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A charming journey between Greek Mythology characters represented on Villa Romana del Casale mosaics, in Piazza Armerina.
Daphnis] nymph of Greek Mythology, fluvial god Peneo’s daughter, courted by Apollo, implored her father who changed her into laurel. Apollo, after the metamorphosis of the nymph, decreed that from that moment the plant would be served to crown the poets, emperors and the bravest warriors.Ciparisso] youngster appreciated by Apollo, after the wrongly killing of a golden horns deer which the god had given to him, wanted to die, but the god, moved to pity, changed him in cypress, symbol of the sadness and holy to Ades, god of dead.
Gigantomachy] fight between giants and gods. Giants were born from Uranus’ blood (fallen on the GEA earth), when it was emasculated by the Cronus’ son. The scene represents the moment in which they try to pull off from their body the arrows poisoned with the Lerna Hydra’s blood thrown by Heracles. The wicked giants had dared to challenge Zeus to overthrow the divine order. Were imagined with snakes in place of the feet and at the center their Eurimedonte head.
Endimione] he was a very beautiful Caria shepherd who was sentenced by Zeus to sleep for forty years on mount Latmo, because he had courted Hera. Artemis, moved to pity and in love with the young man, visited him every night, by the spoils of the moon (Selene), to kiss him with its pale rays of light. Another version wants that Artemis fell in love with Endimione giving him fifty daughters and then, not bearing the idea he died, she put him to sleep for ever in a cave on mount Latmo in Caria where he lays for the eternity keeping himself young and very beautiful.
Ambrosia] All characters of Licurgo and Ambrosia’s tragedy are present. On the center, Licurgo’s naked figure is represented, Thrace king, which tryes to kill the maenad Ambrosia while is changing herself in a grapevine plant, by using a battle axe. Behind Licurgo it’s the Dionysiac cortege of three maenads of which one, with the thyrsus in hand, threatens Licurgo and a young man which throws the holy leopard. Behind Ambrosia are: Dionysus, Pan and Sileno. Licurgo didn’t like the Dionysac cult. The myth says that Dionysus, Semele and Zeus’ son, during a bacchanalia, was surprised by Licurgo that violently drove him away from his kingdom, killing satyrs and maenads, considering his behaviour as immoral. Licurgo forbade the grapevine cultivation cutting all the plants he encountered by the battle axe. Even killed his own son by mistake, having exchanged him for a grapevine bine and so the axe slipped through his fingers for the great rage he had, and cut off his legs. The other maenads and the satyrs Licurgo had imprisonned were miracolously freed instantly and the chains which were keeping them imprisonned were thrown on Licurgo killing him.
Pan] the myth tells that Pan, nymph Penelope and Mercury’s son, born with feet of goat, two horns on his forehead and beard of beak, was so ugly that, at the birth, his mother was nearly swooning. The father took him to the Olympus, but he was continously tormenting the nymphs for lechery. Pan, fallen in love with Siringa, Arcadia nymph, was chasing her to submit to his wishes and when he was about to reach her, Siringa’s father, Ladone, turned her into a cane thicket that, oscillating for the wind, was causing a sound exchanged by Pan as Siringa’s moan. Pan, in memory of the beloved, cut seven canes (as seven notes) and, arranging them in growing order, built the instrument called siringa.
Orpheus] in the center of the room, Orpheus plays the cithern sitting on a rock. The myth says that Orpheus, Muse Calliope and Eagro’s son, lost his wife Eurydice because of a snake bite trampled accidentally while she was running away chased by the shepherd Aristeo, Apollo’s son, that wanted to marry her. Orpheus, hopeless and inconsolable, descended in the kingdom of Hades and sent to sleep by the cithern the dog Cerbero. Then he moved to pity Ades and Persefone gods which released Euridice, provided that Orpheus never turn around to look her up to Hades exit. Orpheus didn’t resist and looked at Eurydice, vanishing like a shade for ever. He played the cithern again, in sadness, and no gods but all the animals of earth that looked at him were enchanted . Then Orpheus disdained and was killed by maenads so that, by death, he could reach Eurydice.
