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With one week remaining in Sicily, we realized there were still a lot of sights on the island that we couldn’t possibly skip. So, we rented a car and set out on a final road trip. First stop: Villa Romana del Casale.

The world’s most comprehensive and exquisite set of Roman mosaics is found in the middle of Sicily, at the archaeological site known as Villa Romana del Casale. The specifics of the villa’s history are largely lost to history, but experts have dated its origin from around the 4th century AD. It’s believed to have been the hunting lodge for Roman aristocrats, possibly owned by an Emperor such as Maximianus Herculius. But there aren’t enough clues to say for certain.

The tiled floors are amazing; bright, colorful and largely complete. The mosaics look as though they were laid down one century ago, not seventeen; a miracle for which we have to thank nature. Mother Earth recognized the historic and cultural value of the lodge better than medieval humanity ever could have, and buried the villa underneath a mudslide sometime in the 12th century. The site was forgotten under the soft earth for 700 years, until its excavation in 1929.

Visitors are able to see a number of rooms laid out with the incredible mosaic floors. The Corridor of the Great Hunt is probably the most impressive. Here, soldiers battle with tigers, then lead them onto ships bound for Rome, where they’re to fight against gladiators in Roman Colosseums. Other scenes depict a group of soldiers tries to pull a hippopotamus out of the water, and a wounded lion jumping onto a soldier.

The most famous mosaics are the so-called Bikini Girls. In a smallish, square room, ten wonderfully preserved and scantily clad Roman beauties are engaging in various athletics, such as discus-throwing, running, and playing with a ball. One girl, apparently the winner, has been presented with a golden crown.

We were lucky enough to visit Villa Romana during the low season, when the number of other tourists is manageable. This is one of the most popular sites in Sicily, and a destination for almost every tour bus. If the size of the car park and the overwhelming number of stands selling cheesy trinkets are any indication, the place must be unbearable in the summer. But regardless, for those with any interest in ancient art or history, Villa Romana del Casale is unmissable.

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A sense of faded grandeur permeates Palermo. The stately old palaces which occupy nearly every corner are usually shuttered up, damaged beyond repair, or have been converted for use as art galleries. The Palermitano aristocracy must surely have resided in splendor, but they’ve long since left the scene, removing all trace of their easy wealth. Today, in this chaotic and messy city, it’s almost impossible to imagine how the upper crust must have once lived.

We had no idea what to expect when we toured the Palazzo Mirto, near the Garibaldi Gardens in the Kalsa neighborhood. And actually, we only visited Mirto as a consolation, after finding the nearby Palazzo Steri closed for renovation. But luck was on our side. Here, finally, was a real Palermo palace, fully outfitted with all the furniture, wallpaper, paintings, and ornaments one would expect. We were all alone — there were no other tourists nor even a guard — and were able to roam at leisure through the giant three-floor palace.

The Palazzo Mirto was home to the Filangeri: one of Sicily’s most important families, whose presence on the island dates from the arrival of the Normans in the 12th century. In 1982, the last surviving member of the clan, resigned to a modernity in which aristocrats no longer live in palaces nor receive kisses on their hands from fawning peasants, donated the palace to the city so that future generations might remember how his ancestors had lived. From the looks of things, they didn’t live bad.

Lavish ballrooms, sitting rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms. Handsome wooden furniture and intricately detailed chiffoniers. Little make-up rooms for young princesses and grand libraries for studious princes. Three floors of unimaginable wealth, preserved almost as though the family had suddenly disappeared.

We loved our visit to Palazzo Mirto, especially since we had just watched Visconti’s The Leopard, starring Burt Lancaster and Alain Delon. If you haven’t watched the film, about the final years of the aristocratic regime in Sicily, try and do so before visiting the Palazzo Mirto. It’s not the same palace as portrayed in the movie, but the spirit is the same, and you’ll have a better appreciation for what life for the privileged few must have been like.

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One of the finest palaces in Palermo is the Palazzo Abatellis, found on Via Alloro in the neighborhood of La Kalsa. The massive building is host to the Galleria Regionale della Sicilia, which displays Sicilian art dating as far back as the 12th century.

The palace was built in the late 15th century as a private residence for the master of the port, Francesco Abatellis. It’s one of the best examples of Catalan-Gothic architecture on the island. From what I understand (ie. from what I read on the internet five minutes ago), “Catalan”-Gothic differs from the regular sort of Gothic in that it emphasizes width and depth as opposed to height, and uses wide, smooth surfaces to make the best use of Mediterranean light. Abatellis is certainly wide and deep, and its ample space is put to good use as home to the Regional Gallery.

The collection brings together mostly religious works from centuries past. Paintings on wood from the 1300s and 1400s, ceramic vases, sculptures and busts, crucifixes and triptychs, and paintings occupy three floors. The gallery benefited greatly from an 1866 decree which banned many religious orders in Sicily — as churches were closed, officials were present to requisition (or steal) the best art.

