con panna | dolce vita | summer in sicily | sicily hot in summer ]  

Among my favorite art places in Sicily is Palazzo Abatellis, the regional art gallery. This old building, in serious need of restoration, was designed by Carnalivari at the end of the 15th century as the residence of Francesco Abatellis, harbormaster of the Kingdom of the two Sicilies. The palace is one of the most significant Gothic-Catalan architectonic samples in Western Sicily. Its gallery features sculptures and paintings from the 12th to the 18th century. On the first floor, stop and admire the Triumph of Death fresco. If you look at it, the Guernica by Picasso will come to mind suddenly. On the second floor, the Annunciation by Antonello da Messina is the highlight. Last year, this artwork and a few other pieces by Antonello da Messina were exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum in New York and I was able to admire the Annunciation and I was in line among the very first visitors when the exhibition opened. If you are in Palermo, Palazzo Abatellis is definitely a must-see!

Highlights: the Triumph of Death fresco; the Annunciation by Antonello da Messina; The Malvagna Triptych by Mabuse; fine collection of statues by Antonello Gagini and Francesco Laurana.

Address:
Via Alloro 4, Palermo
 
Tel.: (091) 616 43 17
Fax: (091) 617 21 87

General Information
Mon., Wed., Fri. & Sat.: 9:00am-1:30pm; Tue. & Thu. : 9:00am-1:30pm; 3:00pm-7:30pm; Sun.: 9:00am-1:00pm
Duration of visit: 1 to 2 hours
Entrance: € 4.50

Sicily has been improving its hospitality offer in the past few years. More deluxe and luxury hotels have been built and/or upgraded (Kempinski Giardino di Costanza Grand Hotel & Spa, Hilton Portorosa, Hilton Villa Igiea) and new ones are to come (Verdura Golf and Spa Resort). This is a good sign that the island is finally taking the tourism industry seriously and is attracting new investments.

Among the upcoming resorts that need a mention are:

Donnalucata Hotel & Resort Scicli
This luxury hotel stands in a beautiful position overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, about 2 miles away from Marina di Ragusa, on the south eastern coast of Sicily. Beautiful landscapes surround the building and the inland offers a rich artistic heritage. Ragusa Ibla, Modica, Scicli, Noto and Syracuse, real pearls of the Sicilian Baroque, are around. Donnalucata Hotel & Resort boasts 105 rooms situated both in the old part of the hotel and in the two buildings of the new area.

Amenities: restaurant with terrace, boutique, small beauty center, swimming pool with children’s section, pool bar, amphitheater for evening entertainment, five-a-side football pitch, tennis-volley and basket ball court, car park. The wide sandy beach, located about a few yards away from the hotel, is easily accessible also via shuttle service.

Address:
Strada provinciale 63
Donnalucata 97010
Scicli (Rg)

Contact:
Tel.: (+39) 932 85 02 85
Email: donnalucata@mobygest.it
Website: www.mobygest.it

Falconara Charming House & Resort (opening May 2007)
This resort, 64 rooms (4 junior suite and 10 suites), is located within an easy reach from the Valley of the Temples, Villa del Casale in Piazza Armerina and Ragusa Ibla on the southern coast of Sicily as well. Built on the land once occupied by the dwellings of the peasants working inside a nearby medieval castle, it is only a few steps away from a beautiful sandy beach.

Amenities: bar, restaurant, boutique, beauty center, pool bar, swimming pool, tennis courts and a meeting room up to 50 people.

Address:
Falconara 93011
Butera (Cl)

Contact:
Tel.: (+39) 0541 77 58 61
Email: falconara@mobygest.it
Website: www.mobygest.it

Photo Gallery of Falconara Charming House & Resort

Both hotels look absolutely magnificent and full of character. They combine the island’s tradition (architecture, hospitality) with the right mix of ideas to appeal to the most sophisticated traveler. Two thumbs up for these properties with the hope that more are to come!
 
Technorati Tags [ sicily hospitality | donnalucata | ragusa | falconara | donnalucata hotel & resort | scicli | sicily hotels | sicily resort | sicily luxury hotels | falconara charming house & resort | rocco forte | sicily south coast | mobygest | Kempinski Giardino di Costanza Grand Hotel & Spa | Hilton Portorosa | Hilton Villa Igiea | Verdura Golf and Spa Resort ]

It is hard to believe, but I just found out that there is an extreme free running trail of the volcanoes in Sicily and is at its 4th edition! It is called the Sicilian Volcano Trail. I just heard about this race from a friend. I was totally intrigued and watched a short video of last year event. I barely run 30 minutes on a treadmill two times a week and thinking that these athletes climb Mount Etna, Stromboli and Volcano for hours makes me feel like a total wimp.

