On our third day in Sicily, we visited Erice, an important site in Virgil’s Aeneid. During the 5th Book of the Aeneid, Aeneas and his crew stop in Erice where Aeneas’ father, Anchises, was previously buried. Here, the devote their time to various funeral games such as ship racing, sprinting, boxing, and archery. These games confirm Aeneas’ capability as a leader, while Virgil simultaneously uses them to suggest the origins of Roman traditions. This photo was taken overlooking the bay where Aeneas and his crew supposedly performed these games.

While in Erice, we were surprised by a cooking class with Italian pastry cook Maria Grammatico. We learned from how to make marzipan as well as other Italian desserts made with almonds. It was very interesting to learn about Maria’s story, as she was sent to a convent as a young, poor girl where she learned to make various pastries. She carried her talents with her beyond the convent, growing up to be an established pastry cook.

On our second day in Palermo, we visited an Islamic Museum called Palazzo of the Zisa. The Zisa was built around the 12th Century during the Norman rule of Sicily and became a sort of summer palace for the Norman King Roger. The palace was built by Arabian craftsman and thus was heavily influenced by Moorish architectural style, an indication of the strong connections Sicily maintained with Islamic culture at the time. Inside the Palazzo of the Zisa there was an exhibition of Islamic culture composed of metals, ceramic pieces, and wooden artifacts.

I found the broad palace to be somewhat formidable in its vastness and apparent isolation from the heart of Palermo. Inside, it was hard to imagine anyone actually residing there. However, the view from the second floor overlooking the city was captivating and I could then understand the appeal of the palace’s isolation. This photo features the palace’s swimming pool enclosed by a gate beyond which the city lies.

On our first day in Sicily, we visited the Piazza Pretoria, a square at the center of the city of Palermo. The square features a large fountain at its center, surrounded by over 15 statues of human figures, animals, and other mythological creatures. The site has been termed the “Square of Shame”–not only for its naked figures, but also because it was considered a representation of corrupt government influenced by the Spanish Inquisition. Many of the statues were even dismembered by those who were opposed to this significance.

Despite the negative connotations surrounding the fountain, I found the piazza to be very charming. There is a striking balance between the space created around the fountain and the volume of the states. A beautiful symmetry exists between the four sets of stairs leading up to the center fountain, which rises up from a large base to a delicate point at the top. The white marble with which the figures are constructed creates a dramatic effect in contrast to the surrounding buildings, one of which is the praetorian palace (town hall).