SICILY 2023
On leaving Trapani we visited the impressive salina of the Culcasi family who have been producing and marketing artisanal sea salt for over 100 years. They still use the same traditional method of harvesting salt whereby sea water is dried by the sun. The process takes place in a series of clay-lined pools in which the sea water circulates by means of pumps. We walked around the low walls dividing these salt flats, witnessing how the dried salt crystals are gathered in mounds. The landscape was like a patchwork quilt whose colours ranged from metallic grey to brilliant white with hints of rose. While the salty air had notes of sulphur, yet not too unpleasant given the cool breeze. We visited the museum whose windmill was once used to grind the salt, but now remains a showpiece for visitors to admire its multiple wooden cogs and large sails projecting into the blue sky.
Selinunte
We later explored Selinunte archaeological park, said to be one of the largest in the Mediterranean. Amongst the remains of this 5th century BC Greek city we found an impressively restored temple and many foundations of former buildings. I had somehow twisted my ankle so we did not see the whole site, but simply stayed in the main temple from where we could read about its fascinating history.
Agrigento
In the late afternoon we arrived in Agrigento where we stayed in the historic part of town. The apartment was rather sombre and overcluttered with heavy furniture, and amongst the décor were price tags on bottles of liqueurs, bars of soap and facecloths. What’s more there was a €2 fee for using the kitchen facilities – a strange but true sum. The redeeming factor was a small balcony off the bedroom, which had a magnificent view of the Valley of the Temples. It was slightly obscured by an ugly modern apartment block in the new part of town, which no sane urban planner would allow unless subjected to a threat of the mafia kind.
Back to the Valley of the Temples, which is in fact a misnomer as these eight Greek doric temples stand on a plateau just outside Agrigento. Built between 510BC and 430BC, this UNESCO world heritage archaeological site is one of Sicily’s remarkable historic attractions. It is far more frequented than Segesta and Selinunte and consequently protected by fences to prevent erosion from people trampling on these historic structures. As much as I accepted this practical precaution, it made me favour the former sites where I could enter, touch and sit on these ancient stone temples, in deep reverie of times past.
After leaving the apartment we visited the Farm Cultural Park which describes itself as ‘a hothouse of social innovation’. It brings together a community of locals and creative talents to work on problems and intervention strategies to create cultural transformations in urban spaces. It was fascinating seeing the exhibits that featured various eco-projects, namely Arcosanti an experimental town in Arizona the purpose of which is to combine architecture and ecology. The Farm Cultural Park itself was well-designed, white washed buildings interspersed with multi-coloured tiled walls eccentrically adorned with plastic pink dolphins and snails by an internationally renowned group of artists ‘Cracking Art’. These artists aim ‘to radically change the history of art through a strong social and environmental commitment’. They use re-cycled plastic for their artworks, taking it from its toxic role in nature, while communicating the importance of respecting the planet. We enjoyed sitting under a canvas awning, part of the café which served deliciously rich espressos by the brand Moak, the best we had sampled so far during this trip.
Romana del Casale
We then visited the UNESCO World Heritage Villa, Romana del Casale, an elaborate Roman villa whose floors are decorated with extremely well-preserved mosaics, said to be the finest anywhere from the Roman period. We wandered from room to room on a glass walkway above the mosaics to preserve them. These mosaics are exceptional for their magnitude as well as their artistic quality, the fine mélange of colours and accuracy of the designs. There are many hunting scenes, intricate patterns and even bikini-clad women engaged in sporting activities. It was hard to believe that these incredible designs date back to the 4th century AD.