The most famous work in the museum is the fresco The Triumph of Death, by an unknown artist, which dates from around 1466 and originally hung in the Palazzo Sclafani, near the Palazzo Normanni. An entire hall of the palace is dedicated to this haunting painting, which depicts death riding through a collection of people from all swaths of society, shooting them with arrows. The message is clear: death comes for us all, poor and rich alike. Unfortunately, the fresco was sliced into four quadrants to facilitate the move to Abatellis, and the damage is evident, with peeling and rot setting in along the cuts.

Entry to Palazzo Abatellis costs €8, which is steep, even considering the great amount of art to see. I suppose that they need to be able to pay all the people they have employed as guards. There were, without exaggerating, at least 50 workers in the palace, two or three to a room, just sitting around chatting with each other. It became a running joke to us, betting on how many “guards” would be in the next hall.

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Three red domes immediately call attention to the tiny church of San Cataldo on Piazza Bellini, near the center of the city. A pristine example of Arab-Norman architecture, San Cataldo dates from 1160 and has survived into the present-day in a mostly original state.

This church is the perfect sight-seeing activity for stressed tourists in a hurry. About the size of a living room, Sam Cataldo takes five seconds to examine, and that’s if you’re being thorough and thoughtful. Of course, you’ll probably want to spend more time inside, especially since you’ve just paid for the privilege of entering. With dour stone walls and a refreshing lack of interior decoration, it reeks of ancient legend; I wouldn’t have been surprised to see a Knight of the Round Table kneeling at the altar. Both the beautifully tiled floors and the main altar are original.

For a long time, the church was used as a post office, which speaks to Palermo’s almost wearisome abundance of grand old buildings. If your city can convert an ancient church as gorgeous as the San Cataldo for something as banal as a post office, then your city is spoiled.

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The city of Syracuse is packed with beautiful baroque churches and stunning Greek monuments, still standing in defiance of the centuries. But the building which dominates the city’s skyline was built just seventeen years ago. Say hello to the Santuario della Madonna delle Lácrime. Sigh. They just don’t build them like they used to.

For four days in the summer of 1953, an image of Madonna shed tears in Syracuse. News spread quickly and pilgrims from around the world converged upon Syracuse. Almost immediately, plans were hatched to create a suitable home for the miraculous image. Construction began on the sanctuary in 1966, and would last almost 30 years. In 1994, none other than Pope John Paul came to inaugurate it.

Jürgen’s attracted to modern architectural monstrosities like a moth to flame, so of course we had to visit. The sanctuary’s bizarre shape is meant to resemble a teardrop from heaven hitting the ground, but to me it looks more like a circus big-top. Just less colorful and without any elephants. The bottom floor is darkly lit, and resembles a cave; an ancient Greek road was uncovered while building the church, and its ruins were left intact. There’s a little museum of religious curiosities, filled with things like back-braces which could be thrown off because Little Timmy prayed so devoutly to the miraculous virgin.

Upstairs is a proper church, which is actually quite stunning. When you’re inside of the church, the tent-like design is an advantage, lifting your eyes straight to the ceiling’s peak, which seems to almost touch heaven. There was a service in progress when we visited, so we didn’t linger.

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The Piazza del Duomo in Syracuse is one of the more spacious plazas that we’ve seen while in Sicily, and definitely the most serene. The piazza is framed by gorgeous palaces, churches, cafes and the fascinating cathedral, and there’s no traffic to worry about so you can keep stepping backwards to better gawk at the beauty without having to worry about getting run over. We spent a long, mild evening at one of the bars, drinking wine and silently soaking up the plaza’s peaceful beauty.

The location of the cathedral has been a spot of religious importance since the days of the Greeks, who built a temple to Athena here. The current baroque facade dates from reconstruction necessary after a 1693 earthquake, and belies the true age of the church. But deceptions vanish once you enter the cathedral, where ancient Doric columns delineate the asps. Much of the original structure remains, and the effect is startling. Although you’re in a church ostensibly dedicated to the Catholic faith, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that it was once the domain of much older gods.

After spending some time in the cathedral, we took another quick wine break, then moseyed over to the church of Santa Lucia alla Badia, built on the very spot where Saint Lucy was martyred in 304 AD. This church has been recently restored, and its centerpiece is one of Sicily’s greatest artistic treasures: Carvaggio’s Buiral of Saint Lucy.

The evening was still pleasantly cool when we left the Santa Lucia, and we had time for another round at the cafe before finding a spot to eat dinner. The bars were filling up with couples and families who’d just finished their Christmas shopping, and as we munched down generous servings of antipasti with our wine, we wondered whether or not Syracuse might have made a good base for 91 days. A lot smaller than Palermo, sure, but the relaxed way of life and gorgeous city center leave little to be desired.

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More than anything else, Palermo is awash in historic, beautiful churches. At least once a week, Jürgen and I will swear off visits to any further churches. “It’s enough”, we’ll cry! “We’re not even religious!” But then, we’ll read about another one, like the Magione. Founded in 1191. Used for three centuries as a lodge for the Teutonic Knights. Arab-Norman architecture. Five minutes from our house. With a lovely cloister.

