Monthly Archives: October 2022
crown of stars
One of the things I valued from my time in Sicily was the way our tour operator, Allison Scola, of Experience Sicily tours, designed a trip for us that provided many opportunities to learn about Sicily’s long history and the variety of cultures that have played a role in that history. Allison would use our bus travel time to talk about not only history, but mythology, religions traditions, music, agriculture, and many other topics. And she got it that a bunch of photographers would want to spend approximately forever everywhere we went, making photographs.
And, of course, she followed up by scheduling us to see many of the things she’d talked about. And that’s how, late one Saturday afternoon, we heard the history of the famed Monreal Cathedral and then got to visit.
The cathedral was commissioned by the Norman King William III; it was built in just over ten year’s timed it was completed in 1267. The interior of the cathedral includes nearly 70,000 square feet of glass mosaics. Many of them are gold so the whole space has a sort of glow unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.
According to our guide* the building show a combination of Norman, Byzantine, Italian, and Saracen styles. And some of the workers who build the cathedral were Muslim. It is an ecumenical sort of place.
And because I went against conventional wisdom to make black and white images of a place known for its colorful mosaics, here’s a photo from my phone, to give you an idea of what the place looked like.
Monreal Cathedral
Monreal, Sicily
photographed 9.3.2022
*Italian tourism guides are required to be licensed. They have to pass a rigorous exam that covers their knowledge of history, geography, art, architecture, museums and galleries, churches, and cultural features. It made all the difference to have guides with such broad knowledge about the things we saw and the places we visited. (Pictured is our Monreal guide, Chiara Sciortino.)
net repairs
In addition to selling fish from their boats, the fishermen use their afternoon at the docks to repair their nets. They’ll be heading out again in a few hours, and make good use of every minute.
I can get a giant tangle in thread just attempting to sew on a button. Watching these two doing something more complicated and much more fiscally important than fixing a button made me feel really quite inadequate in sweing-needle-based activities.
Sciacca, Sicily
photographed 9.5.2022
this felt like a secret
This looks like a scene from a World War II movie, with the rubble, the courtyard, the motorcycle hiding in the shadows. And while there was significant and pivotal action on the island during the way, I am pretty sure this scene wasn’t a relic.
So, how pivotal was the action in Sicily? Here’s what History.com has to say:
The invasion of Sicily, code-named Operation Husky, began before dawn on July 10, 1943, with combined air and sea landings involving 150,000 troops, 3,000 ships and 4,000 aircraft, all directed at the southern shores of the island. This massive assault was nearly cancelled the previous day when a summer storm arose and caused serious difficulties for paratroopers dropping behind enemy lines that night. However, the storm also worked to the Allies’ advantage when Axis defenders along the Sicilian coast judged that no commander would attempt amphibious landings in such wind and rain. By the afternoon of July 10, supported by shattering naval and aerial bombardments of enemy positions, 150,000 Allied troops reached the Sicilian shores, bringing along 600 tanks.
Sciacca, Sicily
photographed 9.2.2022
fisherman, with shrimp and a cigarette
In the afternoon, when the fishermen return with the day’s catch, the port is very busy. There are commercial buyers who come to get fish for tomorrow’s markets. There are local residents who want some fresh shrimp for dinner. And, on this particular day, there were photographers who were probably in the way of people who had actual reasons to be there. (Not that photography is not an actual reason, but you get the point.)
Also, this guy? Do you like his cigarette hovering over that tray of shrimp?
Sciacca, Sicily
photographed 9.5.2022
wednesday night at quattro canti
Our neighborhood in Palermo was perfect for our photographic explorations; it was easy to fill our time with wandering through the streets. There was always something interesting to see, and, naturally, to photograph. The streets were vibrant, full of activity.
This is at the intersection known as Quattro Canti, the center of the historic quarters of the city. It was always busy, and nighttime made for some interesting photos.
Have I mentioned how much I loved Sicily?
Palermo, Sicily
photographed 8.31.2022
One Day | One Image 