Category: Rome and Sicily 2024

Siracusa, Tuesday, May 7, 2024

We were all a bit sad to leave Zash…it has a genuinely unique atmosphere. But Siracusa, once the most powerful city in the world, beckoned. So it was off south down the autostrada. Our hotel (which had confusingly changed its name from the Hotel Roma to the Palazzo Artemide) was on the island of Ortigia, the original part of Siracusa separated from the mainland only by a narrow channel. Getting onto Ortigia was fairly easy, but our first attempt to reach the hotel was a bust: it turned out that the final, necessary maneuver entailed driving down a street marked “Pedestrians only.”

The hotel has the best location on Ortigia: it is literally attached to the back of the cathedral (it’s the pink palazzo in the photo below. The hotel is recently renovated, extremely comfortable, and has a exceptionally friendly and helpful staff.

We started our stay with an orienting walk around the end of the island. Piazza Duomo remains one of the most beautiful squares in Italy.

Next stop was the harbor. It was the size of this protected harbor–the largest on the Mediterranean–that led to Siracusa’s ascendency. It really is astonishingly large. And best viewed from the enormous belvedere near the artesian spring. As you can see, we were having our first day with anything less than brilliant weather–overcast and hazy.

To the left of the belvedere is the Fonte Arethusa, one of the most famous springs of the Greek world. The spring of the nymph Arethusa was celebrated by Pindar and Ovid: when Arethusa was bathing in the River Alpheios near Olympia, the river god fell in love with her. In order to escape from him, Arethusa plunged into the Ionian sea and reappeared here. Transformed by the goddess Artemis into a spring, she was pursued here by Alpheus, who mingled his river water with that of the spring: it was believed that the river in the Peloponnese was connected, via the sea, to the fountain of Arethusa.

Continuing along the harbor, we soon came to a new use of the suffix “-eria.” We had seen “drinkerias”, but this was a new one.

At the end of the island, near the mouth of the harbor, sits the 13th century Castello Miniace.

We then dove into the maze of streets that criss-cross the island. Ortigia preserves countless palazzi, most of them in a lovey honey colored stone, all of them sporting numerous balconies.

Near the channel to the mainland sits the ruins of the great Temple of Apollo. It is the earliest peripteral Doric (rows of Doric columns along the front, back, and sides) temple in Sicily, built of local limestone in the late 7th century bc and attributed to the architects Kleomenes and Epikleos. Transformed through the centuries, first into a church, then a mosque, then a Spanish prison and lastly a barracks. Most of these subsequent structures were removed in 1938. Two monolithic columns and part of the cella walls, showing the portal of the Norman church, remain intact.

The stumps of the columns visible in the picture below give some sense of the temple’s scale.

We headed for the fish market, but it was too late in the day… we had missed our chance. Vladimir and Connie headed hotelwards while Sue and I wandered down pretty much every street in the northeast quadrant of the island. Among other discoveries was the Jewish quarter, the Giudecca; the Jewish population has long since departed, but many of the structures they built have been excavated and restored. An early Christian basilica lies below what is now the church of San Giovanni Battista; the basilica was used for centuries as a synagogue and ritual bath. The present roofless structure was built in 1380; it has long since lost its roof, although it is still used for religious services.

Dinner was at one of our favorite restaurants, Osteria da Carlo “Apollonion.” This very simple seafood restaurant offers a sensational prix fixe (40 Euros): a plate of raw shrimp, langoustines, and anchovies; marinated tuna; a huge plate of mussels; pasta with sardines; and a filet of sea bream. And, oh yes, delicious desserts. We drank a wonderful Etna Bianco from Terre Nere.

The walk home was a treat: the Piazza Duomo at night is glorious.

Siracusa, Wednesday, May 8, 2024

After a nice breakfast at the hotel, we took a cab to the incredible archaeological park on the mainland.

Although we had been here before, large parts of the park were open that were closed a year ago. The path leads first to one of the pillars of the original quarries; the pillar gives an idea of the height and extent of the caves dug, largely by prisoners of war turned into slaves, into the hillside to obtain the finest limestone the quarries extended at least this far, and the roof sat atop this pillar. That’s one of the caverns in the distant background.

Much to the detriment of the experience, the park had seen fit to install an artist’s meditations on classical sculpture throughout the park.

Admittedly, these intrusions can’t diminish the awe one feels in these grottos.

The caverns are surrounded by gloriously beautiful gardens, the Latomia del Paradiso, with lemons, oleanders and pomegranates.

For centuries, the locals called the most famous of the grottos “the grotto of the sounds.” When you penetrate deep into its recesses, sounds produce a remarkable echo.

Then along came Caravaggio when he came to Siracusa on the run from a murder charge in Rome, who renamed it “the Ear of Dionysus.” And it stuck.

