Visiting Christ and other Sicilian sites

Cathedral of Saint Agatha in Catania contains the tomb of opera composer
Vincenzo Bellini, the city's most celebrated native son.

It doesn't take us long to become "church weary" when visiting a region such as Sicily. I thought that France and Spain had a lot of churches, but other countries seem to pale by comparison. Even an entire month here is not enough time to check out every major house of worship. I'd rather not pay admission to visit them, however, we are truly awed by some of the cathedrals and churches we encounter in Sicily.

This Christ is located in Cefalù's cathedral, one of Sicily's major Norman monuments.

This Christ is located in the Cathedral of Monreale, considered to be a pinnacle
of Arab-Norman art. 

This Christ is located on the ceiling of Cappella Palatina, another jewel of
Arab-Norman art. The basilica is located at the Royal Palace in Palermo.

Prophets and biblical kings adorn the arches of Cappella Palatina in Palermo.

This Christ is part of an exhibit at Palermo's Royal Palace that features
a detail of the mosaic in Cappella Palatina. 

This Christ is located in Taormina's cathedral.

Palermo's cathedral is located just a couple of blocks from our apartment. It's
free to visit, although one must pay to visit the tomb area, crypt, and roofs.

San Domenico in Palermo belongs to the Dominican monastery. It's been
rebuilt and remodeled many times over the past six centuries.

We also visit a number of museums, although the fair weather encourages us to stay outside and enjoy the sunshine. Our second day in Palermo is the first Sunday of the month, and we take advantage of free museum admission as we figure out how to find our way around the city.

The large medieval fresco 'The Triumph of Death' (artist unknown)
is the centerpiece of the Palazzo Abatellis gallery in Palermo. 

Palazzo Abatellis was in 1490-95 for Palermo's harbour-master and magistrate.
The mansion was taken over by the Benedictine order, then the regional government.
It was damaged in the 1943 bombings, restored, and is now an art museum.

When it isn't the first Sunday, admission to most of the Palermo museums costs around 6 euros. Sometimes, this is a bargain, such as for the surprising Palazzo Mirto. For other sites, such as the Riso Contemporary Art Museum, not so much. 

We are pleasantly surprised by Palazzo Mirto, an 18th-century mansion
in Palermo that has preserved its original furnishings.

A fancy Rococo fountain at Palazzo Mirto is one of the highlights
of the elegant museum in Palermo.

We are not impressed by the Riso. When we visit Palermo's
contemporary art museum, the galleries are nearly empty,
except for one artist, whose paintings depress us.

A couple of pricier sites on which we splurge include visits to the Palazzo dei Normanni (the Royal Palace) and a tour of Teatro Massimo. We choose the 30-minute tour of the opera house, but more lavish backstage and rooftop tours are available. The Neo-Classical style building is famous for, among other things, being featured in "The Godfather 3." (Michael Corleone watches a performance from the Royal Box, and his daughter is killed on the front steps.)

Palermo's Palazzo dei Normanni was originally an Arab stronghold.
It became the royal palace in Norman times and is now the seat of
the Sicilian Regional Assembly.

We start our short tour of Palermo's Teatro Massimo at this model. The opera
house is the largest in Italy, and one of the largest in Europe. The
backstage area is huge, allowing for lavish productions.

Teatro Massimo's beautiful frescoed ceiling can be opened for ventilation during
Palermo's hot summers.

I'm pretty clever at finding free sites too, and I'll include those in an upcoming post.