Caltagirone ... City of Ceramics
Steps of Santa Maria del Monte |
The city’s buildings, churches, streets and balconies are
all decorated with Majolica ceramics ranging from magnificent tiles to beautiful ornaments and plant pots, all of which are hand
painted there.
The drive from Taormina takes approximately one hour and twenty minutes and you will get to see a different view of Mount Etna than that seen from
Taormina.
The name Caltagirone comes from the Arabic word Qal’at
Ghiran, which means Castle of Pottery Jars and is one of the most ancient Sicilian
towns which dates back to prehistoric times.
The city was almost destroyed by an earthquake in the
region in 1693 and many of the buildings have been rebuilt in a typical Sicilian
baroque style.
The highlight of the city is the Steps of St. Maria del
Monte, which has 142 stairs decorated with beautiful flourished Majolica tiles,
each step displays a different design. All the way up the stairs and the alleyways
leading off to each side you will find the many workshops and galleries of the
artists.
Once you have climbed to the top of the steps, whilst
slightly breathless, you will be rewarded by a spectacular view across Caltagirone
and the surrounding countryside. There you will find a couple more steps up to the church of St. Maria del Monte in the small piazza in front you will see the mosaic artwork in Majolica depicting The Taking of the Bell of Altavilla to Caltagirone, a very beautiful piece of art.
Our dog Daisy loves a climb up the stairs and she looks forward to a sip of water from the natural water tap in front of the church.
The Taking of the Bell of Altavilla to Caltagirone |
Our dog Daisy loves a climb up the stairs and she looks forward to a sip of water from the natural water tap in front of the church.
There are many other churches to explore, and also the civic museum which
is housed in an 18th century Bourbon prison.
Well worth a visit across a decorated bridge called Ponte San
Francesco is the Public Gardens which were created by an English aristocrat in
an art nouveau style. Here you will find the Museo della Ceramica (Museum of
Ceramics) with the history of ceramics dating back to ancient times.
Dolce and Gabbana's Spring Inspiration |
The best time of year to visit is at Easter for the Good
Friday procession, May for the flower festival where the steps are adorned with
flowers and on 25th July when the city celebrates its patron saint,
Saint James and the steps are lit by candles to form an artistic drawing.
Caltagirone is a small city and is easy to visit in half a
day so why not incorporate a visit to nearby Piazza Armerina where you can
visit the Villa del Casale which is a stunning Roman Villa with 3500 square meters of Roman mosaics.
If you decide to stay in Caltagirone there is a cute Bed and
Breakfast called Tre Metri Sopra il Cielo which translates to Three Metres
above The Sky www.bbtremetrisoprailcielo.it
I am slowly adding to my collection in my Sicilian home.
a birthday present from my adopted Sicilian big brother |
Why not visit my White Almond Pinterest page and browse our board Dolce and Gabbana's Sicilian
Inspiration.
www.pinterest.com/sarahjkearney
This blog post is dedicated by our wonderful friend Teresa who we spent a beautiful sunny day with in Caltagirone this October.
PHOTO GALLERY
Steps of the Santa Maria del Monte |
Ceramic Workshop |
Daisy |
Steps of Santa Maria del Monte |
Caltagirone |
School of Ceramic Art |
Duomo |
Ponte San Francesco |
B & B Tre Metri Sopra il Cielo |
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