“Pottery is at once the simplest and the most difficult of all arts.” – Herbert Read, English art critic, poet, philosopher, and historian of modern art.

Sicily – Part II

Valley of the Temples

The Valley of the Temples … we’re not literally talking about a real valley at all, but a ridge located between the sea and a small valley, with the hilltop town of Agrigento rising beyond. It’s on the southern coast, 80 miles south of Palermo, but seemingly worlds apart.

It’s here, prominently sitting atop the ridge is a stunning, impressive UNESCO World Heritage archaeological site. There are several significant, classic, ancient Greek Doric temples, each dedicated to a different god or goddess and reflecting the power and religious life of the ancient city of Akragas.

The Temple of Concordia is the best-preserved temple, and one of the most complete Greek temples still standing today. Built around 440 BCE, it was later converted into a Christian church during the Middle Ages, helping to protect it from destruction.

The Temple of Juno (Hera) stands on its own hill at the eastern end of the archaeological site. We had the privilege of seeing this temple in the distance from our hotel room at night, its columns illuminated against the darkness. It was magical.

Among the other important temples we saw was the Temple of Heracles (Hercules), believed to be the oldest in the valley, dating to the late 6^th-century BCE.

The enormous Temple of Olympian Zeus, begun after the Greek victory over the Carthaginians in 480 BCE, was intended to be one of the largest Greek temples ever built. Its most remarkable features were the giant stone figures known as atlases, designed as part of the temple’s monumental structure.

We also saw the Temple of Castor and Pollux, whose four reconstructed columns have become one of the most recognizable symbols of Agrigento.

Together, these temples reflect the wealth, culture, and religious devotion of the ancient Greek colony of Akragas. Even in ruins, they give you a sense of just how wealthy, powerful, and ambitious this ancient city once was. We walked away in awe of this classical, cultural site in Sicily. We’re beginning to realize and appreciate all that the island offers beyond the stereotype.

Turkish Steps

The Scala dei Turchi, “The Staircase of the Turks,” just outside Agrigento, is one of Sicily’s most remarkable and unusual, natural landmarks. Its stark, white cliffs were formed from soft, clay-like limestone, forming what’s known as marl.

Its striking appearance rises above the Mediterranean Sea in smooth, stair-like terraces that appear almost sculpted by nature with the help of the sea and salty breezes.

The site takes its name from the “Turks,” a historical Sicilian term for Ottoman and Saracen pirates who once sheltered in the nearby bay during coastal raids.

Though our visit was brief, and the view being somewhat challenging, as we peeked at the cliffs from the top, high above; looking down and from side to side, hanging rather precariously over the edge to get a good look at the natural phenomena.

To really appreciate them requires a steep hike… not today, thank you, but even from our vantage point, it was still worth the stop and add another cool site to our now burgeoning list. ¡Sí, sí, Sicily!   

Doric Spa Hotel

Our splurge to stay at the Doric Eco Boutique Resort turned out to be part of the Agrigento experience itself. Surrounded by olive and fruit trees, vegetable and lush green gardens, and the Sicilian countryside, the hotel sits just outside the Valley of the Temples. Our room even had its own private swimming pool and, in the distance, a direct view of the Temple of Juno – not a bad sight to wake up to.

The one drawback was the location. While perfect for exploring the Valley of the Temples and the surrounding area, the hotel is about a 15-minute, €25 taxi ride each way from the center of Agrigento. So when dinner time came, we debated whether to head into town or simply stay put and eat at Ambrosia, the hotel’s highly rated restaurant. The prices looked a little elevated at first, but once we added €50 for the round-trip taxi, staying suddenly made perfect sense.

And we were glad we did. Ambrosia turned out to be much more than the convenient choice. Their gourmet kitchen takes traditional Sicilian ingredients from local sources, and gives them a refined touch, using herbs, vegetables, olive oil, and other ingredients from the hotel’s gardens and surrounding property.

After a full day exploring the Valley of the Temples, there was something wonderful about simply sitting down to a leisurely Sicilian dinner, enjoying a bottle of wine with an ancient Greek temple in the distance, and knowing that our room was only a short walk away. Here’s two nights of dining delights …

Sicily on the plate, a Greek temple on the horizon, a glass of wine in hand, and no €25 taxi ride home. Pretty hard to beat.

Villa Romana del Casale

The spectacular Villa Romana del Casale, in Central Sicily, is another major highlight for us. The ancient villa is famous for its extraordinary floor mosaics, among the largest and best preserved from the ancient Roman world. The elaborate Villa Romana was built in the early 4^th-century CE, when Sicily was an important and prosperous part of the Roman Empire. Pictures cannot do it justice.

Most likely the country residence of a wealthy Roman aristocrat or high-ranking imperial official, the elaborate complex had stood in the center of a large agricultural estate; covering thousands of square meters.

The mosaics depict mythology, hunting expeditions, athletic competitions, and scenes of everyday Roman life. The spectacular “Great Hunt” shows exotic animals being captured and transported across the empire for public spectacles, while the famous “Bikini Girls” portray young women exercising in garments remarkably similar to a modern day two-piece swimsuit.

