Page 34 <strong>Lake</strong> <strong>Chapala</strong> <strong>Review</strong> <strong>February</strong> <strong>2008</strong>
<strong>February</strong> <strong>2008</strong> <strong>Lake</strong> <strong>Chapala</strong> <strong>Review</strong> Page 35 Lands and People by Jean Barnett Sicily, Jewel of the Mediterranean The triangular little island of Sicily close to the toe of Italy has been called the “Jewel of the Mediterranean.” It is indeed a veritable “Pirate’s Cove” of treasures, strewn with the ancient remains of the many races that have sought to possess it, including Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, Vandals, Saracens, Normans, and Germans. A young Sicilian student, Angelo Bulfone, whom we met on the train in Sicily invited my husband and me to visit his home in Trapani. He took us to visit many of these footprints in the sands of time that we would never have seen otherwise, The strait of Messina separates the island from the mainland of Italy. The steep limestone cliffs of the island clad in blossoming orange, olive and lemon trees, grapes and mulberries rise straight out of the sea. Wheatfields dominate the central plateau. The mountains are of volcanic origin. Not only has this beautiful island been coveted and brutally attacked by mankind, but Mother Nature has played an equally cruel role. Mt. Etna, believed to be older than Vesuvius, rising over <strong>10</strong>,750 ft., has recorded more than eighty serious eruptions. One in 1928 sent a wave of lava 300 yards wide down to the sea sending people and livestock fleeing the burning heat for days completely burying the towns of Mascali and Santalfio and entering the city of Catania. Messina was destroyed by a mammoth quake in 1908 causing tidal waves that killed <strong>15</strong>0,000 people. The province of Palermo situated on the northwestern coast of the island on the picturesque inlet of Monte Pellegrin boasts one of the most beautiful promontories in the world. The Arabian poet, Jahr Zaffir, summed it up thus: “The mountains crown the city, gardens dress it in green, the sea caresses it and the sky covers it with a blue veil.” On one side trip we traveled by bus up a steep winding road via San Martino to the 12 th century fortress of Castelaccio (Big Castle), perched on top of Mount Caputo, one of the few remaining mediaeval fortresses in the world. Here, the remains of the Benedictine Abbey, San Martin del Scale, founded by Pope Gregory in 600 B.C., invaded by Arabs in 829, and re-built in 1346 is still in use. It houses the magnificent paintings of “Saint Martin and the Beggar” by Ignazio Marabitt and “Daniel in the Lion’s Den” by Pietro Novellis. Built by the Phoenicians between 800 and 806 B.C., the city of Palermo was once surrounded by a wall called Zis (Flower). As it grew towards the sea it was called ‘Panorama’ (Port of Excellence) and the wall was extended up to Monreale. The buildings and the many monuments in this ancient city, mostly of Norman origin, date back thousands of years. The city of Monreale (Royal Mountain), state of Palermo, is located on the slopes of Mount Caputo that overlooks the beautiful valley of Conca d’Oro. It is believed that before the construction of the world-famous Monreale Cathedral it was a small Saracen hamlet named “Bal’at,” an outdoor market (souk) where farmers sold their produce. Later the name was changed to Monreale and it became a favorite royal hunting ground as deer, wildcats, and boars still roamed the forests. The magnificent cathedral Santa Maria la Nova was built primarily under the influence and determination of William 11, the last of the Norman kings of Sicily. He claimed Divine Right to the throne and had a mosaic portraying himself being crowned by the Christ Himself placed over the royal throne in the vestry and another over the Episcopal Throne depicting him offering A remarkable combination of comfort and style - a shoe that can go anywhere, anytime. Get a pair and go home happy!