Posted by Izzy Lewis on Wednesday, May 24, 2017 in 2017 Blog post.

Yesterday, on May 23^rd, we went to Palermo to explore villas, churches, and streets of the ancient city. At first glance, the city seems to be very modern. However, old buildings such as churches and villas remain sprinkled throughout the streets.

The churches that we visited were ornate and opulent. They all had artwork and vivid imagery depicting the Bible, from both the Old and New Testaments. One purpose of this was to inform people who were illiterate, while another was to demonstrate wealth and piety for God. Another common image in the churches was Arabic art and influences, such as geometric patterns and inscriptions.

Cathedral of Monreale – https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3ZWYelPSIkLMm5QdXNUNHpJdDQ/view

Of the entire day, one statement stood out to me the most. Vittoria, one of our tour guides, described what had happened to Palermo after bombings during World War II. The mafia, seeing an opportunity for construction, built large and ugly apartment buildings over the remains of the beautiful city. From the sprawling villa we visited, people were once able to see the mountains, the sea, and the city all in one go. This has changed; the only view left is of old, broken buildings. Today, the reconstruction is referred to as the “sack of Palermo.”

Villa surrounded by old buildings – https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3ZWYelPSIkLc0k3UkdVak83LUk/view?usp=sharing

Vittoria’s speech reminded me of how lucky I am to see the monuments I have seen, because they are only there for so long. Eventually, forces out of our control manipulate the environment. However, this does not mean that you lose your pride in your culture and way of living. Embracing culture and family is important, as seen with the Sicilian sentiment of patience. The people of Sicily show that while we need to live our lives and enjoy our environment, the physical markers around us are only a small part of who we are.