From the quarries the path leads upward to a small necropolis; the path is renamed Via dei Sepolcri. From above, one gets a grand view of the Greek Theater. Archaeological evidence has shown the existence of a wooden theater as early as the sixth century BC; the existing theater dates from 476. It was inaugurated by Aeschylus with the first production of Women of Aetna; his Persian Women was performed soon afterward.

OK, to be perfectly honest, we’e never seen the theater looking like that: it has been used for contemporary theater both times we’ve visited, and it looks like this:

From the theater the path leads to the imposing ruins of the altar of Hieron II, an enormous structure used for sacrifices to Zeus. It was hewed out of the rock between 241 and 217 BC. At 198m long and 22.8m wide, it is the largest Greek altar currently known.

And one then reaches the ruins of the Roman amphitheater, probably from the first century AD. Only the one in Verona is larger.

The archaeological park is a thrilling experience, as impressive in its way as the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento (see below).

Connie and Vladimir opted for a visit to a museum of ancient technology; Siracusa’s most famous citizen was the great scientist, mathematician, and inventor Archimedes (c. 287 – ca. 212 BC), and the museum gives insight into some of his most famous inventions.

Sue and I took a cab across town; we were eager to reach the church of Santa Lucia al Sepolcro before it closed for lunch. The church sits on the spot where Santa Lucia was buried. It was rebuilt by the Normans in the 12th century on the ruins of a Byzantine church destroyed by the Arabs (welcome to Sicily!). The campanile and lower facade in the picture below are Norman.

Over the high altar hangs Caravaggio’s Burial of St. Lucy (1608).

St. Lucy is of course venerated the world over, and is often associated with the redeeming power of light (her name stems from the Latin for light, lux). Caravaggio’s painting, rather than represent the association with light through a traditional motif (she is often portrayed holding a bowl or cup of eyes), makes light the very subject of the painting.

We then walked through much of mainland Siracusa, passing some ruins more interesting for the story they told than for themselves. The first was the stone base of a huge winch used to haul Greek ships to dry dock. Nearby are the remains of a Roman bath which may have been the place where the Byzantine Emperor Constans II was assassinated. Constans II was the first eastern emperor to visit Rome since the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476, and the last one to visit Rome while it was still held by the Empire.

Back on Ortigia, we finally found a time with fewer visitors to see the Duomo, one of our favorite churches anywhere. The baroque facade (1728-54) by Andrea Palma gives little hint of what lies within.

The cathedral, like so much of Sicily, has many layers. At its base is the great temple of Athena built by the Dictator Gelon in 480 BC to mark the victory of Siracusa over the rival city of Himera. I’ll let the Blue Guide to Sicily tell that story:

“In celebration of his victory, the finest craftsmen were selected to build a new temple to Athena on the summit of the island of Ortigia. Work probably continued for about ten years, although some scholars suggest that it took only two years to complete. Doric peripteral and hexastyle, with 14 columns on the long sides, the temple had doors inlaid with ivory and gold. Inside, the statue of Athena, larger than life-size, was made of Parian marble, with face, hands, feet and weapons of gold. Paintings by Zeuxis lined the walls of the cella. The magnificence of the building and these works of art were famous throughout the Mediterranean. The golden shield in the tympanum, which reflected the rays of the sun, was a landmark for sailors.”

In the centuries that followed, a Byzantine church was built on the ruins of Gelon’s temple; and, in the 7th century AD, the Bishop of Siracusa, Zosimus, repaired the Byzantine church and consecrated it as the cathedral of the city. The Byzantines had created a nave by carving arches into the solid walls of the Greek temple’s cella, the enclosed room at the center of a temple, usually containing a cult image or statue representing the particular deity venerated in the temple.

The aisles, in contrast, are bounded by the original columns of the temple. Of the temple’s 36 columns, 24 survive.

Connie, Sue, and I then repaired to a little shop specializing in the delightfully whimsical majolica made by the firm of De Simone. The brand, Ceramiche De Simone, was founded in the 1960’s by the creativity of a Palermitan aristocrat, Giovanni De Simone. His work is inspired by traditional folk stories and by artists such as Picasso, Matisse, Leger and Klee.

We left with a couple of gifts and a souvenir of this trip to Sicily!

Dinner was a bit of a bust! We had booked a table at a bistro that was supposed to serve definitive versions of local cuisine, but when we got there, we found it closed. So much for reservations! We wandered a bit, and decided just to try our luck at a joint near the cathedral. Food was decent and we resurrected the evening with an excellent cannoli on the street!

Villa Romana del Casale and Mandranova, Thursday, May 9, 2024

We had a long drive northwest to the remains of a huge Roman villa near the town of Piazza Armerina. The opening kilometers were rather desolate, but as we rose into the mountains, the views again became spectacular.

