Going to Monreale, seeing the cathedral and the cloister a second time did not take away from the beauty of each site. I especially loved seeing the cloister again. Each pillar surrounding the center of the cloister had different mosaic patterns made up of different shapes and colors and every one of them was breathtaking. Another fun thing that I didn’t notice until this time around was how many lizards lived in the cloister. We all started seeing how many different colored ones we could find. The picture shows a few of my italian classmates in the search for some lizards.

 

That night in Erice, we met Maria Grammatico, who learned how to make marzipan when she lived in a convent, taught us how to make various desserts with grounded almonds. They were SO yummy and we ended up eating leftover marzipan for the rest of the trip. Maria was so kind and she and the rest of the people at the pasticceria made us the most amazing dinner!

After a good night sleep, we headed over to Capella Palatina. I actually had been there a year before but seeing it a second time did not take away from the beauty of the gold mosaics. This time, I was able to look at each image and understand what I was looking at since everyone in the group was assigned a mosaic to explain to the class. We got in trouble with a rude tour guide but we didn’t let her negative energy affect us.

We had an amazing lunch right after and had a local specialty, pasta alla Norma, a pasta dish with eggplants. It was so good that I probably had it 5 more times during the trip! What was really great about the lunch though was that the Latin class and the Italian class finally got a chance to intermingle. Here’s us at the restaurant, looking still a bit uncomfortable with each other (we all ended up getting really close by the end of the trip though!). heehee

After lunch, we had THE coolest part of the trip (in my opinion), which was the walking tour with Addiopizzo. We met individuals that were doing their part to fight against the mafia by not paying the pizzo (a tax that business owners are forced to pay by the mafia) and also individuals that were involved in organizing the movement. Amazing!

What people won’t tell you about the trip to Sicily is the actual trip to get to Sicily. For me, the airport security, travel time, uncomfortable sitting, and neck pains from sleeping in uncomfortable positions were balanced by the amazing company of my friends. While waiting for our flight in Boston, I drew exaggerated pictures of my classmates and Professor Gavioli. Some of my classmates were more happy than others with my depictions of them but Michael (in this photo) was not so happy (he’s the one with the red plaid shirt).

We all slept on the plane to try to prevent jet lag. We arrived at Palermo at 11:30am and were off to our first day in Sicily.

On the fifth day, we departed the misty Erice early in the morning to head to the ancient Greek city of Selinunte. Selinunte plays an important role in our readings from Book 6 of Thucydides’ Peloponnesian War, as it is strife between Selinus and Egesta which incites the Egestaeans to seek out Athens’ assistance in war. Needless to say, we Classics enthusiasts were pretty excited to explore this impressive archeological site.

 

 

 

Within the acropolis of Selinunte lies a remarkable mosaic of the Phoenician goddess, Tanit (pictured above). Although it is perhaps not aesthetically pleasing, this mosaic provides important evidence of a Carthaginian presence in Selinunte. The image depicts the goddess standing between two staffs of some sort. She is often depicted as a stick figure, as seen here. Tanit is typically associated with prosperity, commerce, and trade. For this reason, she served as a patron of the Carthaginian sailors who were conducting trade across the Mediterranean sea. This image in the pavement was likely before the entrance of a home. It might have provided good luck for an ancient Carthaginian businessman who once lived here in Selinunte.

 

In the beginning of Book V of The Aeneid, Aeneas and the Trojans sail away from Dido and the kingdom of Carthage. Although they seek Latium, the promised land, a storm pushes them east and they head towards the shores of Eryx in northwestern Sicily (“litora fida…fraterna Erycis portusque Sicanos” the friendly, brotherly shores of Eryx and Sicilian habors: lines 23-24). Eryx is known today as Erice, renamed by “lover of Classics,” Benito Mussolini.

 

 

As the Trojan ships pull into shore, Vergil notes that Acestes observes them from the top of a hill overlooking the sea (“ex celso miratus vertice montis adventum…Acestes” from the lofty peak of a mountain, Acestes wondered at their arrival lines 35-36). He also describes the shore as being surrounded by woodlands (“consonat omne nemus” the whole forest made noise: line 149). In addition, during the boat race, we learn that sharp rock ridges that jut out into the water (“procurrentibus saxis” rocks jutting out: line 204; and “acuto in murice” in the sharp shellfish/rockridge: line 205) line parts of the shore. I fantasized that the view (pictured above) from the hill which we were climbing was the same sight which Acestes himself would have taken in as he saw the Trojans ships approach his shores. I traced my eyes along the rocky coastline and imagined the boats of Mnestheus, Gyas, Sergestus, and Cloanthus racing to finish in first place. The twenty or so minutes climbing up this hill very well might have been my most cherished twenty minutes of the entire Spedzione Siciliana.