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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.

Location on our Palermo Map
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Only in an ancient city like Palermo could a construction known as the “New Gate” date from 1583. Found adjacent to the Norman Palace, the Porta Nuova is still the main entrance to the city center from the west.

In general, Palermo isn’t the the most pedestrian-friendly city, but walking through the Porta Nuova is absurd. The sidewalks disappear inside the gate, and two lanes of traffic are squeezed together, making drivers even more irritable than normal. As a walker, you have to peer around the side of the cement and make a run for it, at the slightest gap.

Once safely through the gate, you’ll likely want to run into the nearest bar and do a shot of whiskey, but take the time to turn around and admire the facade it presents to voyagers on their way into Palermo. Underneath a pyramid-shaped roof, four Moorish atlases support the gate. These represent the Moors defeated by Charles V in his war on the Ottoman Empire.

Despite the mortal danger of passing through it, the Porta Nuova is one of our favorite bits of architecture in Palermo.

Location on our Palermo Map
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The Horror Of Earthquakes On DVD

In 1968, the hillside town of Gibellina was devastated by a 6.1-scale earthquake. Somewhat like the residents of Noto, who befell a similar fate, the town decided to abandon the ruins and start from scratch in a location which was close by, and hopefully more stable. Between 1985 and 1989, a Sicilian artist named Alberto Burri used the old city’s ruins as the canvas for his most audacious work of modern sculpture. The resulting concrete cemetery is a bold piece of art, a comment on death, and a moving tribute to the devastated city.

Burri covered the streets of Old Gibellina with concrete, preserving the layout of the blocks. Walking around his monument is unsettling. You’re not just standing on the gravestone of a city, but actually tracing the lines of its corpse. Block after block of grey concrete rises from the concrete ground, like the ghosts of buildings. They’re high enough to peer over, so that the rest of the graves are always visible, along with the verdant valley stretching out into the distance.

I might have expected to feel despondent while walking around this modern graveyard, but in truth I experienced something closer to comfort. Nature might have the strength to effortlessly topple our cities and wipe out huge swaths of our population. But we have the ability to make artwork out of the damage, transforming devastation into something eloquent and meaningful with our creativity. Nature may be more powerful, but humanity is cooler.

Location of the Cretto di Burri on our Sicily Map
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Chinese Architecture

There are two types of eccentrics: those you feel sorry for, and those you’re secretly envious of. The first kind are poor, and fill their house with cats. They have crazy, stringy hair and scream obscenities at the malicious neighbor kids. The second kind have the good fortune of being royalty, and are able to indulge every screwy whim. “Bring in that funny peasant boy. Now do your silly dance! I need more cats, a leopard perhaps. And build me a palace… a Chinese palace!” If you’re going to be an eccentric, it’s certainly better to be the rich kind.

On the northern end of the Parco della Favorita is one of Palermo’s strangest buildings: a large and fully decorated Chinese palace. Built in 1799 for King Ferdinand III, during the height of the European craze for all things Oriental, the palace is jarringly out-of-place in the Sicilian capital. We visited just a couple days after the it had been re-opened, following a full renovation.

The tour was free, and we were the only visitors. Despite that, the guide rushed us through as quickly as possible, hardly giving Jürgen time to snap any pictures. I think our lack of Italian made her nervous, or perhaps she was worried we’d start making fun of the palace, which certainly does encourage a sort of mocking incredulity. We were whisked through the rooms of the queen on the second floor, the servants quarters, the dining hall and guest rooms. The king, being eccentric, chose to sleep in the middle of a huge room on the bottom floor, his bed on wheels.

The palace consists of three floors, each decorated with Chinese patterns, writing, or frescoes of pastoral Chinese life. There’s an interesting “mathematical table” set in the middle of the dining room, with an dumbwaiter carved into its center. With everything freshly renovated, the colorful palace walls and decorations were especially beautiful. Although the focus was Chinese, there are Italian elements as well — one room is done entirely in the style of Pompeii, painted in the deep red identified with the destroyed city.

Before leaving, we took a stroll through the Italian-style gardens behind the palace, which are nearly as beautiful as the dwelling itself. Strange and compelling, the Chinese Palace is without a doubt the most unexpected building that we’ve found in Palermo. It’s a little difficult to reach with public transportation, but worth the effort, especially considering that you can visit the excellent Pitré Ethnographic Museum right next door.

Location on our Palermo Map
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Another Great Theater: The Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires

After centuries of foreign occupation, Sicily enthusiastically joined the Kingdom of Italy in 1860. Finally free of the hated Bourbons, Palermo celebrated its allegiance to the new King Vittorio Emanuele by ordering a massive new theater built in his honor. After thirty years of construction, the Teatro Massimo (“Maximum Theater”) opened to great fanfare in 1897. It’s the largest opera house in Italy, and the third largest in all Europe.

