west sicily

8/3/2019 West Sicily

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/west-sicily 1/82

alla scoperta della Sicilia

April 15, 2005

Philadelphia, PA by Renza Monteleone



Sicilia

´To have seen Italy without seeing Sicily is

not to have seen Italy at all,for Sicily is the key to everythingµ

(J. W. Goethe, 1787)



Sicilia: geografia

Sicily is the biggest island of theMediterranean sea and largest region of Italy

Mar Tirreno

Mar Ionio

Mar Mediterraneo



Sicilia: la Trinacria

The word Trinacria means"triangle" as for the shape

of Sicily, the largest islandin the Mediterranean

the Greeks called it Trinakrias the Romans called it Trinacrium, meaning "star

with 3 points´

today it·s known as Sicilia



Sicilia: la Trinacria, oggi

The Sicilian Banner recentlyadopted by the autonomous regionof Sicily has the Trinacria in its

center on a shield of yellow goldand red-orange

This is a picture of the banner asit now hangs in the Palazzo Reale,the seat of the RegionalParliament in Palermo



Sicilia: un po· di storia«

Sicily has been inhabited since IX-VIImillennium BC

Signs of people from Africa in the isle ofPantelleria, in Palermo and Trapani·s area

V millennium: agriculture and breeding;first dwellings

End of the XIII c. BC.: two mean groupslive in Sicily: Sicani at West, Siculi atEast



Sicilia: un po· di storia«

Sicani: Name attributed to an ancientpopulation of Western Sicily. Not pertainingto the great Indo-European grouping, their

origin is unknown

Siculi: Name attributed to the ancientinhabitants of Oriental Sicily. Coming fromthe italic peninsula,they are considered a descent close to Latin



Sicilia: Fenici

X c. BC: Phoenician (Syrian and Palestinianorigins)

The Phoenician colonization of the

Mediterranean sea seems to have started atthe end of the XII c. BC

They founded Palermo, Mozia and Solunto



Sicilia: Greci

VIII-VII c. BC: Greek (East)Magna Grecia: Agrigento, Segesta, Selinunte,Taormina, Siracusa

V c. BC: greatest flourishing in Siracusa



Sicilia: Romani

III c. BC: RomansThey overworked the land: ´latifondoµ(latifundium)

Sicily became the ´granaio dell·imperoµ(granary of the Roman Empire)

The Romans used and modified the Greekmonuments (as the theatres)

Private building: Villa del Casale at PiazzaArmerina



Piazza Armerina

Piazza Armerina is rather overshadowed bythe fabulous Roman Villa of Casale, yet itsattractive historic center, clustered around

a Baroque cathedral, is worthy of interest inits own right



Sicilia: Arabi

476 BC.: end of the Western Empire

535 BC: annexation to Eastern Empire

Arabian heritage in thelanguage, food, monuments

Islam·s influence: cosmopolitanbroadmindedness, progress of science

Parco d·Orleans



Sicilia: il periodo normanno-svevo

1091 AC: Cristian reconquest

(Ruggero d·Altavilla)

FeudalismArabian-Norman art: Islamic, Romanesque,Byzantine elements



Sicilia: il periodo normanno-svevo

1198-1250: Federico II di SveviaStupor Mundi

He loved the arts andparticularly the poetry:´scuola sicilianaµ

Castello Ursino

Gothic style



Sicilia: le ultime dominazioni

1415: Spanish domination (Aragonesi)

1713: Savoia

1722: Austrians

1734: Borboni

1860: Garibaldi, rebellious act against theforeign domination

Annexion to Italy (regno d·Italia)

Since 1946 Sicily is an autonomous region



Marsala

The Romans called it Lilybaeum (conquered in 241

BC following the great sea battle that also led tothe conquest of Drepanum, Trapani)

Founded as a Carthaginiancolony in 379 BC following thedestruction of the nearbysettlement on the island of

Mozia by the Syracusans

The Saracen Arabs called it "Marsa el Allah," orPort of God, which is the basis of its present name



Marsala

The region was always known for its fine grapes,but it was the Englishman, John Woodhouse, whointroduced the fortified wine business here in1796, having already developed a similar product

(Port wine) in Portugal

The Florio family

set up a firm in1831

Marsala wine



MoziaReachable by the pier located in

the ´Spanishµ district in theterritory of Marsala, it was one ofthe largest Phoenician centers inSicily