Track and field facts:
The trail is comprised of five races that combine long and short climbing over the Sicilian volcanoes (Mount Etna, Stromboli and Volcano) and water crossings. The trail is open both to men and women over 18 years and is about 62 miles long, divided equally into 5 races.

Program:
- 4 days at the Aeolian Islands
- 3 days on Mount Etna
- Athletes from different countries

Participants of the past editions are:
- Marco De Gasperi, 4 times sky running world champion
- Mauro Prosperi, pentathlon champion
- Dachhiri Dawa Sherpa, trail running world champion

For more information about the trail, visit VolcanoEtna.com and watch the video!

Technorati Tags [ sicilian volcano trail | sicily | mount etna | etna | volcano | stromboli | marco de gasperi | mauro prosperi | sherpa ]

Travel journals are fun and they have become even more fun with web 2.0. Everybody, even without HTML knowledge, can post itineraries, photos, videos, podcasts and maps online and share them with the entire world or only with family and friends.
The web 2.0 travel journals are consumers’ generated content: they are passionate, realistic, fresh and, most of the times, give insights that you would not get from any tourist authority. We tend to believe a perfect nobody that might have some misspells in his/her writing and doubt information that, instead, appears biased.

Here is a list of what travel journals say about Sicily at a glance (and my ratings):

TripAdvisor.com
Great for its hotels’ reviews, I found it weak on the general description of Sicily. The introduction about Sicily is full of misspellings, for instance. Anybody can change the introduction through a wiki style interface after registering as a member. I use TripAdvisor whenever I am visiting a place I do not know.
Rating: 7

IgoUgo.com
I find IgoUgo more traveler-centered than TripAdvisor. So, travel journals sound more complete. Sicily is well covered on its pages. IgoUgo does not have the impressive hotels’ reviews of TripAdvisor.com, but its members are serious travelers.
Rating: 7

Yahoo Travel
The functionalities are good, but you need to have a yahoo account. The site is also too much focused on selling travel. You can save your trip and share or keep it private. I was thrilled with the map: you are able to highlight all the places of interest of a destination without any problem. There is a great amount of travel journals about Sicily posted, but not always easy to search.
Rating: 6

VirtualTourist.com
Members seem to be really committed. I like that it makes easy to leave comments for other users. Downside: no hotel reviews.
Rating: 5

VCarious.com
A site born from the Web 2.0 revolution, it has more potential than the other two sites technologically speaking. Unfortunately, it does not have much market share. So, content does not match the great technological potential. I like the way it is organized and the great functionality. It does not have much content about Sicily.
Rating: 4.5

RealTravel.com
Good site with lots of content and straightforward architecture, but Sicily is not really featured in a complete way.
Rating: 4

Gusto.com
I enjoy the look and feel of the site, but content is poor for foreign travel. Also, the name of the site means “taste” in Italian… It would make sense to me if it were a web site with food travel reviews.
Rating: 3

Technorati Tags [ sicily | sicily’s travel journals | tripadvisor | igougo | virtual tourist | vcarious | yahoo travel | gusto.com | real travel ]

I have to admit that I am not a big fan of dialects. My parents speak Sicilian dialect at home in Sicily and I understand it, but I cannot carry on a full conversation in it. I was brought up speaking Sicilian and Italian, but I must have given up speaking Sicilian when I started primary school. I appreciate the value and the anthropological necessity to preserve Sicilian dialect, but it might be too much of a challenge. Languages change and disappear; dialects even more so.

I have been living and working in New York City for almost seven years now. Not so long ago, it came as a total surprise to hear about Arba Sicula, an association - led by Professor Gaetano Cipolla - promoting the use of Sicilian abroad. I went to some of their events held at St. John’s University in Queens, NY. I have read books and newsletters that the association periodically publishes and sends to its members. These publications are written in Sicilian with English translation next to it. I read only the English translation because I am not used to see Sicilian dialect written. Also, some of the Sicilian used in these publications sounds a bit obsolete to me. I have always considered Sicilian dialect a living language based on an oral tradition passed from generation to generation. Before attending Arba Sicula’s events, I had rarely seen so many dictionaries and books written in Sicilian.

