The Chiesa di Santa Maria del Giglio dates from 1300, but the church was rebuilt twice, first in 1565, and then again, in 1641. The facade took on its present day appearance in 1966, when it was reconstructed. As we continued to explore, we came upon a section of the ancient city walls. The Chiesa…
Author: rchabala
I am 56 years old. I live in New York City and for the last 11 years, have been traveling to Italy at least twice every year. I love everything Italian. From the art and museums to the people, to the incredible food, my heart skips a beat when I think of Italy, and the many places and things that I've been lucky enough to experience. Now, I want to share my excitement and passion with the world. I will take you to both major Italian cities, and small mountain villages. I will talk about things to do in these places, and places to explore which are off of the beaten path. I will also talk about the restaurants that I've dined in, and the places that I lay my head down in, while staying in each of these locations.
Sciacca – Day 2 – Part 3 – Churches, A Tower, and A Market
The building, known as La Torrazza, can be found at Via Giglio, #89, and dates back to the Muslim period, between the 10th and 11th centuries. The Palazzo Amato was the home of the noble Amato family. The family also owned the smaller buildings across the street, which they used as warehouses and stables. The…
Sciacca – Day 2 – Part 2 – Castello Luna
As we climbed higher towards the top of the old town, and the Castello Luna, which sits at the highest point of the city, we passed placards that explained the history of the castle, and the events that made up the “Case of Sciacca,” a bloody feud between the Luna and the Perollo, two of…
Sciacca – Day 2 – Part 1 – San Nicolò, San Cataldo, and Much More, in the Historical Center
We began our second day in Sciacca by heading back up to the historical center. We were joined on the stairway by a family of kittens, resting in the warm autumn sun. Once up in the historical center, we passed a window display of art by Alessandro Venezia, poking fun at or, should I say,…
Sciacca – Day 1 – Part 4 – Monuments and Palaces
Owned by a pair of brothers, the Ceramiche Schittone has been making and selling artistic ceramics since 2002. Walking around the city, it is easy to see just how important the art of ceramic making is to the place, and its people. One of the high schools even has a department where students can begin…
Sciacca – Day 1 – Part 3 – Cortile Carini and More
Walking along Corso Vittorio Emanuele, we came upon a small memorial honoring the “Heroes of Peace.” The monument pays tribute to the twelve Carabinieri, five soldiers of the Italian Army and two civilians, who lost their lives on November 12th, 2003, during a terrorist attack on the Italian embassy in Nasiriyah, Iraq. Palazzo Tagliavia di…
Sciacca – Day 1 – Part 2 – Closed Sites and Open Air Art
We made our way up to the historic center of Sciacca via a stairway that worked its way up the hill in levels. We emerged from the staircase at the edge of a large piazza, where a monument stood at one end. The piazza turned out to be Piazza Angelo Scandaliato, and the monument was…
Sciacca – Day 1 – Part 1 – Getting to Know the Neighborhood
The drive from Porto Empedocle to Sciacca, which was our next destination, takes a little less than one hour. Our landlord in Porto Empedocle was kind enough to offer to drive us there. Approximately forty-five minutes later, we were inside the apartment in Sciacca. The place was nice. It was located in the old fishing…
Porto Empedocle – Day 3 – Part 2 – The Incredible Scala dei Turchi
There are two main reasons for most tourists to visit this section of Sicily. The first is the Valley of the Temples, which we wrote about in our Agrigento posts, and the second is the Scala dei Turchi. Honestly, the Scala dei Turchi, or the Stairs of the Turks, should be seen both, during the…
Porto Empedocle – Day 3 – Part 1 – Remains of A Roman Villa
The view, from the small terrace of the apartment, showed another warm, sunny day. So, after a lovely breakfast, we headed outside! We wanted to time our actual visit to the Scala dei Turchi to correspond with the day’s sunset, as it was supposed to be a magical experience. Since we were not certain of…
Porto Empedocle – Day 2 – A Sunny Day by The Beach
On our second day in Porto Empedocle, we decided to stay close to the apartment, exploring the immediate area. The neighborhood was made up of private residences, some of which were used as summer houses, or as vacation rentals, like the one where we were staying. As we walked, we discovered a flight of fairly…
Porto Empedocle – Day 1 – Getting Settled
Our next destination was only 6 kilometers away, so we opted for the easy option, and took a taxi. In less than fifteen minutes, we were in front of what would be our new home for the next three days. We rented an apartment in a residential area, right across from the beach, halfway between…