La dolce far niente
by Rich Olimpio · Published April 7, 2019 · Last modified December 13, 2020
Paestum has Greek Temples as old as the Parthenon in Athens. The city was established here by the Greeks in the 7th century B.C. because of the access to the sea for trade and the wide fertile plain on which it rests. The remains of the city that surround the temples began as a Greek colony named Poseidonia, after the greek god Poseidon . It was conquered by the Lucanians and finally by the Romans who re-named it Paestum. The...
by Rich Olimpio · Published November 2, 2020 · Last modified December 13, 2020
Palermo is a delightful city to use as a home base to see Sicily. There are a number of excellent restaurants, two magnificent theaters and a grand palace to see. From here it is easy to visit the amazing Greek temples at Agrigento, Mt. Etna, and my favorite, the beach town of Cefalù. Teatro Politeama Of the two theaters in Palermo, the Teatro Politeama, hosted performances of more popular events, such as operetta, festivals and equestrian shows. The theater sits...
Cities / Sicily - Palermo / Uncategorized
by Rich Olimpio · Published November 3, 2020 · Last modified December 13, 2020
Cefalù is located on the Tyrrhenian(northern) coast of Sicily. It has Greek roots which go back to at least the beginning of the fourth century B.C. Today it is a picturesque beach resort town. From Palermo you take an hour and a half train ride along the coast to reach Cefalù. Beaches are what Cefalù is known for today. The beautiful blue Mediterranean and wide soft beaches. The beach town attracts tourists from Italy and some European countries and it...
Cities / Sicily - Palermo / Uncategorized
by Rich Olimpio · Published November 3, 2020 · Last modified December 13, 2020
Agrigento is located on the southern coast of Sicily, overlooking the Mediterranean. It was one of the most import cities of Magna Graecia, settled by the Greeks at the beginning of the sixth century B.C. For comparison, when it was settled, Rome was less than 100 years old and still just a group of huts on the Palatine hill. At it’s peak it had between 100,000 and 200,000 residents. After battles of the Punic war and other invaders, it declined...
by Rich Olimpio · Published November 3, 2020 · Last modified December 13, 2020
Yes, there actually is a town called Corleone in Sicily. Although parts of the movie Godfather were filmed in Sicily, they were not filmed at Corleone, but a nearby town that looked better on camera. Mafia and anti-Mafia Museum of Corleone There are several rooms of the museum with different themes. This room holds the records of the “Maxi Trial”, the trial of over 300 mafia of all levels. It was key to dramatically reducing the power of the mafia...
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