One of the most beautiful festivals in Italy will win a tourist heart. If you consider yourself to be a gourmet, it’s going to stay here forever.
That is Sicily, the Salina island. Every first Sunday in June, thousands of visitors gather here for a plant. No wonder – capers may magically go along with all kinds of dishes.
Pasta with capers, totani ripieni stuffed with capers, chicken with mayonnaise and capers, and caper meatballs!
No dish gets past capers!
Just imagine adding wine, hospitality, music, dancing, singing, and cordiality to the list. You’re going to be surrounded by kind, welcoming folks.
This is the “Festa del Cappero in Fiore”.
The Aeolian Islands are famous for the quality of crops grown here. The dishes are scrumptious, but at the same time, they are healthy and nutritious as well.
And caper is an iconic landmark.
Locals purposely prepare several dishes to greet tourists that come here for it.
After harvesting capers, folks laid it out to dry in fresh air to prevent flowering. They store it in oil, vinegar and salt to give it a unique taste. The harvest usually takes place from the end of May to August. As there are neither pesticides, nor fertilizers, it is totally safe and healthy.
Come visit, and you will discover that Sicily has more to offer than a gastronomic trip.
Those are cultural traditions, architecture, people, and much more to see.
“To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is not to have seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the clue to everything.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Now, sure, how can’t we not talk about Palermo?
Italy is very diverse and divided into quite different historical heritage areas. Perhaps, it’s better we start here.
Table of Contents
Mondello Beach
Crystal clear water, sun, and heat. The white sand burns your feet. Welcome to the main beach of Palermo. You may stay here all day long – restaurants, snack bars and grill-sandwich bars are at no distance.
Palazzo Reale
It is the Royal Norman Palace. Going inside, one can see the Palatine Chapel. It is the former residence of the Kings and Viceroys of Sicily in Piazza Indipendenza, where the Sicilian Parliament has been sitting since 1947.
You’ll find an entrance to the Palatine Chapel, on the second floor of the Palazzo Normanni, going from Freedom Square. It’s quite a random schedule here – so better visit the chapel in the morning.
The chapel is covered with mosaics in the Byzantine style. The image of Christ Pantocrator under the dome of the building hits the viewer most affectionately.
Cappella Palatina
Upon entering our Gothic cathedrals, we experience a severe, almost sad, sensation. Their grandeur is imposing, their majesty astonishes, but does not seduce. Here, we are conquered, moved by that something, almost sensual, that color adds to the beauty of forms.
In the Cappella Palatina, which from pavement to domed ceilings is all gold, one really feels as if one was sitting in the heart of a great honeycomb looking at angels singing.
European, Sicilian, Byzantine, Arabic – all these styles are combined here, reflecting the very concept of how diverse Sicily is.
Palermo Cathedral Cattedrale di Vergine Assunta
Inside and out, the cathedral is a heartfelt work of Arab, Spanish, and German sculptors, artists, and architects.
A picture is worth a thousand words.
Teatro Massimo
The building of the opera house took more than 20 years. The tour here is for just 8 euros.
Here are couple of interesting facts to spice it a little bit:
At that same place they filmed The Godfather Part III one of the last scenes.
Teatro Massimo
Teatro Massimo
According to the local legend, the place is haunted by the former monastery, who witnessed the previous building being demolished.
That being said, come to Sicily, visit the capers festival, visit magical, astonishing, imbued with mafia romance, Palermo.
You’ve seen it in movies, you already know what lies ahead. Feel the warmth in your heart, as this place is calling you.