We weren’t able to catch a show, but did take a short guided tour of the theater. The Teatro Massimo was built in a neoclassical style meant to echo Sicily’s Greek ruins, such as those at Agrigento or Selinunte. At the grand entrance, visitors are greeted by statues of two lion-riding women, who represent Comedy and Drama.

The auditorium is gorgeous, gold and red velvet. The capacity of 1350 seems somewhat small for such a large room, but I suppose you don’t want to be cramped at the opera. The stage is deceptively large, three times the size of the auditorium, and sufficient for the most extravagant productions. A performance of Aida in the 70s, our guide told us, saw horses and elephants tramping about the stage. And it’s here that the climactic scene of The Godfather III was shot.

Besides the auditorium, we were able to visit the Royal Box and a couple foyers. The tour was brief, just under half an hour, and rather expensive at €7 (raising to €8 in 2012). If you have the chance, the best way to visit the Teatro Massimo would be to skip the guided tour, put on some elegant clothes, and come for a show — the tickets for the upper balconies aren’t at all expensive.

Teatro Massimo – Website
Location on our Palermo Map
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Hiking in Sicily

Hidden coves. Crystal clear water. Prehistoric caves. Utter solitude. If all that sounds good after the noise and muck of Palermo, hop in a car and head out to Sicily’s first national park: the Riserve Naturale dello Zingaro.

Alright, the “utter solitude” only applies during the winter when tourism is at a minimum. But on the sunny December weekday when we visited the park, there wasn’t a soul to be found, save some workers repairing the paths. Zingaro is on the Gulf of Castellomare, an hour’s drive from Palermo on the road to Trapani, and extends for seven kilometers up the coast. A number of different hiking trails connect the northern and southern entrances of the park.

Upon arriving, we set off on the coastal trail, passing by a number of secluded bathing areas. They were quiet now, but can fill up uncomfortably in summer. Most people, though, choose to remain at the first or second beach and, even in high season, a lonely spot can be found by continuing along the well-marked path. The water here is amazing: Zingaro lays claim to one of the few stretches of Sicilian coastline absolutely devoid of industry.

Zingaro was formed in 1980 after a planned highway along the coast sparked citizen outrage and concern about the region’s rich floral and animal life. Over 760 species of plants can be found in the park, some of them endemic to Zingaro. The fauna is rich, too, with eagles and falcons among the birds, and mammals such foxes and porcupines. We didn’t spot anything but a rabbit, though we did find a porcupine needle. It counts.

On the way back, we took the high road through the mountains. Arduous, but worth the effort for the amazing views over the gulf. Close to the summit, we found the Caves of Peppe Siino, which you can walk into. High up on the hill with a commanding outlook, I imagined that this was the home of VIP cavemen, such as noble Ooka Graak of Toomba-ooga and his wife, the fair Bleegha Utt. I kicked around the cave, mentally recreating scenes of domestic caveman bliss… “Ooka hungry!”, “Bleegha no care”, “Ooka STOMP!”… until deciding to hide behind a wall and spring out, screeching like a vampire, on poor unsuspecting Jürgen. Yep, caves are fun.

Anyway, the path progressed slowly back towards the entrance, up and around the hills. It was exhausting, and I can’t imagine doing it in the summer, when the sun must be unbearable. We were dead tired by the time we left Zingaro, seven hours after having begun. But it was an incredible day, the only time we’ve felt completely alone since arriving in Sicily, and we both felt refreshed enough to head back into the stressful city.

Location of Zingaro (South Entrance) on our Sicily Map
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Sicilian Arts

Fans of ancient painting, sculpture and architecture have no shortage of opportunities to indulge their passion in Palermo, a city whose artistic tradition stretches back centuries. But for those looking for something a bit more modern, we recommend heading out to the Centro d’Arte Piana dei Colli, in a marvelous villa just north of the city.

The post-war decades were a difficult time for Palermo. Many fine buildings were left to ruin, as the aristocracy had lost their fortunes and left their estates for more humble abodes. The Villa Alliata Cardillo, found halfway between Palermo and Mondello, was no exception. For over 50 years, this magnificent villa had completely abandoned until a comprehensive renovation in 2007, thanks to funds from Europe and the dedication of the family’s last living heir.

Part of the deal to secure funds was to open the Villa to the public, and thus was born the Centro d’Arte Piana dei Colli. Focused on frequently changing exhibits which make use of cutting-edge technology, and a permanent collection heavy on multimedia and video documentaries, the Centro d’Arte leads visitors through the Villa, making wonderful use of its gorgeous home.

We went to the opening of an exhibit called Micro Cosmi which was an eclectic blend of video, painting and photography featuring the work of four different artists. Among them was Hapé Schreiberhuber, who got on stage during the opening and, bouncing around and applying paint spasmodically, painted a large canvas to the rhythms of the saxophone player standing next to him.