I noticed that there is a vivid interest about it in the US. Perhaps this is due to the fact that most of the early immigrants arrived from Italy did not speak formal Italian. Though I am not an expert - you might know the answer better than I. It is certainly a positive thing to see this attention, even though it is and will remain a niche.

As a destination marketer, though, I keep having my doubts when dialect is used to promote Sicily. First, you do not see other successful Italian regions marketing their territory abroad through their dialect. Sicilian dialect still appeals to a small market segment in the US and risks alienating younger generations that might be interested in Sicily for extremely different reasons. Finally, there is not only one dialect in Sicily, but there are many different versions. We cannot really talk about Sicilian dialect as a language used and commonly understood throughout Sicily.

In spite of all the respect and admiration I have for those who are genuinely interested in Sicilian dialect and those who have put lots of effort into diffusing it abroad, I plainly think that using Sicilian dialect to market Sicily as a destination is an interesting diversion.

For those of you who would like more information about this topic, here is a list of links (I could not find any interactive dictionary translating English into Sicilian and viceversa):

www.arbasicula.org (Sicilian association at Saint John’s University in Queens, NY)
www.dieli.net/SicilyPage/SicilianLanguage/SicilianLang.html (Listen to some Sicilian dialect!)
www.dieli.net/SicilyPage/SicilianLanguage/Vocabulary.html (List of Sicilian words with English translations)
www.linguasiciliana.org (Italian and Sicilian only)
www.scicli.com/siciliano.php (Sicilian/Italian interactive dictionary)

Technorati Tags [ sicilian dialect | arba sicula | gaetano cipolla | sicily ]

Last January, a friend convinced me to watch Mafioso by Alberto Lattuada, a 1962 Italian movie that has been shown in some US theaters since the beginning of the year (it is still playing in select theaters throughout the country until July 14). I am always skeptical of movies that have the mafia as their subject, but my friend was extremely persuasive. So, I went to Angelika Film Center in New York City to watch this movie.

You cannot deny that Mafioso is a wonderful piece of cinematography: it has an excellent script with great acting and filming. Even though I never liked his histrionic ways, Alberto Sordi is brilliant in the role of the protagonist Nino Badalamenti, a Sicilian manager in a factory of Northern Italy. He is eager to take his 15-day vacation and go with his wife and daughters to his hometown in Sicily for the first time since he moved to the North. After their arrival in Sicily, there is an escalation of happenings where comedy and drama intermix continuously until the very end. I am not going to reveal any of the plot, in case you want to watch it.

Every major publication and movie critic has talked highly about the movie:

“Mafioso,” however, is of much more than historical interest. Broad and boisterous though it is, it demonstrates an exhilarating formal control, and manages to feel at once like a work of unfettered, even anarchic imagination, and a subtle observation of the world as it is. By A. O. Scott, The New York Times

Alberto Lattuada’s tricky-to-parse Mafioso dates from 1962 but, with its abrupt tonal shifts and disturbing existential premise, this nearly forgotten dark comedy could be the most modern (or at least modernist) movie in town. […] Lattuada satirizes Sicily as he acknowledges Northern prejudices. By J. Hoberman, The Village Voice

Alberto Lattuada’s “Mafioso,” newly restored, is a long-lost gem that deftly fuses comedy and drama. By Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

Mafioso may have been made in another era, but it stands as a classy, even radical rebuke to the film school posers who keep recycling the same tired gangster tropes. By Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

You can read more reviews at http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mafioso/.

This movie established the standards for mafia movies and is regarded as one of the most influential of its kind. It set the path for a series of successful productions that have the mafia as the main topic. To name a few: Salvatore Giuliano by Francesco Rosi; We Still Kill the Old Way by Elio Petri; The Day of the Owl by Damiano Damiani; The Godfather by Francis Ford Coppola; Cento Giorni a Palermo by Giuseppe Ferrara; La Piovra by Damiano Damiani; The Sopranos by Timothy Van Patten. I am sure you recognize some of these titles, if not all!

Why did I not like the movie Mafioso? It is full of stereotypes and exploits all the things I do not like about Sicily. Since it inspired many other movies to portray a similar negativity about Sicily and its people, I could not stop from thinking about the deleterious effect it must have had upon those Sicilians who moved to Northern Italy to make a better living in the Sixties. Movies have a powerful influence on people’s thinking and the mafia in Sicily is still associated with this strong mafia imagery. Though still controlling, the Sicilian mafia is nowhere as strong as it used to be and it is losing its pull in the world today.