As you may well know, the modern two-piece bathing suit, the bikini, was first introduced in the summer of 1946, in Paris. But even prior to that, in the 1930s, European women wore early two-pcs., but these covered the navel.

Now let’s go back, way back to the 300s and to Sicily and the Villa Romana del Casale’s bathing beauties, and when the smart and fit, fashionable woman of the day triumphantly wore her sexy two-piece bathing creation. Another plus in Italy’s fashion column over Paris’s.

Over the centuries, floods and landslides buried much of the villa beneath layers of earth and sediment. Ironically, this helped save it. Thankfully, Mother Earth covered and protected these treasures for centuries until major excavations in the 1950s brought the villa and its magnificent mosaics back to light.

This was one of those stops where we wished we had been given more time. There was simply so much detail and so many scenes to take in that it was difficult to fully absorb their beauty. Perhaps most fascinating was realizing that much of it survived precisely because it had disappeared; buried and protected for centuries. Even back then, what a little money …

Caltagirone, Ceramic Capital

Caltagirone (pop: 35,000) is the Ceramic Capital of Sicily; a historic hill town in southeastern Sicily, and best known for its vibrant ceramics and stunning Baroque architecture. The city’s origins stretch back more than 2,500 years to the Sicels, one of Sicily’s earliest peoples, though its modern name likely derives from the Arabic Qalʿat al-Ghiran, “Castle of Jars or Vessels,” reflecting the area’s long association with pottery.

Caltagirone is part of the UUNESCO World Heritage declared in 2002 called “Late Baroque Towns of  Val di Noto.” The historic center of Caltagirone dates back to the early 1700s, as it was rebuilt in the ornate Sicilian Baroque style after the great earthquake  of 1693 that destroyed the city along with all the other settlements of eastern Sicily.

The Scala di Santa Maria del Monte

Caltagirone’s most famous landmark is the Scala di Santa Maria del Monte, a monumental staircase built 420 years ago (1606) to connect the city’s older, upper quarter with the newer, lower town. Its famous 142 ceramic-tiled steps are one of Sicily’s most recognizable, and incredible landmarks. The majolica ceramic tiles were all hand-painted by local artisans in 1954.

The staircase is essentially an open-air museum, allowing you to walk through centuries of Sicilian ceramic history one step at a time.

Every May, in honor of the Madonna, a cascade of flowers, known as the “Infiorata,” (flower decorations), flows down as each riser is simply decorated with a pot of flowers. Overall, as seen from below, it’s an explosion of color. It appears as a grand, visual statement with its delightful color and the joy it brings to all.

At the top of the staircase stands the Church of Santa Maria del Monte, one of dozens of historic churches that shape Caltagirone’s skyline. Our small pensione was situated a few steps away from the foot of the stairs. Returning back from dinner, the staircase is all aglow.

We thought of climbing all the way to the top, but the both times we considered it, it had just rained, making those beautiful ceramic steps look a little too slippery for comfort. So instead, admired them from below; taking lots of pictures.

Getting Our Hands Dirty in Ceramic Class

Of course you just can’t come to Caltagirone and just look at ceramics, but get your hands (and clothes) dirty (and dusty). So, we took an interactive ceramics class at a renowned pottery workshop in the historic center, Ceramiche Conci.

The owner and master of the shop, Totò, is quite a character, best described as a complete ham, joyfully living out a potter’s life in his family-run artisan workshop. Here he’s master of his craft and star performer; ably assisted by two lovely, Italian ladies who never stopped talking to one other, all while instructing us.

Whatever was lost in translation was all part of the great pleasure we experienced. I think they were telling each other that the other one was giving us the wrong instructions. We created flowers and decorated a plate. David chose lemons, and I painted a fish. It was such a fun experience!

Our pieces still needed to be kiln-fired, and after all the glazes were applied, they would take about two to three weeks to be finished. They offered to ship them to the States, but the cost just wasn’t worth it. Still, we will always carry the memories with us, and everything was captured in pictures.

The shop itself was especially interesting because almost nothing was priced except for a few trinkets. I told David that the prices probably depended on how much Totò liked you; and I think he liked us because, for 100 euros, we left his shop loaded with souvenir tchotchkes and great reminders of the fun we had. Considering I’d been pricing ceramics all along the trip, we definitely scored.

Museo Regionale della Ceramica di Caltagirone

The Museo Regionale della Ceramica di Caltagirone tells the story of Sicily’s extraordinary ceramic tradition, tracing its development from ancient Greek and Roman pottery through the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque periods, and into more modern times.

We roamed through its small but well-edited gem of a collection, representing centuries of craftsmanship and changing styles. And guess what? Other than the guard and the woman at the front desk, we had the entire museum to ourselves.

No crowds, no tour groups, and no need to rush – just the two of us slowly wandering from case to case, stopping whenever something caught our eye; all while fantasy shopping its splendid wonders.

All Aboard!

Most “Musings” readers know by now that I’m just a big ole kid at heart and will probably never act older than my shoe size. And what do little boys love?