The term “villa” really doesn’t prepare one for the vast, rambling structure that was, in the first century AD, the center of an enormous agricultural estate. All written records have been lost, but scholars speculate that the donor was either a member of the imperial family or a high-ranking Roman senator. The villa is famous for its mosaics, which cover 3500 square meters of flooring and are said to be the largest and richest remaining examples. I won’t guide you through the villa, but will provide instead some examples of the remarkable artistry that was preserved when the entire complex was covered by a landslide.

The major group of mosaics cover a broad hallway that separates the more public areas of the villa–the baths, guest apartments, dining halls–from the master’s apartments. It is generally referred to as “the Great Hunt,” although the animals in question are not being killed; they are exotic animals being captured and transported, presumably for games in Rome.

Just as well known is the depiction of women’s athletic events.

Just outside the master’s apartment itself is a broad semicircle with charming scenes of putti at sea.

In the apartments themselves are scenes, sometimes violent, of domination.

And the artists weren’t above a bit of eroticism.

As we entered the final room, an enormous basilica probably used as a throne room for receiving guests and supplicants, the rain began to drum on the roof built to protect the mosaics. We ran for it, but were thoroughly soaked by the time we were halfway to the car, so we ducked into the site restaurant and, avoiding the rather sad looking pizza and pasta, indulged in…potato chips.

The rains soon let up, and we headed west southwest for our next destination, the Azienda Agricola Mandranova. The driving was a bit challenging at first, with huge puddles on the small roads we were traversing and then, just as the rain let up, google routed us over three roads in terrible condition, forcing us to proceed at 5 mph between potholes. That behind us, we were soon rising into some gorgeous mountain scenery, with twisting and plunging mountain roads.

We gradually descended toward the south coast, which led us to our home for the next couple of days, the wonderful Agriturismo named Mandranova. During this, our second stay, we learned a good deal more about the property from the owners, who are intensively involved with both the hospitality offerings and the farm work. The couple who own the estate bought it in the early nineties. By 1995 they had planted 2500 olive trees; they now produce about 40,000 liters of oil a year. They renovated the old farm buildings, including the olive press, and opened as an agriturismo in 2006.

I realize that I have not yet included the traditional picture of our rental car. Here she is!

Connie and Vladimir had a gorgeous, recently completed small suite.

We had a very modern suite with a lovely private terrace.

Before we could begin to reacquaint ourselves with the principle glory of the place–the grounds–we got to know the dogs who owned the place. Anita is a somewhat anxious but ultimately loving Rhodesian Ridgeback.

Lara is a beautiful and very affectionate black German Shepherd. She is also the most unusual dog we’ve ever met. She has an autistic fascination for shadows. Here she is staring at a flower shadow.

Lara often hung out on our terrace or in our room, and followed us on our walks around the property…punctuated by long bouts of staring at shadows.

Mandranova does everything it can to keep you outside, soaking up the uniquely tranquil atmosphere. The outdoor seating areas are as inviting as ever, even on a rather cool day.

Sue was of course eager to introduce the B’s to the pool area.

And a walk back through the olive groves is always a treat.

Everything about the place is very informal. If you want something, you walk into the kitchen and one of the staff will take care of you. We had so far eaten only the famous Roman potato chips, so we ordered a plate of cheese and bread which came with the estate’s delicious olive oil. And we drank a lovely Etna Rosso from Tenuta di Fission.

After some serious relaxation, we met at the main building for dinner (too cool, alas, for dinner outdoors). Dinner was wonderful: zucchini soup, pumpkin risotto, mackerel filet, and panna cotta. We settled on a Grillo from Marco di Bartoli…light, refreshing, delicious.

Mandranova, Friday, May 10, 2024

The weather had returned to its habitual sunshine and warmth, and we took breakfast outside.

Then it was off to the hilariously misnamed “Valley of the Temples” (hilarious because the temples are arranged along a long, broad ridge above two surrounding valleys). When we had been here in September 2023, it had been blisteringly hot; we had parked near the bottom of the ridge, and walked up and then down…we were knackered by the end of the day. This time we played it cool and took a shuttle to the top so that we could walk back downhill to the car.

The seven extant temples represent the sacred area of the ancient city of Akagras, one of the most important in Magna Graecia. Nothing is known of the actual dedication of six of the temples: the associations of the temples with particular Greek gods is arbitrary and dates from the Renaissance.

The easternmost, and highest of the temples is that of Hera.

The temple, in Doric style, dates to c. 450 BC. The ruin retains its front collonade with parts of its architrave and frieze; the other three sides are fragmentary.

Walking downhill one approaches the most important of the temples, that of Concordia.

Concordia, which was probably built around 430 BC, is said to be, along with the Temple of Haiphestos in Athens, the best preserved Greek temple in the world. What is especially remarkable about this (and indeed most of the other temples here) is that it is made of sandstone, that least impervious of rocks. The sandstone was protected by stucco for centuries, after which the temple was turned into a church, which also contributed to its preservation. Not only all the columns, but the entablature at both ends survive, as does most of the cella.

