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Art and Architecture in Sicily: from antiquity to the 20th century
1 week itinerary on request
Spanning a period of over 2500 years – from the 6th century B.C.E. Greek temples to the late 20th century experimental art and architecture – this week long cultural tour in Sicily is designed to give you a broad understanding of Sicilian art and architectural heritage. This itinerary is equally a journey through the history of the Western European historical tradition. Starting with its Greek roots, with visits to one of the best preserved Doric temples in the Mediterranean world, we will then survey the most important art and architectural works produced in the Middle Ages by craftsmen and artists belonging to Byzantine, Islamic and Norman traditions, and which are often visible side-by-side. We will then look at the awesome works of the Renaissance masters Antonello da Messina, Francesco Laurana and Antonello Gaggini, and contemplate the magnificence of the Baroque churches built by the main religious orders during the era of the Counter-Reformation. Revel in the grace of the Art Nouveau buildings designed by the international architect Giovanni Basile. A trip to Gibellina – a town which was entirely reconstructed by famous architects and artists after the 1966 devastating earthquake – will end our journey, exposing you to an incredibly rich variety of 20th century works, among which we find the “Cretto” of Alberto Burri, the largest land art work in Europe.
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- The ancient town of Cefalù
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- Byzantine Mosaics, 12th century, Cathedral of Monreale
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- Archaeological Park of Selinunte, 6th century B.C.E.
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- Archaeological Park of Selinunte, 6th century B.C.E.
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- Antonello Gagini, The Dragon killed by St. George, detail, Church of San Francesco, Palermo
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- Dome of the church of Santa Maria del Carmine, 17th century, Palermo
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- Exploring Palermo's Baroque Churches
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- Cathedral of Gibellina, project by L. Quaroni, 1990s, view of the dome
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- The Town Square, Gibellina
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- Case di Stefano, view on Mimmo Paladino's Salt Mountain, 1980s, Gibellina
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- Church of San Cataldo, 12th century, Palermo
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- The Pretoria Fountain, 1554, and the Church of Santa Caterina, end of 16th century
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- Giacomo Serpotta, Oratory of the Rosary in Santa Cita, 1685-1718
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- Detail of a Capitel from the Cloister of the Cathedral of Monreale, 12th century, Palermo
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- Cathedral of Palermo, 12th - 18th century
Itinerary
Day 1 Orientation walk and aperitif in Palermo
Arrival at the airport of Palermo. Transfer to Palermo by coach – coach services run every 30mins to the Politeama and the central railway station (private transfer can be arranged).
Late afternoon: Orientation walk in the historical centre followed by a wine degustation accompanied with local foods.
Day 2 The archaeological site of Selinunte
-Guided tour of the archaeological park of Selinunte. The site is widespread and necessitates a great deal of walking. The visit is led by an archaeolologist with expertise in “archeo-trekking”. Lunch, in the form of a picnic, will be taken in the park. The visit ends with a swim in the sea – adjacent to the park- if the weather allows it.
Selinunte was a Greek colony founded around 651 BC. The city’s most prosperous period was the 5th century BC, when the great temples were built and the city was laid out on a rectangular plan. Selinunte was destroyed by the Carthaginians in 409 BC. The site was rediscovered in the 16th century, but systematic excavations only began in 1822-3 under the supervision of the Englishmen William Harris and Samuel Angell. The remains of the city, which include the Acropolis, six main temples and a Sanctuary of Demeter, are set in a stunning valley facing the Mediterranean sea.
Day 3 Arabo-Norman itinerary in Palermo and Monreale
-Guided visit to the Cathedral of Palermo, the Royal Palace, the Cappella Palatina and the Basilica di Monreale.
The Cathedral of Palermo: From early on (6th century), the cathedral performed many functions, religious, protective-as a fortress-, and as that of a funeral temple for kings, their families, and archbishops.
The Palazzo Reale and the Cappella Palatina: Residence of Conte Ruggero, the Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace) as well as the Cappella Palatina (Palatine Chapel) are a living testimony to the fusion of different architectural and artistic cultures, i.e., Arabic, Byzantine and Latin.
The Cathedral of Monreale: There is no better place than Monreale to admire the relationship between the architecture of the Western world and decorations of Eastern origin. The mosaics of the Cathedral of Monreale, albeit fulfilling the function of disseminating the Christian faith, give evidence of the Norman kings’ syncretic spirit, drawing from both Byzantine and Western iconographical values.
Day 4 Cefalù
-Day trip to Cefalù: Visit of the town, its cathedral and the Museo Mandralisca. Lunch on your own and free time at the beach (if the weather allows it).
