All this history ... and ice cream too.

Roman amphitheatre, Segesta

Just re-acclimatising myself to Beloved Brugge post my Palermo interlude. And what an interlude! The images are swirling around my mind but the ones which still most impress are of the stunning archaeological remains and the wondrous mosaics. Of course there is more to Palermo than these but the numerous UNESCO heritage sites are quite extraordinary and probably, unique.

The Little Hunt; mosaic from Piazza Armerina

The mid-12th century Duomo in Monreale is perhaps the overwhelming and most awe-inspiring sight I saw. Ten centuries after its creation [and built in ten years only in the mid 1170s] it retains its golden sheen and its fluid, pictorial narratives to dazzle modern tourists as much as it inspired awe and exultation in the minds and spirits of early mediaeval man.

Chamber of the Ten Maidens aka

Room of the Bikini Girls.

But, tying for first place is also the stunning Roman villa complex at Piazza Armerina. Constructed along four terraces on four levels, in three phases, in the early 4^th century A.D. for a highly-placed official or aristocrat, quite probably the Governor of Sicily, the monumental staircase, enormous halls and passages, gymnasium, complex bathing areas and private apartments, speak of luxury and wealth. There are the remains of 62 rooms but the most thrilling and well-preserved sights are of the copious number of mosaic pavements. The villa was inhabited for around 150 years and was finally abandoned after a huge mudslide in 1170 and despite the visible remains of taller structures, the area was farmed and the treasures below, chiefly forgotten until the discovery of some mosaics in the nineteenth century although the first professional excavation was not until 1929.

 There were more UNESCO World Heritage sites from the amazing Valle dei Tempi near Agrigento

Greek Temple, Segesta

to the tiny simple church of San Cataldo in Palermo with its Norman Arab architectural echoes, and then the majesty of the Capella Palatina. All variously impressive in beauty and narrative, and also in pointing to the layered history of Sicily with its thousands of years of conquest by different civilisations.
Ancient Greek temples, Roman theatres, Arabic street plans, Byzantine/Norman churches; all reminders of past occupations which contributed to the multi-cultural jigsaw that is Sicily.

Teatro Massimo, third biggest Opera House in Europe.

But there was also the delight of a guided tour of the Teatro Massimo and a performance of the Wizard of Oz for approximately1000 small children bubbling over with excitement. And the Teatro Argento, one of the puppet theatres with its magical marionettes and bloodthirsty dramas. Plus the great street food and the outdoor incredibly noisy, full-on markets. All not to be missed!

Mosaic, Monreale

Obviously there are informative guide books to be read and the danger to be avoided of forcing people to view one’s holiday snaps but I just had to write a little about Palermo;




chaotic, frenetic, dirty and litter-strewn, poor but fiercely independent, exuberantly and deliberately anti-any-and-all regulations, hugely vibrant and open and welcoming. Sicily is even more Italian than Italy I would say though, in truth, the Sicilians differ greatly, historically and culturally, from the Italians. In fact, Sicily feels unique and Palermo, its capital city, captures the essence of the island in all its quixotic glory and in spite of its many burdens.

Changing the scenery at the Teatro Argento dei Pupi.