Visting ---- and

Dr. Law Chi Lim

Introduction Sicily is the biggest island in the Mediterranean Sea , and the biggest autonomous region in . Most people who have never visited the island would probably not realize that it has a very rich and diverse history . Prosperous cities on various parts of the island were first founded around 750 BC by the Phoenicians and Greeks , and then it was part of the Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire . Since then it was successively ruled by the Arabs, Normans , and Spaniards until its unification with Italy in 1860. With such a rich and diverse history in the background, visitors to Sicily are treated to a wonderful feast of monuments, art, architecture and gastronomic cuisine. Most visitors to Sicily arriving by plane would probably land at the capital , Palermo. The city , with over 1 million inhabitants , is crowded ,noisy, with dirty streets and chaotic traffic. There are a couple of churches and palaces , but really nothing to write home about ------except perhaps the Teatro Massimo , the opera house .

Teatro Massimo (“Greatest Theatre”)

This opera house , completed in 1897 ( after 22 years of construction) is the 3rd largest opera house in Europe, after the ones in Paris and Vienna. The exterior of the opera house is in the neoclassical style with columns reminiscent of Greek temples. The interior is decorated in the late-Renaissance style with beautiful frescos on the ceiling. There are 7 tiers of boxes rising up around an inclined stage , shaped in the typical horseshoe style like many other old opera houses in Europe. The acoustic there is supposed to be perfect. When we visited the opera house in May this year , we specially arranged to have a backstage tour in the afternoon . Not only were we able to visit the auditorium , we were able to walk on stage and look across the auditorium to get a perspective of an opera singer during a performance. We also arranged for cocktails at the Royal box . The Royal Box is the box that faces the stage directly and is normally reserved for dignitaries . However, for a fee, our group was treated to afternoon cocktails at the Royal Box. We had a lot of fun posing for pictures inside the box and the adjacent sitting room. Now , for those readers who are fans of Trilogy : the final scenes of the film Godfather Part III were shot at this theatre. We visited the box where ( sorry, I mean ) sat and watched his son Anthony performed the opera Cavalleria Rusticana ( by Pietro Mascani), a fitting tale of murderous revenge in a Sicilian setting. There are more ,of course : like the scene where Don Altobello ( godfather to Connie but a conspirator against the ) was poisoned by eating his favourite Sicilian pastry Cannoli , or the scene where Michael’s daughter , Mary , was shot by mistake by an assassin while the family was leaving after the performance. The front gate of the opera house is normally closed, but as visitors, we were able to go from inside to the outside stairs just like the Corleone family did when they were leaving the opera house . Some of us posed on this very staircase the famous scene where Michael was crying out in agony ( but his sound was muted in the movie, remember? ) while holding the body of his dying daughter in his arms------much to the amusement of a group a young school children who were watching us outside the gate. They must be wondering what that funny Chinese group was doing on the staircase of the opera house.

The Cathedral of Monreale Monreale is a small town, 8 km from Palermo, up on the hill to the South . Its sole attraction is the Cathedral which is a national monument of Italy .The Cathedral here is the greatest extant example of Arab-Norman architecture in the world and the shimmering tapestry of mosaics is unequalled anywhere in Europe. Outside, on the principal doorways and their pointed arches are magnificently enriched with carving and coloured inlay. The appearance is an interesting combination of three styles : Byzantine , Arab, and Norman-French. Apparently ,the Norman King William II was a great admirer of Arabic art and when the building of the church began 1174 , artisans with Arabic background were extensively employed. Inside the church , above the arcades in the naves are 42 luminous mosaics of Bible stories beginning with the Creation Tales. Interestingly enough, there is, among them, a panel of mosaic showing Jesus Christ crowning William II------no doubt a reflection of the claims of Norman kings that they were rulers with divine blessing. Here is a tip for our readers who plan to visit this cathedral : the Cathedral opens at 8:30 am on Monday to Sat ( 8 am on Sunday). The big cruise-ship crowds start to arrive around 9 am . So , if you arrive at just before 8:30 am , for half an hour, you will be able to enjoy the atmosphere of the Cathedral with only a few people around. However , in order to be there at 8:30 am , it would be more convenient for you to stay overnight in Monreale. You see , Palmero is a “big city” with all its noise, dirties , traffic congestion ,and securing problem while Monreale is a quiet little town with ancient churches, cobble-stoned alley-way for strolling, many restaurants and souvenir shops. For accommodation, try the Palazzo Ducale Suites in Monreale which is only 200 metres from the Cathedral and modestly priced , newly furnished with all the modern amenities. Don’t let the rather shabby outside fool you , this place is only 3 years old, has 8 rooms and everything inside is new and modern. For dinner , try the il Giardino Degli Aranci , a place with good food as well as a stunning view. You may want to check out the reviews that these two places have on the TripAdvisor

website before making booking.