Arione] famous lyric poet and Lesbo Island musician, plays the cithern sitting on the back of a dolphin, under a curtain red stretched by two Cupids. All tritons, dolphins, griffons ridden by Cupids, etc. etc, are there. The myth sings that while Arione, Posidone’s son, was travelling for sea, he was plundered by the sailors of everything he had and was about to be killed too. As last desire he obtained to play the cithern and doing so, he attracted many dolphins that surrounded the ship, enchanted by music. Arione threw himself in the sea and was saved by a dolphin which carried him to homeland.
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The Dome of Cefalù is an Arab-Norman monument of XII century of great historical and artistic interest. It's one of the greatest Sicilian cathedral, realized according to a Norman project, which is strongly influenced by Byzantine and Arab art and culture. The works for the building began in 1131, wanted by Ruggero II that probably had to assign the building as Pantheon of the Norman monarchy. This explains the presence of two sarcophagi in porphyry placed inside, then transferred to the Cathedral of Palermo by Federico II. However, according to the tradition, the Dome was dedicated to the Saviour, observing a Ruggero's II vote that found escape near the coast of Cefalù after he was overcame by a storm. The facade is between two majestic Norman towers. We note the different form of cuspids and merlons on the top of the two towers; some students attribute these differences to the will to distinguish the civil and religious power. The tower on the left, with a cuspid having a form of a Mitra, represents the episcopal power, the right one, mainly decorated and with the polyedhric cuspid, represents instead the regale crown. The inside is subdivided into a nave and two aisles, each of them ending with an apse; obviously the central one is the most important. When inside, the attention is captured by magnificent mosaics (1148), showing wonderful tones of variety and brilliance on golden background, that adorn the apse and its sidewalls, the hemicycle (under the apse) and the chorus. In the apse the image of the Christ Pantocratore is represented, with His outstretched arms, one hand in sign of blessing, the other one holding the Bible. In the Bible you can read the phrase, both in Greek and Latin: "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life". The image remembers the Christ Pantocratore of Monreale and that one of the Palatine Chapel of Norman Palace; but here in Cefalù the Christ physiognomy seems to render Him more "human". One says that, in order to render homage to Ruggero II, the artist who executed the mosaic inspired to the King physiognomy. In the emicycle is represented instead the image of the Madonna that prays together with four archangels and, in the inferior part, the twelve apostles. The chorus is characterized by the presence of four angels and four archangels, while in the walls of the apse we find again mosaics dating back to the end of 1200, representing saints and prophets surrounding Christ, the predominant image. Beyond the cited mosaics the church contains other works of art: a fresco of the "Madonna with child" date back to XIV century, the old episcopal throne, on the right of the chorus, and the real throne in marble and mosaics (currently in restoration).
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Monreale (Palermo) developed slowly around the most powerful Benedictine community coming from Cava dei Tirreni in 1776 by Guglielmo II will. The powers conferred to Abbot were exceptional and were exercise in a large territory. The most representative building in Monreale is the Dome, always wanted by Guglielmo II, that was built between 1172 and 1176. The style of this known and appreciated monument all over the world is composite, different details of north European architecture and of Arabic art join here. The facade, following a French style, is contained by angle towers of which the meridional one remains, while the portico belongs to Renaissance age. The apses and their many arcs, evoke Arab atmospheres exalted by the polychrome decoration, by the alternation of limestone inlays and lava stone. The bronzee doors in Romanesque style are important too: the main one, a Bonanno Pisano creation, is made up of forty panels with scenes drawn from the Biblical narrations.
The inside, illuminated by bright golden mosaics that transmits something like a paradisiac place, is in the shape of Latin cross, with the aisles separated by columns. The entire building is covered by mosaics dating back to Guglielmo II and perhaps Tancredi period (1194).