In the last few years, a new generation of directors has proven that Sicily is not only a setting for Mafioso style movies: Giuseppe Tornatore with Cinema Paradiso (Oscar as best foreign movie in 1988) and Malena; Gianni Amelio with Il Ladro di Bambini; Gabriele Salvatores with Sud; Marco Tullio Giordana with I cento Passi; Emanuele Crialese with Respiro; Franco Battiato with Perduto Amor. Hopefully, this trend will last and it will give Sicily the opportunity to show a different side of the beautiful island that it is.

See a complete list of the theaters featuring Mafioso

Technorati Tags [ mafioso | alberto lattuada | angelika film center | sicily | mafia | alberto sordi | salvatore giuliano | godfather | sopranos ]

The weekend of April 13-15, about 1300 tour operators, travel agents, wholesalers, and hoteliers will be gathering at the Hotel & Resort Città for the 9th edition of TravelExpo in Terrasini, a resort town west of Palermo close to the Airport Falcone-Borsellino. Through the years, this tradeshow has grown to become an excellent indicator on how the travel industry is performing in the island.

TravelExpo’s opening will be celebrated with a competition featuring journalists cooking penne all’agrodolce. The meeting and incentive segment is going to receive particular attention at TravelExpo since this sector has seen a steady increase of presences in Sicily in the past years. Participants will receive the Sicily Travel Directory, an indispensable guide of travel related businesses in and to Sicily. The two-day tradeshow showcases an intense program of workshops and conferences.

According to the arrivals, tourism to Sicily is thriving as never before. Are we finally getting it right? I hope so. For sure, there is still plenty to do, but this could be an excellent start. So, the show is not to be missed if you are a tour operator promoting Sicily! For more information about TravelExpo, please visit www.TravelExpo.it (Italian only).

View the photo gallery of the show

Map of Terrasini

Technorati Tags [ travelexpo | Hotel & Resort Città | terrasini | Palermo | sicily | sicilian travel industry | tourism to sicily ]

Pace del Mela is a small village of about 6,000 inhabitants in the Messina province, East of Sicily. Founded in 1388 by the Benedictine monks, it boasts great cultural heritage and a beautiful view of Cape Milazzo. On clear days, you can see the Aeolian Islands from this hilly town. Its highest point is Mount Serro.

The town is divided in two parts: Pace Alta and Pace Bassa (the Upper and the Lower Side). Giammoro is its biggest fraction located in the Northern side by the Tyrrhenian Sea. Here are located most of the factories that ruined the entire area.

It is said that Garibaldi stopped in Pace del Mela: the statue of the Sea Horse by Giovan Battista Vaccarini was raised in his honor. It is located in the main square of Pace Alta around the Parish “Maria SS. Della Visitazione” (1763), patron saint of the town. The big feast of “Madonna delle Grazie” starts and ends in this church every year on July 2.

Other monuments to mention are: the baronial palace of Gordone, the church of the “Madonna dell’Abbondanza” (1720), the Pugliatti Palace, and the Carpi Palace (nowadays public library).

Pace del Mela has only a two-star hotel with a few rooms (rates are below 100 Euros): Hotel La Panoramica by don Vittorio. Owner Vittorio Esposito arrived in Pace del Mela from Naples long time ago and opened the first pizzeria/restaurant of Pace del Mela. You can still eat one of the best pizzas of the Messina province there. Only a few years ago, don Vittorio also opened a hotel attached to it.

Hotel Royal is another hotel the nearby village of Cattafi, only two miles away from Pace del Mela.

Unfortunately, both hotels do not have a web site and do not accept reservations online. You have to call them directly to book your stay. These places are clean and have all the basic things you would expect from a two-star hotel. If you are looking for something else, I would suggest staying in Milazzo, a bigger town about 5 miles West with much more choice. I am sure you can find accommodation in Milazzo on every major online travel agency.

HOTELS

Hotel La Panoramica
Via Camastra’ - Pace del Mela
Tel.: (+39) 090-9346004

Hotel Royal
Via Pizzo Croce, 38 - Cattafi, San Filippo del Mela
Tel.: (+39) 090 931366
Fax: (+39) 090 932907

In spite the fact Pace del Mela is such a small village, you can eat excellent local food at its small eateries or pizzerias/restaurants. Here is a list:

BAKERIES & BARS

Panificio Calderone
Via Roma 3, Pace del Mela
Tel.: (+39) 090 933062
A small bakery close to city hall. They are family friends. Conchita has brought back to life some traditional Sicilian cookie recipes and also try her focaccia baked in the evening (very similar for the crust to what you call Sicilian pizza in the US). Focaccia comes in very different specialties with anchovies, potatoes, tuma cheese, etc.