Trains, of course! Naturally, when spotting Caltagirone’s little tourist train, we jumped aboard. As mentioned earlier, Caltagirone is very much a hill town, so this ride provided the perfect opportunity to see more of the city without tackling every hill by foot. My feet appreciated the break.

The little train makes a roughly 35-minute circuit through the historic center, winding through narrow streets and passing Baroque buildings and churches, colorful ceramic decorations, the public gardens, and the Ceramic Museum.

All this for the bargain price of just €7 (about $8). A little touristy? Absolutely. Did I care? Not one bit – I got to ride a train!

Caltagirone’s Central Park

During our walking tour, as we walked up and down hills, climbing stairs, and wandering through narrow little alleys, it was heartening to know that our young lady guiding us knew where they ended, as it would have been very easy to get turned around and completely lost on our own. She was also firing a thousand fascinating facts at us about Caltagirone’s history, churches, buildings, and, of course, its famed ceramics.

Eventually, we entered the Villa Comunale, Caltagirone’s version of Central Park, but on a minuscule scale, of course. We enjoyed a leisurely stroll through its serene, shady paths, palms, fountains, and colorful ceramics; it was a welcome change of pace, and best of all, on relatively flat ground!

As we wandered about, my imagination ran wild. I could picture the park a hundred years ago on a Sunday afternoon: ladies dressed in their Sunday best, as they went about their passeggiata, strolling arm in arm, children running and playing, and the men standing around smoking, talking, and, being Sicilian, probably flirting with every woman who walked by. Some things, I suspect, never change.

Looking for Aperol Spritz and Finding a Surprise

It was time for afternoon refreshments, and maybe to share a little bite before dinner, so our tour guide suggested we stop inside the old municipal building. What she failed to mention was the wonderful surprise awaiting inside.

There, stretching across the upper wall of the grand hall, was an enormous and magnificent, majolica mural made entirely of painted, ceramic tiles depicting “The Battle of Judica,” a dramatic episode from Caltagirone’s medieval history. Framed by tall marble columns, with even more colorful ceramics decorating the balcony below, it was absolutely spectacular.

We had simply walked in looking for a Aperol Spritz and a shot of espresso and maybe a bite to eat and instead found one of the most impressive ceramic works we had seen all day.

That’s what I loved about Caltagirone – there are ceramics everywhere, and sometimes the best discoveries were the ones we weren’t even looking for.

Il Locandiere Ristorante

Easily on the dining heels of our olive oil farmhouse meal, comes forth the ever-present hound dog nose, aka David, as he sniffed-out Il Locandiere Ristorante (The Innkeeper). TripAdvisor rates it at #3 in Caltagirone with its incredible, and creative local Sicilian recipes. It would be tops in our book!

It’s a small, intimate gem; a family-run seafood restaurant tucked away on a side street, blessedly a short walk from where we were staying; so that bottle of wine didn’t hinder us at all!

The Cannizzaro brothers own and operate the restaurant with Mario Cannizzaro creating magic in the kitchen; while his younger brother expertly commands the front of the house.

With only a handful of tables, it was exactly the kind of place we love to stumble upon; it being cozy, unpretentious, and all about the incredible food.

As we entered, we could peer into the open kitchen door, where the chef and his staff cheerfully welcomed us before we were promptly seated in the charming dining room.

Menus were handed to us, a wonderful Sicilian wine was introduced and uncorked, and then my usual indecision took over. Confronted with a small, carefully curated selection, what was I supposed to order? Every word I read, I could already taste. This sounded wonderful. That sounded even better.

Then, somewhere after the first glass of wine, clarity arrived, “Heck! You’re on vacation – have it all!” There it was – an easy solution. Plus, no worries – the chef’s brother, our waiter, made insightful, helpful decisions to easily guide our selections.

From beginning to end, every morsel seemed tastier than the one before it. The meal built slowly, course after course, like a great concert; with each dish raising the bar until everything came together in one delicious crescendo.

Completely satisfied, we finally pushed ourselves away from the table and got up to walk off such a wonderful meal.

As we said our buona nottes, and grazie to the chef and his brother, we did the only logical thing two well-fed travelers could possibly do …

We made another reservation for the following evening! How could we not keep the good times rolling and our stomachs happy?!

Two Days I Won’t Forget

Caltagirone is one of those Sicilian hilltop towns that if it were in México, would be classified as a Pueblo Mágico. It’s not on every tour itinerary, as it’s a little too far out of the way from most of the major tourist destinations, and perhaps that is part of its charm.

This was a town that David chose for us to visit, and I’m so glad he did. We spent two unforgettable days here. On most of our vacations, I plan every day down to the last minute and keep us on a pretty tight schedule. Sicily has been different.

Here, we’ve actually had time to simply sit, sip an espresso, a limoncello, Aperol Spritzer or a Negroni; whatever beverage happens to be calling out our name, and watch life unfold around us.

We’ve wandered in and out of gift shops and galleries, stopped whenever something caught our attention, and simply enjoyed the moment without worrying about what was next on the schedule.

And you know what? I’m not very good at doing nothing, but I’m finding out it’s not so bad, and oh so easy. La Dolce Vita in a nutshell.

As seen on the streets …

A few more bites…..