If you’re without a car, the Villa is difficult to reach, but is worth checking out both for the art and to see how the upper echelon lived in 18th century Palermo. Best of all, entrance is free.

Centro d’Arte Piani dei Colli – Website
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Location on our Palermo Map
Tel: 091.6790853
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Backup Your Computer Now!

If you’re an adult human living in the 21st century, you have at some point in your life suffered a catastrophic computer crash. You’ve been faced with the choice of whether to try and recover your system, or just start fresh with a clean install. And you’ve probably learned that, almost always, the best option is to start clean and reinstall from scratch. Restorations rarely work and, even if you’re able to cobble your computer back to a semi-functional state, there are usually problems. No, it’s best to bite the bullet, lose some work, and start over. For metaphorical proof from history, just look at the Sicilian city of Noto.

In 1693, Noto was flattened along with much of the island’s eastern coast, by a devastating earthquake. The most powerful seismic event in Italian history cost Sicily over 5% of its entire population, and Noto was among the hardest hit. The city fathers looked at the damage, Blue Screen of Death, and decided to go for a fresh re-install. A totally new operating system. The new Noto would be built from scratch, on an empty hill miles away from the rubble of old Noto.

When starting over from scratch, you have the giddy opportunity to do it up right. And Noto took full advantage of its fresh canvas. Famous architects and city planners were brought in, and every aspect of the new town was designed in an artistic coordination that strove for a sense of harmony. Everything from palaces to churches to civic buildings were constructed from the same materials, with the same colors. The roads were laid out intelligently, making the best use of the new town’s topography. And everything was decorated and finished in the extravagant style of the Baroque, then at the height of its popularity in Italy.

The re-install was a success. Centuries later, Noto still counts among the most beautiful cities in Italy. We walked through the Porto Reale, which serves as a grand entrance to the town center, at exactly noon on December 8th. Through dumb luck, we had chosen to visit on a holiday, the Immacolata, and all of Noto had turned out in their finest clothing on the steps of the Church of San Francesco to watch a Christmas wreath be placed around a statue.

For the next couple hours, we wandered through Noto. The cathedral with its wide steps leading up the hill. The Church of San Carlo where we gained the view from the bell tower. The Palazzo Villadorata with strange creatures like griffins, dolphins and lions supporting balconies. All the buildings the same dusty golden color which glowed beautifully under the sunlight. We claimed the last table the popular Osteria Cármine, where half the town and their fifty-thousand kids had decided to eat, and enjoyed a raucous meal of pasta and cannoli.

In short, we had a perfect day in Noto, and we would have loved to stay the night. We didn’t get to see the ruins of Ancient Noto, which can still be visited. And it would have been nice to spend the evening hours for the sunset, to see how the town’s golden hue changes underneath the waning light. Sigh. But regardless of how much time you can spend there, the town of Noto, a tribute to the preservation of humanity and its artistic spirit, is worth a trip.

Location on our Sicily Map
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Greek Ruins in Sicily

On our second day in Syracuse, we made our way to the Parco Archeologico della Neapolis, where some of Sicily’s greatest ruins are bunched together, almost as though our ancient forebears wanted to facilitate future tourist groups.

We throw around a lot of superlatives in this blog — words like “astonishing”, “incredible”, “mind-blowing”, “superb”, etc etc. But trust me, such words apply to the Neapolis. Standing in the middle of one of the Greek Empire’s finest theaters, where original works by Sophocles and Euripedes were performed thousands of years ago, makes the mind reach for the grandest words possible. And who cares if they’re a little overwrought? Such places were made for overwrought descriptions! This massive theater, carved out of limestone over 2500 years ago, is astounding! Magnificent! It makes you and your silly seventy-year life span feel insignificant.

Just a short walk from the theater is a lush park surrounded by rocky crags, evocatively known as the Quarry of Paradise. This is where the Greeks retrieved stone for their statues. The most striking cut into the rock is called the Ear of Dionysus. Caravaggio coined the nickname for this 60 meter long grotto because of its distinctive shape, and the sound which echoes tremendously inside. Legend has it that the tyrant Dionysus would keep prisoners here so that he could eavesdrop on their conversations.

Nearby, there’s a Roman Amphitheater, which is some centuries more recent than the Teatro Greco, and was used for bloodthirstier entertainment than the Greeks enjoyed. Here, gladiators would duel and chariots race. The amphitheater is not as well preserved as the Greek theater, but the vines and weeds which have grown up inside of it only improve the atmosphere.

Location of the Neapolis on our Sicily Map
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More Amazing Cathedrals in Sicily: Palermo and Monreale

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.

Location of the Cathedral on our Sicily Map
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