Bar Diana
Piazza Nicolo’ Pandolfo
98042 Pace del Mela
Tel.: (+39) 090933174

Irish Coffee
Piazza Municipio, 55
98042 Pace Del Mela
Tel.: (+39) 0909339048
Nothing Irish – I assure you. They have the best lemon and “caffe’ con panna” granitas of the surroundings. The caffe’ con panna granita served with a brioche used to be my summer breakfast.

Milli Bar Di Motta Antonino
Via Regina Margherita,18
98042 Pace del Mela

RESTAURANTS/PIZZERIAS

Gallo Natale Pizzeria Focacceria
Via Roma 141, Pace del Mela
tel.: (+39) 090 933579

La Meridiana
Via Nazionale 327, Pace del Mela
Tel.: (+39) 090 9384652

Hotel La Panoramica
Via Camastra’ - Pace del Mela
Tel.: (+39) 090-9346004

Il Ritrovo dei Conti
Piazza Maria SS della Visitazione, Pace del Mela
Tel.: (+39) 090 933708

View map of Pace del Mela

Pace del Mela Official Site (Italian only)

More information about Pace del Mela (ME)

Technorati Tags [ pace del mela | messina province | sicily | pace alta | pace bassa | giammoro | maria della visitazione | giovan battista vaccarini | hotel la panoramica | hotel royal | panificio calderone | gallo pizzeria | ritrovo dei conti ]

Made famous by the movie Ocean Twelve in the US, Scopello is a tiny picturesque village about 43 miles West of Palermo in the province of Trapani. On a visit to Scopello and its surroundings, I remember traveling through vertical walls, rocky promontories, little bays and underwater tunnels.
Once a part of the ancient Elymi-Roman Empire of Cetarea, Scopello takes its name from the Greek word scopelos (rock). This land was conquered by Phoenicians, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans and Swabians. Pirates found shelter in the nearby caverns of the Zingaro Nature Reserve. It is said that even the famous bandit Salvatore Giuliano avoided capture through these rocks once. In spite of its quiteness, Scopello still maintains lots of its past charm.

The center of Scopello is Piazza Nettuno, the main square. Surrounding the Piazza is an 18th century wall and the Baglio Isonzo (baglio from the Arab bahal means courtyard), the heart of the rural life one time. Not far was located the Scopello’s tonnara (a tuna-fishing complex) closed not too long ago in 1981. The tonnara was comprised of a two-floor building built in 1200 and constituted the main source of income for the village. Today, the main attraction of the area is the Zingaro Nature Reserve, more than six square miles of protected rocky coastline. Its underwater landscape is a rich collection of colors and shapes. Pick up a brochure at the entrance of the reserve and choose one of the three suggested itineraries. Also, try the traditional fish couscous at the restaurant La Terrazza in Scopello: an authentic Sicilian interpretation of couscous!

How to get there
Take A29 Palermo-Mazara del Vallo highway, via the Castellammare exit. Then take the 187 highway towards Trapani for 2.5 miles. Then, you will see the signs to Scopello and the Zingaro Nature Reserve.

[techtgs: scopello, palermo, sicily, zingaro nature reserve, baglio isonzo, tonnara, sicilian couscous]

Pane e panelle is a typical street food from Palermo. Panelle are golden, fried fritters made from ground chickpea flour, water, and parsley. Vendors selling pane e panelle can be found in every street corner of the Sicilian capital. It is a simple dish that can be quite filling. I had my first pane e panelle at La Vucciria, a famous market that takes place in downtown Palermo.

Surprisingly, I have seen these chickpea fritters in the menu of some of the most elegant Italian restaurants in Manhattan. Pane e panelle is a street food and traditionally is eaten standing up and not in a plate with fork and knife. If only Palermitans saw this…

The recipe for make the panelle is quite simple.

Ingredients (make about 30 fritters):

2 1/2 cups (8 ounces) chickpea flour
3 cups water
3 tablespoons finely fresh parsley or oregano (optional)
4 to 6 cups vegetable oil
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon fine ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
vegetable oil

Method:
Dissolve the chickpea flour in three cups of cold water and add the salt and the baking powder. Cook and stir it for about 20 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Divide the mixture with a spatula, stack the panelle next to each other and let them cool for a couple of minutes. Heat the vegetable oil to 375F in a flat pan. Fry the panelle until golden. Drain them on paper towel and serve them warm. Enjoy! 

