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“Italy without Sicily leaves no image in the spirit. It is in Sicily that we find the key to everything… The purity of the contours, the softness of everything, the yielding exchange of colors, the harmonious unity of the sky with the sea and the sea with the earth.”  I couldn’t have said it better myself. With these words, Johann Wolfgang Von Goet...

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Trapani is the city of salt, couscous and churches. An ideal starting point for exploring western Sicily, Trapani sits on a crescent-shaped stretch of coast, right where the Tyrrhenian Sea meets the Mediterranean. Trapani offers visitors brilliant glimpses of history, ancient traditions and a perfect cuisine for sea-food lovers. Phoenicians, Romans...

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Coral is a mesmerizing material: it is alive, it belongs to the sea and, just like everything that comes from water – like pearls, sea shells, and Venus, the goddess of Beauty and Love – it has something ancestral and magical. For centuries, coral was used to craft amulets able to protect their owners from evil, misfortune and fears, and it was eve...

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One of the festivals that most represents the Italian Easter tradition is the "Procession of the Mysteries" in Trapani, Sicily, where there is an intense popular participation. Imagine a river of people standing for twenty hours in extreme silence as they watch the representation of the "Mysteries". This magical word is not to be considered as an i...

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If you are thinking of taking a trip to Sicily to discover the beautiful landscapes and history of the island, you absolutely must know all the food tours to include in your trip! There are many food tours in Sicily that allow you to immerse yourself in the most authentic Sicily and discover, in every dish, a piece of history, the culture of a plac...

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In ancient times coral finds its popularity as an amulet, as evidenced especially by the classic "cornetto", Italian for "little horn" or "hornlet", an amulet worn to protect against the evil eye. It was believed also to have beneficial effects on female fertility and to protect children from harm. Widespread belief among the Romans, who used to pu...

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“Not only sea, sun and grattatella“, would answer any Sicilian to the question “Christmas in Sicily, really??”. Yes, because, in any season, Sicily offers enchanting views, suggestive places and atmospheres, moments to remember and unique dishes to taste. Yes, really, even at Christmas! The tradition of Christmas here is very strong and you can imm...

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IN THE HISTORIC CENTER OF Trapani, just behind the busy pedestrian thoroughfare of Via Giuseppe Garibaldi, a multitude of ceramic faces adorn the facade of a particular building. Another glance reveals a group of colorful sculptures created from a hodgepodge of diverse objects. Welcome to the world of Mario Cassisa, a Sicilian-American outsider art...

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Every Good Friday in Trapani a centuries-old tradition representing the Passion and death of Christ is repeated: the twenty-four hours Procession of the Mysteries (Misteri). The Procession of the Mysteries (Misteri) of Trapani still arouses great emotion and excitement in town. The Mysteries are eighteen sculptural groups and two simulacra made bet...

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When I sold wine full time, I made it a point to never judge customers based on what they were buying. The only time a customer’s choice frustrated me was when they came in looking for so-called “cooking wine.” The store I worked at carried them, of course, these big, fat bottles on the lowest shelf, with nondescript labels that said “Sherry” or “P...

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