Whitaker Museum

il Giovane (the young man), a statue ofGreek origin from the second half of

the V century BC

The archaeological excavations have revealedprecious finds such as the necropolis, a house ofmosaics, and a paved road



Trapani



Trapani

Originally it was a Sicanian village and it thenbecame a small, fortified town where traders,fishermen and craftsmen from different populations

lived for centuries

Narrowly situated between the sea and Mount Erice,the ancient Drepanon developed around its port

Population:69.497



Trapani

It was a smallseaside townfounded by thePhoenicians

From the IX c. BC they lost their independence andsettled in the western Mediterranean: theyfounded Carthage and reinforced Trapani

241 c. BC: Romans occupy Trapani

827 c. BC: Arabic domination starts



Trapani´Trapani, the town of the primitives and an ancientplace of residence, is surrounded by the sea from allsides. The sea enters the town by means of a bridgefrom the eastern side. The port is situated in thesouthern part: it is a tranquil port without movement.Here a large number of sailing ships spend the wintersheltered from the winds since the sea remains calmhere while waves rage outside. An abundance of fishis caught in this port; large tuna nets are also set,and coral of the finest quality is found in the sea ofTrapani. In front of the entrance to the town lies asalina (saltworks)µ

Al· Idris, an Arab geographer at the court of King Ruggero



TrapaniThe Arabs called Trapani Itrabinis, Tarabanis,Trapanesch and their presence significantlymarked the town: in architecture, agriculture,art, language and culture

1097: Trapani was conquered by the NormanRuggero

The Sicilian Vespri of 1282, in which numerousnotables from Trapani participated, broughtthe Angionian domination in Sicily to an end

This is when the Aragonese domination began(1282-1713)



TrapaniThe Spedaletto (Giudecca Palace)

is a Catalan Gothic structurebuilt in the XVI c.

The Cathedral and the CollegioChurch were built in the Baroquestyle during the XVII c.

The Church of

Sant'Agostino isRomanesque Gothicwith a beautifulrose window



Trapani: cosa mangiare

Pasta con bottarga

(salted mullet role)

Cous cous



Erice

750 meters above the sea-level



EriceAncient Eryce was a

prosperous Elimi city,Eryx, famous for itstemple to a fertilitygoddess, Astarte, later

identified with Venus andworshipped by the Romans

Medieval character:

ramparts, paved streets,stone-built houses with thedecorated doors, smallplaces and churches



Erice

The church, erected in 1314,outside has a rectangularpronaos of 1426 whith fourarches and a gothic doorway

The bell-tower was built as

a vedette tower in 1312

Inside: Gothic style; worksby Domenico Gagini (1420-1492) and fragments offrescos by Catalan school of

the XV century



Erice

Ettore Majorana Centre,Institute forinternational research,wished by the eminent

physicist AntonioZichichi from Trapani

The Institute attracts

the most qualifiedscholars in the world intreating scientificproblems which concern

different fields



San Vito lo Capo



San Vito lo Capo

It is a charming coastal town with evident Arabicand Spanish influence. Its characteristic lowwhite houses, shaded from the sun and wind andshrouded in bougainvillea, hibiscus, jasmine and

orange and lemon trees, are captivating

San Vito holds a couscous festival the third weekof September

San Vito is near the Zingaro Nature Reserve andthe hamlet of Scopello, where some scenes of the

movie Ocean's Twelve were filmed in 2004

http://www.couscousfest.it/inglese/evento.htm



Riserva dello Zingaro

1976: start datefor coast road

May 18, 1980:protest march to

stop the coastroad·s work

1981: establishment of Riserva naturale dello Zingaro




Surface: 1.650 hectare

Length (coast): 7 Km

The coast is rocky(Mesozoic limestone),

Several ´caletteµ(small bays) and, in

other parts, thecliff falls sheer tothe sea




faraglioni

baia Capreria

http://www.riservazingaro.it/



Mondello



Monreale

With a splendid position high above theConca d·Oro

The city·s heart and soul is still

represented by the area radiating fromthe cathedral



PalermoThe province of Palermo is composed of 82cities

Population: 698.556

Palermo, Sicily·s main port, nestles in themiddle of a wide bay enclosed, to the north,by the Pellegrino Mount and, to the south,

by Capo Zafferano



Palermo: porto



Palermo: IX-VIII millennium BC

Grotte dell·Addaura (Paleo-Mesolithic Art)



PalermoPalermo was founded by the Phoenicians in theVII c. BC who called it Ziz, meaning flower

from which Palermo(corrupted by the

introduction of theArabic nameBalharm) has beenderived for us today

This, in time was conquered by the Romans whogave it the name Panormus (from the Greek

words meaning ´large port of rockµ)