Technorati Tags [ pane e panelle | panelle | sicilian fast food | palermo | vucciria | chickpea fritter ]

I am Sicilian, but I got to know Palermo only after my graduation from university in Italy. I landed a job through Elder Hostel/Trinity College Connecticut programs in Sicily. Ironically, I started it on May 1, Labor Day for Italy and most of the world. Considering the extremely high unemployment rate in Italy, I thought it was a good way to celebrate Labor Day.

In Palermo, I met the best guides you wish to have: Marcella Croce and Giovanni Matranga. Through their Palermitan eyes, I got to learn a great deal about the city. In spite all the stereotypes that Palermo might recall and the bad stories that took place there, I never felt threatened or unsafe. Actually, I felt challenged to grasp as much as I could about its majestic past. Palermo is rich in history and cultural heritage as just a few other cities. It is a medium-size city with about 800,000 inhabitants and boasts a big amount of monuments of different periods.

Palermo is a collection of historic highlights. These are the ten best places that you should not miss if you visit the city:

1. Monreale Cathedral
   Monreale Cathedral is the greatest of all the monuments to the wealth and artistic taste of the Norman kings in northern Sicily. Founded around 1170 by William II, and dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the church was elevated to the rank of a metropolitan cathedral in 1182. The outside of the Arab-Norman cathedral is plain, except the aisle walls and three eastern apses, which are decorated with intersecting pointed arches and other ornaments inlaid in marble. The archiepiscopal palace and monastic buildings on the south side were of great size and magnificence, and were surrounded by a massive precinct wall, crowned at intervals by twelve towers. This has been mostly rebuilt, but little now remains except ruins of some of the towers, a great part of the monks’ dormitory and frater, and the splendid cloister, completed about 1200.Highlights: The tomb of William I of Sicily; the cloister.Address: Via Rizzo/Via Paradiso
   Monreale (Pa)
   
   Tel.: (0931) 662 06
2. Palatine Chapel
   The Palatine Chapel is the royal chapel of the Norman kings of Sicily situated on the ground floor at the center of the Palazzo Reale in Palermo. The chapel was commissioned by Roger II of Sicily in 1132. It took eight years to build and many more to decorate with mosaics and fine art. The sanctuary, dedicated to Saint Peter, is reminiscent of a domed basilica. It has three apses, as is usual in Byzantine architecture, with six pointed arches (three on each side of the central nave) resting on recycled classical columns.Highlights: Carolingian throne; Christ Pantocreator in the cupola; the Angels surrounding Christ and the Evangelists.Address: Palazzo dei Normanni, Piazza Indipendenza
   
   Tel.: (091) 705 60 01
3. Galleria Regionale di Sicilia - Palazzo Abatellis
   The building was designed by Carnalivari at the end of the 15th century as the residence of Francesco Abatellis, harbormaster of the Kingdom of the two Sicilies. The palace is one of the most significant Gothic-Catalan architectonic samples in Western Sicily. Its gallery features sculptures and paintings from the 12th to the 18th century.Highlights: the Triumph of Death fresco; the Annunciation by Antonello da Messina; The Malvagna Triptych by Mabuse; fine collection of statues by Antonello Gagini and Francesco Laurana.Address: Via Alloro 4
   
   Tel.: (091) 616 43 17
   Fax: (091) 617 21 87
4. Museo Archeologico Regionale “Antonino Salinas”
   Housed in a 17th century monastery, the museum boasts the various artistic periods and civilizations of Western Sicily from prehistory to the late Roman period. The small entrance of the museum leads to a cloister which, divided into three rooms at the end, displays magnificent pieces from the nearby archeological site of Selinunte.Highlights: treasures from the archeological excavations of Selinunte.Address: Piazza Olivella
   
   Tel.: (091) 662 02 20
   Fax: (091) 611 07 40
5. Martorana
   The famous Greek admiral George of Antiochia commissioned the church in 1143, which it was completed in 1151. After the Sicilian Vespers of 1282, the island’s nobility gathered in the church for a meeting that resulted in the Sicilian crown being offered to Peter III of Aragon. The common name La Martorana originated under King Alfonso of Aragon, who in 1436 assigned the church to the nuns of a Benedictine convent established in 1194 by Eloisa Martorana. The nuns extensively modified the church between the 16th century and the 18th century, making major changes to the structure and interior decoration. The nuns of the Martorana were famous for their molded marzipan, which they made in the form of various fruits. Although the convent no longer exists, frutta di Martorana are still one of Palermo’s most famous and distinctive foodstuffs.Address: Piazza Bellini 3, Kalsa
   
