An Ionian seaside town, Avola is a mix of old and new. The town focuses heavily on the sea, with its history as a tuna fishing port. Today, the remains of the Vecchia Tonnara at the wharf are a stone backdrop to the sandy beaches. Avola dates back to a pre-Greek people called the Sicani.…
Located about 11 kilometres north of Catania, it is the perfect little commune to visit during the ottobrata – the local festivity that occurs every October here in Sicily, celebrating the fruits of the land: frutti di terra. The first encounter went wrong already 🙂 Approaching the booth with fruit, I have noticed quince – one…
If something is worth visiting in life, it is the Aeolian islands. Becasue it makes you think about winter in the south. It makes you think about simplicity of life. And it makes you realise how not to treat the tourists: just some bags of potatoes that need to be shipped from one island to…
I haven’t had a chance to spent a bit more time discovering this city. But just a glimpse and it made me think to re-visit and make it’s due. When the time will come, I promise to update with more photos. But for now, enjoy the story 🙂 Several civilizations settled in Milazzo and left…
I didn’t expect much from this harbour city, to be honest. I knew they have a great beer – Messina cristali di sale: a great Sicilian beer brewed since 1923 and one of the most loved Italian beers. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy.…
Senlis is a city in the northern French department of Oise, Hautes de France. Cute, medieval and charming. It offered us great peek into history: The monarchs of the early French dynasties lived in Senlis, attracted by the proximity of the Chantilly forest. Senlis is situated on the river Nonette. Senlis was known in early Roman imperial times as Augustomagus. During the 3rd century, a seven-meter…
The Château de Chantilly is one of the finest jewels in the crown of France’s cultural heritage. It is the work of a man with an extraordinary destiny: Henri d’Orléans, Duke of Aumale, son of the last King of France, Louis-Philippe. This historic French château located in the town of Chantilly, Oise, about 50 kilometres north of Paris. The site…
The Scala dei Turchi is a rocky cliff on the coast of Realmonte, near Porto Empedocle. It has become a tourist attraction, partly due to its mention series of detective stories about Commissario Montalbano. The cliffs lie between two sandy beaches and are a limestone rock formation in the shape of a staircase, hence the name. The latter part…
Picture this episode: we parked on a roundabout. Some local approached us (my brother and me) – we thought because we should have not park in a roundabout, but then again they all did, so… in fact the guy just wanted to ask if we have cigarettes. Ok Sicily, episode n. At the roundabout is…
Enna or as the Sicilians would say Castrugiuvanni; is a city located roughly at the center of Sicily, towering above the surrounding countryside. It has earned the nicknames belvedere (panoramic viewpoint) and ombelico (“navel”) of Sicily. At 931m above sea level, Enna is the highest Italian provincial capital. To arrive there is not a piece of cake. Passing the two viaducts Morello and…
Aci Castello and the other Acis around are destinations not to be missed in Sicily, especially for lovers of Greek myths and literature. It is here that the poets Virgil and Ovid gave birth to the myth of Galatea and Aci and their love story. In the second half of 1100 the town was destroyed…
This is city is one of my favourite places in Sicily. Let me show you its magic! Taormina has been a tourist destination since the 19th century. Its beaches on the Ionian sea, including that of Isola Bella, are accessible via an aerial tramway built in 1992, and via highways from Messina in the north and Catania in the south. In 2017 Taormina…
From its dramatic natural surroundings to its historic churches, Sicily has something to offer every traveler. The island of Sicily is a unique part of Italy. Its craggy mountains, wild […]
From its dramatic natural surroundings to its historic churches, Sicily has something to offer every traveler. The island of Sicily is a unique part of Italy. Its craggy mountains, wild vegetation, and omnipresent sea have fired the imagination of poets, wayfarers, and visitors alike.
Though it is one of 20 Italian regions, its history under the yoke of endless conquerors –especially the Normans – has led to its own distinctive customs, traditions, and even language that make life on the island unique from that on the peninsula.
The island has a rich history. Archaeologists have identified evidence of civilization as early as 12,000 B.C. By the fifth century B.C., Sicily was a thriving part of Magna Graecia (Greater Greece), attested to by numerous well-preserved Greek temples and theaters. Under Norman rule in the latter half of the 11th century, a Golden Age ensued in which diverse cultures including Muslims, Jews, Western and Eastern Christians lived together in harmony. Under the leadership of King Roger I, there was a fusion of Arabian and Byzantine features in architecture and art in what is known as the Sicilian Romanesque.
Christianity arrived in the island early. By the time St. Paul’s arrival in Malta, Sicily, and Italy was documented in the Book of Acts, there was already a community of fervent believers: “Three months later we set sail on a ship that had wintered at the island. It was an Alexandrian ship with the Dioscuri as its figurehead. We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days” (28:11-12).
Today, Sicilians are known for their devout faith. Throughout the island, feast days of local patron saints are observed with rich pageantry and popular traditions. The Cathedral of Cefalu is one of the greatest examples of Norman architecture in all of Sicily. Erected between 1131 and 1240 in the Norman architectural stye, it is believed the church was the result of a vow made to the Holy Savior by King Roger II, who survived a storm and arrived safely on the beach nearby. The building has a fortress-like character, and seen from a distance it dominates the skyline of the surrounding medieval town.
Past the long stretch of beach of Cefalù, between the narrow streets of this town, we reach via Vittorio Emanuele, that hides a precious spot, only a few meters under street level: the medieval wash-house. Through a wide staircase made of lava and lumachella stone with a slight spiralling pattern, we can catch a glimpse of the public wash-house near the Late-Renaissance Palazzo Martino. ”Here flows river Cefalino, more salubrious than any other river, purer than silver, colder than snow”. An inscription at the entrance to the wash-house gives, from the very start, the idea of a curious place, that hides a special story. According to legend, the river Cefalino is born from the pain of a nymphDafni who, after killing her unfaithful lover, regretted her actions, drowning the old wash-house of Cefalù in tears.
Porta Pescara is an ancient medieval gate, the former entrance to the city of Cefalù. The door, with a Gothic arch, is located in the historic center of the municipality, next to the beach and the old port. From its interior, you get beautiful views of both points of interest.
Cefalu has the city walls and its bastions. Not much has survived from the various rulers. An interesting one is Bastione di Capo Marchiafava. It is a polygon facing the sea built in 17th century. If the weather is good you can spot Aeolian island.
The city is just below the rock which you can climb up and visit some remains of the ancient city that are still visible, on the summit of the rock; but the nature of the site proves that it could never have been more than a small town, and probably owed its importance only to its almost impregnable position. However, the view is breathtaking.
From that point, we decided to come down to the city center again and lunch. Between my brother and me, it was my point to choose the place to eat. Somehow my legs guided me to a restaurant called Lo Scoglio Ubriaco. Boy that place had stories. First of all, just at the entrance there were my beloved Belgian King Albert ll and Belgian Queen Paola Ruffo di Calabria. Seems like my conscience has been telling me how much I am missing Belgium.
The name of the restaurant means the drunken rock. According to the legend, the ship was passing next to these cliffs and rocks and had the shipwreck. As it was carrying the bottles of wine, they all got broken and wine spilled across. Apperently, the fishes were having a big fiesta that night. And so did I! 😛