Seven Days of Sicily - Day 7 - Art + Design

Why do I miss Sicily?   There are Sicilian restaurants in Rome.Perhaps this is only an infatuation.  My first trip to Sicily was just last year, which I wrote about in FATHOM.  Maybe the island will lose its hold on me after a few more trips, or years.  We'll see.Like the cuisine, the art and architecture of Sicily has been influenced by the diverse cultures of its various rulers.Every day I stopped by to see the Burial of Santa Lucia, painted by Caravaggio in 1608, located in the Santa Lucia alla Badia church. There is something very special about seeing art in the context that it was created for.In the early 2000's many architects and interior designers started to buy and renovate houses in the area.  I kept getting lost in little courtyards and side streets.  There was inspiration all around me and design elements that gave me some ideas for my Caribbean beach house project.Below are a few of my favorite things:How pretty is this packaging? I received a gift from this store on my birthday.  Erica's daughter picked it out.  That five year-old has excellent taste.

Photo: ortigiasicily.com

As someone who was raised Methodist, I'm still thrown by some of the more intense art in Catholic churches.  My childhood church had stained glass with images of things like Jesus chilling with some shepherds.

Here is the patron saint of Siracusa, Santa Lucia.

Clever use of a satellite dish.

Spiderman on the side of the Municipal Building representing the heroic spirit of the people. I'm trying to find out who the artist is and when the work was installed.

Cool planter outside a house that faces the sea.

Rome-based artist UNO and his latest installation.

Also from Rome, Alice Pasquini.  Erica and I went to see her and UNO work on their murals. This is a school in Siracusa.

The new and the old.

I saw these fishing baskets all over my neighborhood.

Love the door.

And this gate.

This alley showing a sliver of the sea was up the street.

I'm thinking about my next trip. Maybe I should go to Palermo or Cefalù, or both.

Photos, unless noted otherwise, are by me and my iPhone.