The mosaics (above all the most recent ones) feel the effects of the Romanesque style we find in St. Marco (Venice).
One of the higher moment is represented by Christ Pantocrator image who seems to dominate the entire sacred inside space. Between the treasures of the cathedral we remember the St. Castrense, St. Benedict and the SS. Crocifisso chapels: this last is a splendid example of Baroque marbles. The church keeps also the Guglielmo’s I and II tombs.
The treasure of the cathedral constists of sacred furniture (French style also), a glazed copper box dating back to XIII century and a reliquary of the Sacred Thorn (of Christ crown), dating back to Gothic age.
The wonderful Cloister is really a masterpiece of sculpture and inlay. The 228 double columns, each one showing different decorations, are surmounted by elaborate capitals that support arches of Arabic inspiration. The cloister, contemporary to the Dome building, is in shape of quadrangle and encloses, in a small space, an entire collection of Provencal, Borgognona, Classicism and Arabic details. In the southern angle we find the fencing squared with the fountain, that evokes the shape of a palm trunk, and by the delicacy of the shapes and of the colors, transfers magical and sensual atmospheres of oriental habitations.
This is how Jean Houel describes the convent of Monreale in his colorful Travel in Sicily, Lipari and Malta isles (1787): "the columns are all fluted, some are twist, other ones straight. They are all incrostate of golden and coloured mosaics of granite, porphyry, every type of marble that forms small charming designs. The capitals are a mixture of flowers, fruit, figures of different kinds of animals... This convent is the most complete monument, most searched that it is possible to construct in its kind. It is in this sublime place that the most inmates admire the world and its splendour ".
While Guy de Maupassant writes in The wandering way (1885): "the wonderful cloister of Monreale suggests to the mind a such feeling of grace that it would want to remain for ever. It very large, perfectly square, of delicate and fine elegance; and he who has not seen it cannot imagine the harmony of colonnade. The exquisite proportion, the incredible slimness of all these doble columns, side by side, all different, some covered by mosaics, other simple; some covered by beautiful sculptures, others adorne by a surrounding simple stone, like a climbing plant, amaze the look, and then fascinate it, bewitch, generate that artistic joy that the things of an absolute taste make to penetrate in the spirit through the eyes.
Like all these pairs of columns, also all the capitals are different. And we are fascinated at the same time by the admirable effect of the entirety, and the perfection of every detail.
It’s not possible to observed this great masterpiece without thinking of Victor Hugo verses about the Greek artist which put "something of beautiful like a human smile on the profile of the Propilei.
This divine walk is enclosed between ancient high walls, in ogival archways ; and it is what today remains of the Benedictine convent.
The Sicily is the native land, the true one, the only native land of the colonnades. All the inner courtyards of the old palaces and the old houses of Palermo contain some of them, really wonderful.
The small cloister of Saint Giovanni of the Hermits church, one of the most ancient Norman churches of Oriental kind, would be less remarkable than the one of Monreale, it is still superior than everything I know".
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The Palatin Chapel is inside the Norman Palace in Palermo, today place of the Sicilian Region Parliament. The current architectonic complex was many times changed by various owners. In fact in ancient times the Phoenicians and then Romans, arranged a defensive citadel in the area. The Arabs, in IX the century, restructured the building calling it "Emiris Palace". Later the palace was enlarged by Normans that entrusted Byzantine and Arabs artists the task of doing the ornaments. In that period the Norman Palace had a great role of culture and civilization in the whole Europe. During Svevi domination the palace, for Federico II will, was residence for artists and literary men that verses in "Italian language" flowed. The magnificent Palatin Chapel was wanted by Ruggero II. The building began in 1132 and finished in 1140. Inside are wonderful ancient mosaics, dating back to 1143. Then the chapel was dedicated to Saint Peter. Other mosaic representation, dating back to 1170, are on the walls and on the archways of king Ruggero room. Object of the representation are in this case animals and trees adorned with very fine decorations.
