Do you also start daydreaming when you think of Sicily’s fantastic coins? The Arethusa’s head, crab and eagle or the natural beauty of the celery leaf! Ursula Kampmann is going to visit the cities where these coins originated. Accompany us on a journey through the paradise of each coin collector! Here you can find all episodes of the series ‘Sicily in full bloom’:
Part 1
Do you also start daydreaming when you think of Sicily’s fantastic coins? The Arethusa’s head, crab and eagle or the natural beauty of the celery leaf! We’re going to visit the cities where these coins originated. Accompany us on our journey through the paradise of each coin collector! Today we’re visiting the Roman Villa Casale and Morgantina. And to top things off, we discover a coin treasure. Read Part 1 here.
Part 2
Next year the International Numismatic Congress will take place in the charming little city of Taormina. In the second episode of “Sicily in full bloom”, we will give you a taste of what to expect in Taormina. Read Part 2 here.
Part 3
Many well-preserved temples are waiting to be discovered on Sicily. The most impressive one is probably that in Segesta, which we are going to visit in this episode of the numismatic diary. And fans of Byzantine art will be pleased to hear that afterwards we make our way to Monreale. Read Part 3 here.
Part 4
In the fourth part of our journey through blossoming Sicily we experience a country full of contradictions. The shrine of the Venus of Eryx on top of Mount Erice will lead us to lofty heights while the valley is in mourning during the Misteri di Trapani, the famous passion procession in the eponymous city. Read Part 4 here.
Part 5
Today’s agenda is a visit of the ancient Greek city of Selinus. In Selinus, we will see magnificent temples. And we’ll learn why Sicily is so lush and green in spring. Read Part 5 here.
Part 6
A mysterious people, a small island off the coast of Sicily, a gloriously sunny day, those are the perfect ingredients for our little excursion to Motya, one of the few exclusively Carthaginian settlements that have been excavated until today. Read Part 6 here.
Part 7
Akragas has been listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. This distinction attracts tens of thousands of trampling tourists daily who populate the Valley of the Temples. Including us. Read Part 7 here.
Part 8
Syracuse: the Mecca of Greek coinage. Birthplace of the most beautiful women’s coin portraits of all time. Just saying the name can send you into raptures. But then again, rats and closed museums can bring you back down to earth very quickly. Read Part 8 here.
Part 9
We hadn’t yet seen all there is to see in Syracuse. Accompany us to the city’s museum and its catacombs today. Read Part 9 here.
Part 10
Have you ever been to Palermo, that beautiful city full of contradictions? A cab driver put it like this: we’ve seen the Carthaginians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Moors, the Normans, the French and the Spanish. How can you not expect chaos? Read Part 10 here.
Part 11
When in Palermo, you’re always in for a surprise. Or did you know that this city is home to Europe’s ugliest fountain? And to rare evidence of what victims of the inquisition thought about the tortures they suffered? Accompany us on the last part of our journey. Read Part 11 here.