Sicily Daily Photo

Presepe

2006-12-24T18:42:00.000+01:00

Photo: Elisabetta Ciancio
Where: Caltagirone (CT)

Duomo

2006-12-19T12:21:00.001+01:00

Photo: mburgard Flickr
Where: Catania (CT)
History: erected in 1092, it was remade in 1169 and also after the earthquake of 1693. The vivacious façade, with two orders of columns (those of the superior order are ancient), it is a work of G.B. Vaccarini, also author of the prospectus of the left side, that includes a beautiful portal of 1577.

Stairs

2006-12-10T09:59:00.000+01:00

Photo: Paola Bertoncini
Where: Paternò (CT)
History: the 700's monumental staircase that leads to the main church, Santa Maria dell'Alto

CeramicART #2

2006-11-09T20:21:00.000+01:00

Photo: geo8 Flickr
Where: Scalinata di Santa Maria del Monte @ Caltagirone (CT)
History: the main landmark of Caltagirone is the 142-step monumental staircase of Santa Maria del Monte, built from 1608 in the old part of the town; the peculiarity is that each step is decorated with different hand-painted ceramics, using styles and figures derived from the millennial tradition of pottery making.

Surroundings

2006-11-08T09:15:00.000+01:00

Photo: sil_83 Flickr
Where: Caltagirone (CT)

Castello Ursino

2006-11-07T18:59:00.001+01:00

Photo: Leandro's World Tour Flickr
Where: Catania (CT)
History: the name Ursino comes from the Latin "Castrum sinus", i.e. "castle of the gulf" -- originally it stood high above the sea, but as a result of the lava flow caused by the eruption of Mount Etna in 1669 it is now some hundreds of metres from the coast. Ursino Castle, a stern, massive construction, was built between 1239 and 1250 by the architect Richard of Lentini, by order of Frederick II of Swabia. The castle was the residence of the Aragonese royal family in the 14th century. In the mid-18th century it was surrounded by imposing defensive walls and later altered in the southern part in Renaissance style. In 1837 it became a prison. Today, restored and illuminated by an evocative lighting system, it is the seat of the Civic Museum, and the picture gallery is the venue of art exhibitions.

Basilica di San Pietro e Paolo

2006-11-06T16:50:00.000+01:00

Photo: sciori Flickr
Where: Acireale (CT)

Ponte dei Saraceni #2

2006-11-05T09:17:00.000+01:00

Photo: Franco Marletta
Where: Ponte dei Saraceni @ Adrano (CT)
History: Bridge of the Saracens is found in the territory of Adrano between the province of Enna and Catania, to testimony the Arabic architecture in the oriental Sicily. Anciently, it was used for the exchange of goods between the various civilizations on the margins of Simeto River

Simeto

2006-11-04T17:11:00.000+01:00

Photo: Franco Marletta
Where: Simeto River near Ponte dei Saraceni @ Adrano (CT)

Ponte dei Saraceni

2006-11-03T20:52:00.000+01:00

Remembrance

2006-11-02T10:31:00.000+01:00

Photo: Sim Dawdler Flickr
Where: Cactus flower in the countryside - Pedara (CT)

Beautiful sunset #2

2006-11-01T16:27:00.000+01:00

Photo: Giuseppe Sergi
Where: Aci Bonaccorsi (CT)

CeramicART

2006-10-31T17:14:00.000+01:00

Photo: cazenave Flickr
Where: Tiles everywhere - Caltagirone (CT)

Ave Maria

2006-10-30T20:56:00.000+01:00

Photo: geo8 Flickr
Where: Scalinata di Santa Maria del Monte @ Caltagirone (CT)
History: the main landmark of Caltagirone is the 142-step monumental Staircase of Santa Maria del Monte, built from 1608 in the old part of the town; the peculiarity is that each step is decorated with different hand-decorated ceramics, using styles and figures derived from the millennial tradition of pottery making.

Counting sheeps

2006-10-29T11:20:00.000+01:00

Photo: pupanna Flickr
Where: Belpasso (CT)

Too hot, baby

2006-10-28T15:14:00.000+02:00

Photo: bjola Flickr
Where: Lava flow on Etna volcano - Catania (CT)

Summer carnival

2006-10-27T17:12:00.000+02:00

Photo: agoinunpagliaio Flickr
Where: Acireale (CT)
History: Acireale is undisputed "queen" of the Sicilian carnival.
Ten artisan yards feverishly work every year to prepare as many wagons that, on the occasion of the "more beautiful carnival of Sicily", they unthread stately in procession for the roads of the center, in an I exult of colors and imagination among thousand of people that fill the roads and the plazas of the city originating from the whole island.

The goodfellas

2006-10-26T09:29:00.000+02:00

Photo: b00ne Flickr
Where: Adrano (CT)

Dongione

2006-10-25T20:43:00.000+02:00

Photo: references not found
Where: Adrano (CT)
History: a norman castle in the centre of the town, built in 1070 on behalf of Roger I; inside the castle is the archaeological museum with antique findings of the region.

Stazione Centrale

2006-10-24T12:41:00.000+02:00

Photo: Leandro[at]Catania Flickr
Where: Catania (CT)

The old well

2006-10-23T16:31:00.000+02:00

Photo: michele parisi
Where: The well in the courtyard @ Castello di Nelson - Bronte (CT)

Granai

2006-10-22T16:10:00.000+02:00

Photo: giambattista scivoletto
Where: Castello di Nelson - Bronte (CT)
History: the old granai, where the wheat was stocked.

The beauty of a courtyard

2006-10-21T18:34:00.000+02:00

Photo: Gaetano Timpanaro
Where: the garden @ Castello di Nelson - Bronte (CT)
History: this is a former Benedictine abbey, built in the same place of the battles between the Saraceni and the troops of the general Maniace; inside there are a splendid garden and a small norman church dedicated to the Madonna di Maniace. Recently restructured, the castle works as a museum, while the old granai (where the wheat was stocked) became object of studies and a place to conferences.

The Castle #2

2006-10-20T16:24:00.000+02:00

Photo: Vincenzo Vinciprova
Where: Acicastello (CT)

Cassata siciliana

2006-10-19T17:30:00.000+02:00

Photo: pepperagusa Flickr
Where: Everywhere :-) and to be honest, it is impossible to resist the spell of a tantalizing mixture of sponge cake, chocolate, sweetened ricotta, candied fruit, nuts and carefully decorated with thick icing or marzipan and covered with brightly colored candied fruits.

To celebrate my niece's 6th birthday.
Auguri, bambolina!