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Three km (1.8 miles) southwest away from Piazza Armerina, in a verdant valley of pines, elm trees, poplars, hazels, the most famous monumental complex well known as Villa Romana del Casale is located. This is a luxurious habitation, recently recognized by Unesco as World Heritage Site. It’s near to a stream, that becomes Gela river further away, on the rests of a previous rustic settlement. During the twenties, thirties and forties of the last century the first inspections were carry out and with the excavations of fifties the whole monument was discovered. The late-Roman villa, completely uncovered (aside from the pars fructuaria that has been searched in 2004 in the east side of the main entry) has a defined planimetry consisting of four groups of rooms with galleries, peristyles, courts and thermal areas: it’s a big complex of buildings in which we find a pleasant sinuosity, differences in level, exedras, stairs and asymmetries that obeyed above all to a specific function. The lower level is made up of a thermal complex and the great exedra latrine; the second level includes the peristyle and the areas of stay; the third one comprises a three apses hall and the opposite xystus; then there is a fourth group of buildings that is made up of private apartments and the basilican room that is opened on a long ambulatory. The villa, with its over 3500 sqm (4200 sqyd) of mosaic pavements, offers the most extraordinary and wide known text of mosaic decoration that, for the complexity of its iconographic apparatus, is not comparable to the mosaics of the Roman Tunisian villas. The mastery, which between the III and IV century AD provided to the empire the most flourishing schools of mosaic decoration, was African. Therefore, on the base of stratigraphic data, confirmed by historical and literary sources, the dating of the villa has been fixed within the 340 AD.
By the monumental entrance (south side), made up of a door with three arches and that had to be sure plastered, frescoed (some rest remains) and adorned with statues, it enters the complex. It accesses a colonnade and a courtyard that leads to the quadrangular portico (north-west side) or to the thermal quarter (west side). From the courtyard it reaches, through two dressing rooms, the gymnasium of which mosaic decoration evokes a race between quadrigae set in the Circus Maximum of Rome. From here it accesses the frigidarium with its octagonal plan with seven exedra niches of which the southern one has three apses and the north one is an psidal swimming pool. The niches decorations represent vestizione and ablution scenes, while the frigidarium represent marine scenes, the two bathtubs with walls and pavements covered with marbles. From the frigidarium it enters the tepidarium and therefore the calidarium which manifests the heating system with suspensurae and praefurnia. Coming back to the main entrance, it can enter, through a rectangular space that shows a fragment of a mosaic welcome scene, the great central peristyle representing the conjunction of all the villa sectors .
It is an immense quadrangular space, delimited by columns of granite with Corinthian capitals, that closes a vast garden with a great monumental fountain. The right side of the peristyle constitutes the cerimonial route while the left side is a private one.
In the north side, East-West direction, the private apartments with geometric decorations and theatrical, erotic, fishing or hunting scenes, are situated. Among them we indicate the so called "small hunt" room that describes an hunting scene on different levels: a fox hunting scene is on the top; in the middle, the sacrifice to hunting goddess and other scenes of hare and boar hunt; in the bottom, scenes of deer and boar hunt.
A pleasant scene in the hall center is that of venatores rest which are waiting for their meal on fire, seated in a glade on a striped table cloth under a drape shadow ( the parapetasma), after to have bind the horses to trees. The descriptive aspect of this outing, now with rods, or with nozzles and stones, or with the mistletoe and the falcon, or with dogs and horses, now with the nets, develops like a comic strip.