   Tel.: (091) 616 16 92
   
   
6. San Giovanni degli Eremiti
   Built on the will of Roger II between 1130 and 1148, the church is famous for the typical Arabian-Fatimite red domes. These round domes, representing the sky, (placed upon quadrangular towers, representing the Earth) make it one of the most well-known symbols of Palermo. The building is surrounded by a garden, rich in exotic colors and smells such as those of jasmine, oranges and pomegranates; it also features a small cloister.Highlights: domes; cloister.Address: Via dei Benedettini
   
   Tel.: (091) 651 50 19
7. Cathedral
   The church was erected in 1185 by Walter Ophamil (or Walter of the Mill), the Anglo-Norman archbishop of Palermo and King William II’s minister, on the area of an earlier Byzantine basilica. By all accounts this earlier church was founded by St. Gregory and was later turned into a mosque by the Saracens after their conquest of the city in the 9th century. Ophamil is buried in a sarcophagus in the church’s crypt. The medieval edifice had a basilica plan with three apses, of which only some minor architectural elements survive today.Highlights: dome and part of the apse of the Cathedral of Palermo; main façade; sarcophagus of Frederick II of Hohenstaufen; the Baroque small side cupolas by Ferdinando Fuga; the famous portico by Domenico and Antonello Gagini; the 1466 Gothic-Catalan style wooden choir and the marble remains of the Gagini’s retable (removed during 18th century alterations) are also precious, as well as a marble statue of the Madonna with Child by Francesco Laurana and pupils.Address: Corso Vittorio Emanuele
   
   Tel.: (091) 33 43 73
8. Antica Focacceria San Francesco
   At the Antica Focacceria San Francesco, a local favorite since 1834 (in the Palazzo Reale/Monte di Pietà district), they sell focaccia farcita (flat pizza-dough baked with different toppings), arancini di riso, torte salate (savoury “cake”), panelle, fried ricotta cheese, and sfincione.Address: Via A. Paternostro, 58
   
   Tel.: (091) 32 02 64
   Fax: (091) 612 88 55
9. Mondello
   North of Palermo, Mondello is the resort area of the city. On weekends, it is packed with people and traffic, but this is part of its charm. Mondello boasts a public beach and numerous fish restaurants. Walk around its streets and order pane e panelle (bread with chickpea flour fritters) or a slice of sfincione (a typical Palermintan pizza with lots of garlic on it) from some fast food chains or street vendors, you will experience life like a Palermitan!
10. Teatro Massimo
    The Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele is an opera house located on the Piazza Verdi in Palermo, Sicily. It was dedicated to King Victor Emanuel II. The opera house was built by architect Giovanni Battista Filippo Basile and, following his death in 1891, construction was overseen by his son Ernesto. Construction started on January 12, 1874 but was stopped for eight years from 1882 until 1890. Finally, on May 16, 1897, twenty-two years after the laying of the foundation stone, the second largest opera theater after Palais Garnier in Paris was inaugurated with a performance of Verdi’s Falstaff.The Teatro Massimo is the largest theater in Italy (and the third largest opera house in Europe). Basile was inspired by ancient and classical Sicilian architecture and, thus, the exterior was designed in the high neoclassical style incorporating elements of the Greek temples at Selinute and Agrigento. Realized in the late-Renaissance style, the auditorium was planned for 3,000 people, but, in its current format, it seats 1,400, with 7 tiers of boxes rising up around an inclined stage and shaped in the typical horseshoe style.In 1974, the house was closed for renovations required by updated safety regulations. It remained closed for twenty-three years due the factors including costs over-runs, corruption and political debate. But finally it re-opened on May 12, 1997, four days before its centenary. The opera season started again in 1999, although Verdi’s Aida was performed in 1998 while work in progress continued.Address: Piazza Verdi
    
    Tel.: (091) 605 31 11

For more information, please visit www.sicilyguide.com. To add your favorite places in Palermo or more information, please use our comment section. Thanks.

Technorati Tags [ palermo | monreale cathedral | palatine chapel | teatro massimo | mondello | antica focacceria san francesco | martorana | sfincione | pane e panelle ]

A couple of weeks ago, a friend brought me to a jazz concert at Smoke Jazz Club, a well-known jazz club in the Upper West Side of New York City. It was a pleasant surprise for me to meet Daniela Schaechter, a pianist from Messina in Sicily. Yes you read it right: she is from Messina in spite of her last name of German origins!