Palermo: la CattedraleBuilt in 1184 by the Norman king William II in the

place of a Muslim mosque

The cathedral has undergone several renovationsover the centuries, which have resulted in its

current Neo-Classical style



Palermo: la Cattedrale

XIV: four bell-towers

XV-XVI: porches/arcades

XVIII: interior

300-400: façade



Palermo: Palazzo dei NormanniIX c.: the Arab emirs built this majestic building



Palermo: Palazzo dei Normanni

During the reign of Frederick II, the Palaceenjoyed a period of splendor, and becamethe center of cultural life in the city, as theheadquarters of the ´Sicilian Schoolµ

After the Arabs, the building wastransformed into a luxurious palace by theNormans

The Palazzo dei Normanni has been the seatof the Regional Sicilian Assembly since 1947



Palermo: Cappella Palatina

The famous French writer Guy deMaupassant defined it as

´the most beautiful in the world, the mostsurprising religious jewel ever dreamt of bymanµ



Palermo: Cappella Palatina

The Palatine Chapel contains a harmoniousblend of opposing cultures, Byzantine,Norman, Arabic, and Sicilian, creating a truly

amazing architectural and artistic result

It is home to some of the most beautiful

mosaics in the world that depict famousscenes from the bible. The wooden ceilingstyled into Arab-style stalactites and alveoliis dated back to 1143



Palermo: la Martorana




Official name: Saint Mary's of the AdmiralIt was built in 1143 at the behest ofGeorge of Antioch (famous Admiral during the reignof King Roger II)

The church, which was Greek Orthodoxduring the Norman era, was "converted" tothe Roman Rite in the 13th century

The Martorana's original Norman Arabconstruction was unfortunately altered in

the 17th century




The most famous mosaic isthe one of King Roger II beingcrowned by Christ

It represents thesovereign's authority as

emanating directly fromGod, not the Pope, anextremely importantconcept in the politics of

12th century Sicily

This design was lateremulated in Monreale

Cathedral, where KingWilliam II isportrayed crowned byChrist in a mosaic wall

panel



Palermo: 4 canti

l



Palermo: 4 cantiThis is the heart of the old city center of Palermo;

the square is located at the crossroads betweenthe city·s two main streets: Via Vittorio Emanueleand Via Maqueda that cut Palermo into four parts,known as ´mandamentiµ

In the four corners of the square there are fourseventeenth-century palaces, whose façades havea convex shape facing onto the square, and four

basins with statues that represent the fourseasons, Spanish kings and various patron saints ofPalermo·s four old quartes

The fountains at ground level are typically Baroque



Palermo: piazza Pretoria



Palermo: piazza Pretoria

This wonderful sixteenth-century fountain is inthe center of the square carrying the same namein front of the Municipio (City Hall)

Also, it is known as ´piazza delle vergogneµ (shames)

It was built by the Florentine sculptor

Francesco Camilliani, and originally decoratedthe garden of a villa in Tuscany; it was thenpurchased by the city of Palermo, dismantledand rebuilt in Piazza Pretoria

The fencing around the fountain, designed byGiovan Battista Basile, was built in 1858

P l D



Palermo: San Domenico

Fine exampleof SicilianBaroque

The façadewas designedand built in1726 by

TommasoMaria Napoli

Inside thereare the tombsof severalSicilians ofnationalprominenceFrancescoCrispi, thefirst primeminister of aunited Italy,is buried here



Palermo: lo Spasimo

P l d ll



Palermo: S. Maria dello SpasimoThis ´almostµ church, that can be seen in the Kalsaarea of the city, dates back to the 1506 when, stillunfinished, the building was allocated to another use

In the 1536, due to the threat of a Turkish

invasion, Santa Maria dello Spasimo was in facttransformed into a defense bulwark for the city

Later, during a plague epidemic in Palermo, the area

was used as a lazaretto hospital and then as awarehouse

The building has now become thesite of important cultural events

P l Zi



Palermo: Zisa

Its name comes from the Arabicword ´al-azizµ that means ´the

splendid oneµ

In Europe, this is one of the best buildings built in

Arabic style

This indeed splendid, charmingcastle was built by Arabicarchitects on the wishes of the