“A lovely cloister, you say? Let’s do it.”

La Magione is certainly among the most picturesque churches we’ve visited in Palermo. Set by itself in Piazza Magione, it’s one of the few buildings in the city that’s not cramped claustrophobically between others. It was originally built for Cistercian monks, but soon given over the Teutonic Knights, who maintained one of their few non-German outposts in Palermo. A large stone cross pattée, which was the symbol of the order, still hangs on the walls of the church.

The Magione was built around the same time as the cathedral in Monreale, and like that church, contains plenty of Moorish influence. We noticed an Arabic script inscribed around the cloister’s water fountain, and the cloister itself had a lush, Arabic feel to it.

The oddest thing about the Magione is the mini-bar which has set up in its courtyard. Bizarre. An ugly little cafe with people smoking and drinking around a plastic table ks about the last thing you expect to discover when you go to visit an historic church. But, cool in its own way.

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Built as a summer retreat by Arab architects in the 12th century for the reigning Norman Kings of Sicily, the name Zisa comes from the Arabic al-Azîz, for “glorious” or “noble”. Set in the middle of gardens with the Monte Captuo serving as a backdrop, the Zisa still serves its purpose, providing a nice escape for the residents of Palermo, if not for kings.

Though it’s been mostly gutted, the palaces has echoes of other Arabic palaces, such as the Alhambra, especially in the two-story Fountain Room. This is the Zisa’s most impressive room, with original wall paintings and decorations still intact. The niches are filled with Mocárabe, or Arabic stalactite work, with a central fountain that connects to those of the garden below it.

The rest of the palace is less interesting architecturally, but has been filled out with a permanent exhibition of Arabic art from around Sicily and the Middle East. One very cool piece is the gravestone for a woman named Anna. Beautifully detailed, her eulogy is inscribed in four languages: Hebrew, Latin, Greek and Arabic.

The fountain-filled park stretching out in front of the Zisa used to be known as the Genoard, which came from the Arabic phrase meaning “Terrestrial Paradise”. During the days of the Normans, the park was fenced in, and wild animals were allowed to roam its grounds. Today, the only animals you’ll find are sweat-drenched joggers; the park isn’t nearly big enough for a proper jog, but Palermo has so few green spaces that people have to grasp onto anything.

We weren’t expecting much when we decided to visit La Zisa, and were pleasantly surprised. It’s definitely worth a look for those interested in Arabic art and architecture, or for anyone in need of an escape from the city center.

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Second in importance only to Palermo’s Cathedral, the Chiesa di San Domenico is a church found in the Vucciria neighborhood. Originally constructed between 1458 and 1480, the church sits away from Via Roma at the back of the plaza that shares its name. With its impressive Baroque facade and its sheer size, we couldn’t resist taking a peek inside.

“Cavernous” is the right adjective for the San Domenico. Huge ceilings and sober stone columns mark the interior, which is spacious and unshowy; almost a relief after the Baroque indulgences of the Casa Professa and Santa Caterina. The church is full of the graves of famous Palermitani, some beautifully done, and walking through felt almost like touring a cemetery.

The most beautiful part of the church, however, can best be viewed from outside in the plaza. The magnificent Baroque facade is gold and white, with twelve large columns and statues set in niches. The plaza itself could be beautiful, featuring as its centerpiece a towering column with a cloaked figure atop it, but it’s found a sad new life as a hectic, honking car park.

Around the corner from the church, you can find the Oratory of San Domenico. Like the other two oratories we’ve visited in the city, San Lorenzo and Santa Cita, this contains beautiful stucco work by the Palermitano master Giacomo Serpotta. It’s not on the same scale of beauty as the other two, but is still impressive. Twelve statues of virtues like Justice and Patience, embodied as noblewomen, twelve beautiful oil paintings and twelve stucco depictions of biblical scenes are protected by about twelve-hundred playful cherubs.

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Location of the Oratory of San Domenico
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Entrance to Monreale’s mind-shattering Cathedral was free, so when the ticket lady at the neighboring Benedictine Cloister asked us for €6 apiece, we were expecting to be blown away. Unfortunately, we weren’t.

If you have extra time on your hands and don’t care about plopping down €6 a head, the cloister might be worth a look. 216 twin columns ring the perfectly square courtyard, and no two sets are alike. Some show men engaged in tasks like whipping each other or fishing, while others are intricate floral scenes. Every other pair of columns is decorated with colorful tiles, and the effect is decidedly Arabic.

In one corner of the otherwise uniform courtyard, there’s a beautifully carved fountain, in the shape of a palm tree, with human figures and beasts. We couldn’t get too close to it, as it was under restoration. In fact, fully half of the courtyard was blocked off, but that didn’t mean that the entry fee was reduced.

For those interested in the Arabic influence in Romanesque architecture, or people who get really excited about columns (I know you’re out there), the Chiostro dei Benedettini is a must see. Anyone else might want to take a pass.

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