The prestigious American magazine devotes an article to the island, showing an “alternative” visit to places less known by mass tourism but just as extraordinary
“Forget Taormina: this is where you really have to go in Sicily”: this is the title of the article that the American edition of “Vogue” devotes to the island. The starting point is the success of the wonders of Taormina in the second season of HBO’s “The White Lotus”, which moved the set from Hawaii to the coast of Sicily. Thus, the prestigious American magazine – among the most authoritative in the field of fashion and society – has gone beyond the “pearl of the Ionian Sea”, presenting seven must-see places.
An “alternative” circuit, composed not only of beaches, sea and art. Far from there. A journey through places less known to mass tourism but characteristic and unique.
Vogue departs from the capital, Palermo. The city is described as “a honey-colored maze of crumbling churches and palaces bearing the marks of frequent invasions and conquests in its layered architecture, food and trinkets that line the tables of antique markets. A scruffy sensibility of loose telephone cables, floating papers and marbled stones settles into the once splendid bones of this ancient city, whose rhythms are dictated by tradition”.
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Food cannot be missing. Recommended stop on Cape Town Market, “The city’s lesser-known market where locals go and where irresistible puffs of fried zucchini, panelle and arancini welcome the most discerning wanderers. Like most of Palermo, the most enchanting spots remain tucked away, including I Segreti del Chiostro, a fervently traditional cake shop and pastry shop in the courtyard of the Convent of Santa Caterina”.
From Palermo you go to Catania. “A disheveled beauty of dark volcanic stone and faded buildings, in recent years it has become something of a foodie and artisan incubator.” Among the “hidden” beauties to know there is its artisan tradition which seems to be reborn with a timid vivacity in new artisan shops innovative, like Folk by Magda Masano, owner of the native shop.
“The third-generation artisan models decorative homewares in lava stone, marble and ceramics, all of which (like Magda) are deeply connected to the island, whispering tales of its tumultuous past and showcasing a rich heritage of craftsmanship,” writes journalist Rosalyn. Wikeley.
Also in Catania we recommend the pudding dishes in honor of Minnuzze di Sant’Agata, sweets prepared every February by the people of Catania as a symbol of fertility.
Ragusa Ibla is the third stop to “really” visit according to Vogue, which highlights its “medieval splendor of the Brothers Grimm, where shutters ritually open at dawn and cafes, palaces and pastel-colored shops, like the Rosso Cinabro, line cobblestone streets.
The journalist meets two craftsmen, Damiano Rotella and Biagio Castilletti, in their Sicilian charrette, beloved even by Dolce & Gabbana, who have commissioned various works from them. “It is inside this cave-like workshop that this extraordinary duo carves, bursts and paints various wooden marvels, the most famous of which, the traditional Sicilian cart, preserving centuries of Sicilian artisan tradition.”
To modica, the homeland of chocolate. What attracts the American magazine to the Baroque city is above all “a flourishing scene of modern art and design” in the making. In this sense, he recommends visiting the Lo Magno gallery, which supports young emerging artists. “Works on display include juxtaposed prints and verses by Francesco Balsamo and Rossana Taormina’s exploration of memory through an intriguing mix of photography and embroidery.”
From Modica to the jewel of Sicilian Baroque is a moment. Here is Knowna city described as capable of arousing unique emotions “with its imposing limestone architecture and the resplendent (and truly immense) Roman Catholic cathedral”.
Here has chosen to live the Catania artist Sergio Fiorentino, who lives and works in a refectory reinvented in an 18th century convent.
“His paintings evoke a contemporary classicism: a religious strain of idolism and portraiture, with splashes of color in the abstract style, which is then scratched and dabbed to achieve a weathered effect.”
Also in the Syracusano region, Vogue includes Sicily among the “seven wonders” of Sicily Vendicari Reserve: “A protected paradise of secluded coves and beautiful blond beaches. Wildlife soars in this stunning backdrop of endless dunes, crystal clear waters and saline lagoons, with migrating birds and flamingos filling the skies in spring and fall. Marianelli, with its shallow warm waters and the wild expanse of Calamosche beach are both a bit difficult to reach, but the best things in life usually are”.
We return to Ragusa, a scicli, not so much to admire the famous places of Inspector Montalbano, but in a guest house designed as an artists’ residence: the Sanbartolomeo Casa e Putia. “The owners have unplugged Milan’s city life and harnessed their dreams to breathe new and contemporary life into historic buildings, honoring local craftsmanship and traditional materials.”