Continuing down the Via Sacra brings one to the Villa Aurea, the restored home of Captain Alexander Hardcastle, a wealthy British veteran who became enchanted with the temples and contributed significantly to their restoration. The villa is surrounded by luxuriant gardens. That’s Hardcastle in bronze in front of his home.

Next is the Temple of Heracles, little more than a heap of ruins. Of its 38 original columns, nine now stand, eight raised again with the help of Hardcastle. It is probably the oldest of all the temples, dating from c. 500 BC.

Crossing a footbridge over a deep gorge lined with tombs (and bisected by a busy street), one comes to what is in some ways the most impressive of all the temples, the Temple of Olympian Zeus. It is the one temple with a certain attribution; its initial construction is thought to go back to 480 BC, but it was left unfinished in 406 BC. It would have been the largest Doric temple ever built. Even in its ruined state it is enormous: 110.1m by 52.7m. But it was damaged by earthquakes and then pillaged for its stone in the 18th century.

The sheer scale of its rubble is deeply impressive.

A reconstruction in the archaeological museum gives a good sense of its ambition.

The colossal male figures supporting the entablature are called telemones. This is a telemone that has been reassembled within the walls of the temple (with a modern-day colossus in the foreground).

At the end of the Via Sacra is one final temple area, various shrines that together formed the Sanctuary of the Chthonic Divinities (the gods of the earth as opposed to the gods of Olympus). The misnamed Temple of Castor and Pollux, the Dioscuri, is here. It is a reconstruction from 1836 now known to incorporate elements from several buildings on the site.

This rather dodgy history does not prevent the temple from serving as a picturesque symbol of Classical Sicily!

On our way home, I couldn’t resist indulging my fascination with Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, the author of The Leopard. Tomasi was not only the 12th Prince of Lampedusa, but the 14th Duke of Parma as well. And the Parma of which he was a duke is Palma di Montechiaro, the town in whose district Mandranova lies. The town was founded by his ancestor the Prince in 1637, and two of the family residences are still there: the first one was donated by the family to the church and is now the convent Monastero del Santissimo Rosario, and the later one is now the Palazzo Ducale. Lampedusa himself spent very little time in Palma, as did we: we started up the streets that had defeated a certain David B. last year, but turned back at the first sign of trouble. I had no desire to get our car stuck between two walls on the last day of our trip!

But here are images of what we never saw: the beautiful church and the Lampedusa family home, the Palazzo Ducale.

Back at Mandranova, we reprised our cheese plate, this time with another wine from Marco di Bartolo, a really wonderful Gappoli di Grillo. We were served by Adriana, a lovely young lady and the wife of the chef; we learned about her family, about the nearby town of Licata, where they live, and about their years in Kent (her husband’s culinary school had sent him there for an apprenticeship).

More relaxing ensued. A small tour had arrived, eight people chasing Greek architecture from Siracusa to Athens. A very nice couple from New Zealand had moved into the room next door (which shared our terrace), and we had a long chat with them, or rather with him, who was unusually loquacious!

Dinner was tasty once again: pasta Norma (btw: there is no Norma, the name means “in the usual way”); polpettino (a huge meatloaf stuffed with cheese and spinach); and a lemon tart to finish. My wine choice lit up the face of the owners’ son when he saw what we were drinking: a 2016 Contrada San Nicolo from Biondi. Great wine to close out a great trip.

Mandranova, Palermo, Rome, JFK, Saturday, May 11, 2024

Up bright and early to make our 12:40 flight from Palermo to Rome. The drive was a snap, mostly on autostrada, with just a bit of traffic around Palermo. Dropped the car, flew to Rome, and found a nice lounge to sit for while. OK, the men liked it better than the women and the food was genuinely terrible. So we left plenty of time to figure out what we needed to do to check in to our Norse flight. Good thing, too, since confusion was the order of the day. Norse offers no online checkin. So we had a hell of a time figuring out how to check in, but after lots of extra walking and anxiety, we went to the gate as it was announced and sure enough, they simply scanned our passports and gave us a boarding pass. The captain of our plane claimed that they will add online checkin in the “next few months,” but I’m not sure we’ll ever fly with them again.

Departing Rome at 7 PM is not necessarily something I would repeat. It meant arriving at JFK at 10:30 PM, or rather 4:30 AM European time. I slept for several hours, but Sue couldn’t get comfortable. We walked in the door at midnight…and our exceptionally memorable trip to Sicily was over.

Sue and I are already eager to return. For Sue, Sicily stands with the state of Oaxaca as places with which we feel a deep connection. We will probably return to the eastern half of the island, spending time around Etna, on the Aeolian islands, and…at Mandranova.