Cefalù is a picturesque medieval town by the sea, whose highlight is a Norman cathedral, built by King Roger II, in 1131. It features stunning mosaics, probably the earliest of their kinds in Sicily, and are believed to be the work of very accomplished Greek craftsmen. We will visit the medieval town, its cathedral and cloister, and the museum Mandralisca, which has a very fine portrait of an unidentified man by Antonello da Messina. The museum also features a collection of paintings, furnitures from the Renaissance, and a good numismatic collection dating from the Greek period to the 19th century.
Day 5 The Baroque in Palermo.
Visit the Chiesa di S. Francesco d’Assisi and to the oratories of S. Domenico and S. Cita, decorated by Giacomo Serpotta. This itinerary is a veritable hymn to Sicilian Baroque. During the 17th and 18th centuries, baroque architecture spread in all of Sicily, including Palermo, its capital. This itinerary brings out the extreme fantasy with which Giacomo Serpotta decorated Palermo’s churches and oratories. - Walk through the historical centre. Our afternoon itinerary will cover S. Caterina, S. Giuseppe dei Teatini and Casa Professa.
The Church of Santa Caterina was built in the late 16th century, and appended to the convent of Santa Caterina, founded in 1310. The church is a good example of Manneristic architecture, except for the cupola that was added in the 18th century. The interior is but a rich composition of Baroque decorations, exquisite stuccoes and polychrome inlaid marbles. Fine frescoes decorate the vaults, and numerous paintings executed by students of Novelli, decorate the chapels.
S. Giuseppe dei Teatini is recognizable by its dome covered with polychrome tiles, and by its considerable size. In its interior, tall grey marble columns demarcate three ample naves. Inside the dome, there is a stunning fresco executed by the Flemish Wilhelm Borremas in 1724. Superb baroque paintings, sculptures and stuccos, harmoniously decorate this spacious place of worship.
The Church of Jesus or Casa Professa (Order of the Jesuits): Built between 1564 and 1633, the church’s polychromatic and mixed marble interior gives a great deal of luminosity to the whole edifice. Mixed marble decoration is a Sicilian art, inspired by Arabic and Byzantine traditions. The church has numerous works of art among which paintings by Pietro Novelli.
Day 6 A jewel of contemporary land art in Sicily
Day trip to Old and New Gibellina. New Gibellina is best known for the dozens of monumental sculptures to be found throughout its streets and avenues. In place of the Old Gibellina, we find Alberto Burri’s Cretto, a monumental sculpture super-imposed onto the old town’s ruins, as it was destroyed by an earthquake in 1968. Lunch at a trattoria in New Gibellina. Return to Palermo in the evening.
Day 7 The best of Sicilian old masters
Morning visit to the Palazzo Abatellis (Galleria Nazionale della Sicilia).
The late XVth century Palazzo Abatellis is one of the best preserved Gothic-Catalan edifice in Western Sicily. The building went to the Domenican nuns in 1526, and was used as a convent until the 1940s. It now houses the Regional Gallery of Medieval and Modern Art. It includes important works of sculpture and painting. Regarding the latter, we note significant Quattrocento and Seicento production with works of Antonello da Messina and Pietro Novelli, respectively. Concerning the collection of sculptures, the works of Domenico Gagini and Franscesco Laurana, whose works illustrate the renewal of Sicilian art. The dominant piece of the museum, however, is the overwhelming mid-15th century fresco of the Triumph of death, whose authorship remains uncertain.
Free afternoon
Evening – Farewell aperitif at the Palazzo Ajutamicristo. This Palazzo, located in the heart of the historic centre of Palermo, was built by the important Sicilian architect Matteo Cartelivari at the end of the 15th century, and inevitably leaves the traveler with a fascinating sense of beauty and decadence.
The rates given below are per person, and include:
- All guided visits led by specialists in the relevant field, i.e., art historians, historians and archeologists.
- Entrance fees to churches and oratories.
- Transport to Selinunte, Gibellina and Monreale by minivan, and transport to Cefalù by train.
- lunches and aperitifs whenever indicated in the itinerary
- Visit of and farewell aperitif at the Palazzo Ajutamicristo (with a minimum of 5 participants)
- Organisation and booking costs.
Rates:
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Number of |
Prices per participant in euros |
| 6-10 | 525,00 |
| 4-5 | 640,00 |
| 3 | 775,00 |
| 2 | 945,00 |
| 1 | 1830,00 |
Prices exclude accomodation, meals (except those mentioned in the programme), flights and transfers. We can offer advice on all the latter.
Contact us to book your private group tour in Sicily.