Pictures of architecture between Palermo and Catania, under a typical Sicilian sky.
Sicily has been marked by many cultures : Greek, Arab, Norman, Spanish… And you can see it everywhere in the buildings. In Palermo, the Arab-Norman style is unique in the world. In Catania, many buildings are made of lava stone following Mount Etna’s eruption in 1669.
Visit Catania’s Bellini Theatre and Palazzo Biscary. Two emblematic places, very well preserved, with scenery full of history.
Thanks to its Baroque architecture, the Palazzo Biscary was even used as a set for Coldplay’s “Violet Hill” video, filmed partially here and on the slopes of Etna.
A few shots taken between Aspra, a small fishing village near Palermo, and the coast around Catania.
Sicily is surrounded by three seas : the lonian, the Tyrrhenian and the Mediterranean. Here, it’s mainly the Tyrrhenian on the Aspra side and the lonian on the Catania side. Two atmosphere, but always this incredible light.
Sicily
Sicily also offers green landscapes and fertile countryside, due mainly to its volcanic soils.
Mount Etna, seen in one of the pictures, is Europe highest active volcano (about 3,300m). It’s one of the most carefully monitored volcanoes in the world, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013.
A hike to Mount Pellegrino, just outside Palermo, with a breathtaking view of the city and the sea. Here you’ll also find Castello Utveggio, at an altitude of 346m. Built in the 1930s, it was originally a luxury hotel before becoming a research center. Mount Pellegrino is also an important spiritual site : it’s the location of the sanctuary of Saint Rosalie, Palermo’s patron saint.
Throughout our trip, we came across a variety of wild flowers, as well as lizards and geckos, which are very common on the island. The Sicilian weather favors a rich Mediterranean vegetation : cactus, laurel, bougainvillea, barbary figs…
All these plants color the landscape and make each stop even more pleasant to look at.