Norman king William IId·Altavilla and was completed in1175

Today is the Museum of Islam



Palermo: Teatro Massimo

The Teatro Massimo is one of the largest opera

theaters in Europe



Palermo: Teatro Massimo

The theater was designed by Gian Battista Basilearound 1868 and was built by his son Ernesto, whosupervised the works starting from 1891

This change of hands resulted in a classical styleexterior (inherited from the original project) andLiberty style inside, following the work of ErnestoBasile

In 1997, the theater was renovated and reopened tothe public, after twenty years of neglect and disuse

P l S t R li



Palermo: Santa RosaliaShe was the daughter of

Sinibald, Lord of Quisquinaand of Rosa, descended fromthe family of Charlemagne

In youthful days she lefthome and hid herself in acave near Bivona and later inanother of Monte Pellegrino

near Palermo, in which shedied and was buried

In 1624 her remains were discovered and brought

to the Cathedral of Palermo



Palermo: S. Rosalia

P l S R li



Palermo: S. RosaliaIn 1624, she saved the people of Palermo from the

plague when St Agata, St Oliva, St Ninfa and StCristina, squared up at the Quattro Canti, hadfailed totally

The plague arrived on a cargo ship from NorthAfrica and spread quickly through the city

The population turned to the saints, praying andhearing them in procession until someone

remembered Rosalia, a saint of Palermo recorded in1205 and who died as a hermit on Mt Pellegrino

Her bones, rediscovered and carried around the

city, miraculously halted the plague

P l ¶ S t il F ti



Palermo: ¶a Santuzza e il FestinoIt is an immense popular ex voto to St. Rosalia, for

grace received

It is originated as a great folkfestival with hot weather, lights,opulence, colours, smells, street feasts, shouting and

laughter and at the end wonderful fireworks

Every year on July 14th the´Santuzzaµ is carried triumphantly

on an enormous wagon conveyingthe grandiosity of Palermo -animmense ship- stern withnumerous musicians on board

P l l l k



Palermo: local markets

The most colorful and picturesque marketsare those selling food with their array ofmulticolored awnings, their brightly painted

stalls decked with assortments of fruit,vegetables or fish, lit with bare light-bulbs:

Vucciria

Ballarò

Capo

P l V



Palermo: VucciriaThe Vucciria market is Palermo·s mostfamous open market

The origin of its name iscontroversial: some maintainthat it comes from theFrench term boucherie(meat), whereas for others

it refers to the deafeningclamour of the voices of thetraders drawing attention totheir wares

R. Guttuso

P l V



Palermo: Vucciria

P l V i i



Palermo: Vucciria

Palermo: cosa mangiare




panino con la milza(bread roll filled withslices of boiled spleenand melted cheese)

panino con panelle(deep-fried chickpeafritters)

P l : s i



Palermo: cosa mangiaresfincione (thick slab of pizza with tomato, anchovy, onions

and bread-crumbs)

It is often offered forsale in local markets

P l m : s m n i




pasta con le sarde

polpo a Mondello

P l rm : d lci



Palermo: dolci

cannoli

gelo di mellone

M s i t i l d ll m i tt



Museo internazionale delle marionette

It contains the most complete, important collectionof ´pupiµ or puppets in the world, together with thestage equipment needed for the traditional shows

The collection includes about 3500 examples ofpuppets, marionettes and hand puppets from allover the world, all made by hand according to theantique craftsmen·s traditional techniques

The Museum was founded in 1975by the Association for thePreservation of Folk Traditions

Teatro dei pupi a Palermo



For generations not only have these highly-

skilled puppeteers put on performances, butthey have themselves made the actualpuppets

Teatro dei pupi a PalermoThis ancient tradition of the puppet theatre

in Palermo is associated with the Cuticchiofamily

The Palermitan isabout 90centimetres talland weighs less

than 15 kilos

Sicily: shopping



Sicily: shopping piece of pottery

pupi siciliani

́marranzanoµ

wines, liquors (Passito di Pantelleria, Moscato, Ficodì)

T di i i tt i ili



Tradizioni: carretto siciliano

Created as a means of transporting goods,it is today the symbol of the sicilian culture

T di i i tt i ili



Tradizioni: carretto siciliano

T di i i: l f st d l s



Tradizioni: la festa del paese«

Tradizioni: Santi e cibo



Sfince diSan Giuseppe

Arancine perSanta Lucia

Tradizioni: Santi e cibo

arance siciliane



arance siciliane

pomodori secchi



pomodori secchi

la ´cucuzzaµ



la cucuzza

fi hi d·Indi



fichi d India

(prickly pear)

west sicily

Documents