When you are away from home, it is always exciting to get to know people that come from your same place (or close). It is like bringing back memories because you have an instant connection with them, no matter what. It is even more exciting when you get to know somebody as talented as Daniela. She is a pianist, vocalist, composer and arranger.

At Smoke Jazz Club, we did not have much time to chat, but I got to learn a bit more about her and what she does anyhow. I also learned all the details from her web site. Daniela Schaechter started early her musical career: by her mid-teens was already performing publicly in Sicily, as well as doing studio session work. After her classical studies she moved to Boston as recipient of a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music, where she studied with Phil Wilson, Joe Lovano, Hal Crook and above all with Joanne Brackeen.

Daniela has won many prestigious awards, such as the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Piano Competition 2005, The Sister in Jazz Competition 2002, the Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead Competition 2002, the Terri Lyne Carrington Endowed Scholarship, the ‘Tindari 93, Prize’ for the best jazz duo with her brother Davide and also she appeared in the Jazziz magazine collector’s CD (July 2001). She was awarded a full-tuition scholarship to the Henry Mancini Institute for one month; there she met Billy Childs her favourite composer. The musicians that had the most influence in her music are Wayne Shorter, Keith Jarrett, Paul McCandless, Thelonious Monk, Bela Bartok, Maurice Ravel. Daniela was guest artist of the prestigious Marian McPartland Piano Jazz radio program in June 2006. She is leading her group in several NYC venues and she was part of the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival 2006 and the Java Jazz Festival 2006. Recently she was featured among the top jazz musicians in NYC in the Japanese Playboy Magazine of October.

Her CDs “Quintet” and “I colori del mare” are available on www.cdbaby.com, where you can also listen to her compositions. Her second CD, which features Gene Jackson, Jimmy Greene and Alex Sipiagin among others, has been released with the Italian jazz label Splasc Records.

She is going to perform at the Brooklyn Museum on April 18th, not away from where I live in Park Slope. Certainly, not to be missed! I will try to get a group of friends together that evening.
Here is a list of the next venues where she is going to perform with shows in the US, Italy and Germany in the next months:

APRIL

The first half of the month - Jazzset Radio Program (NPR) hosted by Dee Dee Bridgewater will broadcast a live peformance at The Kennedy Center on May 12th 2006 of the Daniela Schaechter Quartet with drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, bassist Oleg Osenkov and trumpeter Alex Sipiagin.

9th - Daniela Schaechter Trio at Bar Next Door. 8:00pm-11:30pm www.lalanternacaffe.com 129 MacDougal St.

11th - Zinc Bar with Tine Bruhn Quartet 7pm-9pm

18th - Brooklyn Museum with Deborah Latz Quartet 5pm

20th - Cape May Jazz Festival with Eric Frazier Group NJ

MAY

3rd - Downtown Manhattan with Ada Rovatti Quartet NYC

4th - Daniela Schaechter at Sofia’s 7pm-11:30pm

25th - Enzo’s with Deborah Latz Quartet 8pm

JULY

5th - Munich Germany with Katja Endemann Quartet

12th - Messina Italy

13th - Messina Italy

14th - Messina Italy

27th - Daniela Schaechter Quartet at The RiverRoom NY

Technorati Tags [ daniela schaechter | sicilian jazzist | messina | sicily | jazz in new york city | brooklyn museum | smoke jazz club ]

Among all the traditions that Sicily preserves for Easter, I still remember the Easter Marzipan Lamb (agnello pasquale in Italian, agneddu pasquali in sicilian dialect). My grandfather used to give one to me every Easter. In fact, the marzipan lamb is an Easter tradition: you cannot find it any other time of the year. I used to prefer it the chocolate eggs, even if so sweet.

I am not quite sure where the tradition of the marzipan Easter lamb started in Sicily, but the town of Favara (Agrigento province) has been organizing a festival every year since 1997. The festival, a spectacle of colors, flavors and sweetness, gathers some of the best pastry chefs of the island. Apparently, some of the recipes of the Easter lamb are dated back to 1800.

To make the base of the marzipan dough:

• 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) blanched almonds
• 2 1/4 pounds (1 k) sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup cinnamon water (see above)

A great wine to pair with this dessert is the Donnafugata Ben Rye’ Passito di Pantelleria. You can find more information about the history and tradition of the marzipan Easter lamb at http://italianfood.about.com/od/italiandesserts/r/blr0732.htm.

Technorati Tags [ agnello pasquale | marzipan easter lamb | sicily easter traditions | sicily ]