Mosaic Masters @ Sicily

Zoom Course

Mosaic Masters @ Sicily

Art around the world—live with Luca!

Expert: Luca Pietrosanti, Art Historian & Expert Guide

Fees: $25/session

Doing Good: 10% of net proceeds to Muri Sicuri

Itinerary

Join Luca to travel the world virtually, to explore art, history, and what’s happening today.

Luca continues Art Around the World in Sicily, Italy where we explore the world of mosaic masterpieces, baroque architecture, food, and the elixir of the gods. 

“I love Sicily. It’s beautiful. It’s old. It’s Italy, but it’s not. I like the people—proudly mixed up, preyed upon by generations of invaders and a nearly ubiquitous fraternal organization that makes even the simplest transaction—like getting fruit to market—complicated. – Anthony Bourdain

It can be easy to get lost in the beauty of ancient paintings. The complexity, the color, and the shapes can be fascinating. And, it's even more incredible to learn that some of the masterpieces are not paintings at all.

Rather than creating images by adding pigment to a flat surface, some artists created mosaics — patterns or shapes made by arranging thousands of tiny, colored tiles.

In this Art Around the World session we travel virtually to Sicily, where some of the finest mosaics in the Roman world are preserved, miraculously in situ, in a Roman villa belonging to wealthy Roman senator who traded in exotic animals (Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina), and in fabulously Baroque churches, set amidst vineyards, and surrounded by no less than three seas: Tyrrhenian, Ionian, and Mediterranean. 

Luca takes us to the heart of Sicily to visit the most important sites and to answer our questions: Mosaic is a beautiful art form, but where did it come from? Who were the artists, the patrons, and the creative ecosystem—how was the material sourced, transported, fabricated, and designed into the incredibly detailed masterpieces? Who’s practicing this art form today (hint: all roads lead to Rome…and Venice)? 

And, rather most importantly, what about the food and wine? 

Let’s explore!

Resources

Websites

• Wonders of Sicily: Sicily Mosaics  
• The Mosaic Art Gallery: History of Mosaics
• Sicily Inside & Out: 10 Books to Read Instead of Visiting Sicily 

Video

• Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown - Sicily (full length episode available for purchase or free streaming with a HBO Max subscription)
• Rick Stein's Mediterranean Escapes Authentic Tastes of Sardinia & Sicily (no where near the quality and irreverance of Bourdain but a glimpse into Sicilian life and food)

Food - Restaurants in Bay Area

• Agrodolce in Berkeley  

Food - Restaurants in Sicily

• Sakalleo in Scoglitti - worth a day trip 
• L'Ancora in Siracusa -  great wine list, fresh fish, pasta
• Taverna Nicastro in Modica 
• Osteria dei Aporiperduiti in Modica - a bit hectic but great classic dishes, extensive wine cellar, and cannoli not to be missed

Lodging

• Masseria Bannata near Piazza Armerina - a magical, lovely place, with delightful food service; near the mosaics at Piazza Armerina

Wine

• Blog: We Are Palermo Nine of Sicily's Best Wines  
• Article: Kermit Lynch Tour of Sicily and Sicilian wine for sale 

Image by wikicommons.org

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