The official and public route includes the visit of east and south side of the peristyle. The east one is opened on the so-called “Ambulatory of the Big Game Hunt” of which extremities are apsidal, communicating with the basilica like a nartex, in east side. Its mosaic decoration, about 200 feet long, is entirely dedicated to the great hunting with wild beasts and exotic animals and theirs boarding and transport to Rome for the employment in the circensian games. The scenes converge from the apses towards the center near to the basilica entrance. Particular interest has provoked the presence of an austere figure, that leanes on a stick, with typical dresses of Tetrarchic age and pannonico-illirico cap, in which someone has recognized the Massimiano Erculeo features. The hardening of the human figures seems to transmit something of Byzantinism.
From the big ambulatory on a prominent level it enters the basilica, big and majestic building 100 feet long and with a circular apse in east direction. The walls are covered by marble and the floor is not mosaic, but adorned in polychrome opus sectile to represent the solemnity of high function and remark the aulic one. In the north and south sides of the basilica the private flats are placed. In the north area there is a group of places of which the first directly opens on the corridor of the big hunt: here the floor represents the Homeric scene in which Ulisse deceives Polifemo. In the contiguous cubicle an erotic scene is represented and in its alcove finds of frescos with Dionysiac scenes are present. Another space with apse opens on the oriental side. In the south side of the basilica a big complex, also giving onto the ambulatory by a semicircular colonnade and in which floor a scene of fisher Cupids is represented, is located. The portico puts in a big rectangular apsidal space in which floor the Arione’s myth is wealthily represented. The poet image is in the hall center, riding a dolphin, while he enchants with his cithern the bystanders between sea divinities, fishes and eroti. Sideways of Arione "diaeta" there are two rooms in which the Eros and Pan fight and a Venatio between children and pets are respectively represented. Still in south side there is an image of a circus competition made by children and pets and, in another room, musical and singing competitions of children. From the south flats it enters, by a little stair, another group of three service places. The first one presents a geometrical drawing on mosaic floors, while the second one deserves greater attention because of its fame for the so-called "bikini girls" representation. Young girls with scanty costumes of panties and stripes around their chests performing gymnastic evolutions or receiving the competition award. In the east side of this room, there is a big space in which apse an Apollonian bust of white marble is placed and of which floor is decorated with the Orpheus myth representation which enchants the animals with his charming music. The presence of the apse, of two columns in antis and the particular type of mosaic scene make us think to the use as music or reading room.
In the south of this complex another core of the villa is located: the elliptical peristyle (xystus) surrounded on three sides by a portico with an exedra extracted from three bottom niches and a central fountain; from the elliptical courtyard it enters by a short steps the Triclinium which is a big quadrangular room presenting on three sides deep apses which certainly had to contain a statue in each of them. The decoration of the floors reveals a stylistic grandeur without parallel. In the central hall there are episodes of Heracles efforts and the mares of Diomede, the dying Nemeo lion, the tricephalous Cerbero, the Lerna hydra, the snake of the Esperidi garden, the tricorpore Gerione, Diomede falling from the horse, the bull of Maratona and an episode of Argonauts expedition are visible too. In the apses there are also three slaughter scenes bordered by historiated strips of myths. The northern exedra presents the Heracles apotheosis in which the hero, naked, wrapped in a leopard's skin is surrounded of epic episodes; the Heracles portrait shows a big plastic vigour in the modelling of the body and his chiaroscuros features. In the eastern apse the punishment of the giants, in which Heracles strikes them with poisoned arrows, is described. To observe also, in the scene convulsion, the plastic and the expressiveness power of the movement. In the southern exedra the Dionisiac myth of Ambrosia and its persecutor Licurgo is described. The hero is represented powerful and naked while he raises the axe bipens against the maenad threatened in vain with the thyrsus terrify maenad in the back. Not even the sacred leopard and neither the advent of Pan, Sileno and same Dionysus succeeds to save Ambrosia that changes in a providential metamorphosis: her legs begin to transform themselves in screw plant that envelops with vine-branches Licurgo and the eroti begin to harvest grapes. The whole scene highlights compositional perfection and a remarkable narrative sense. To add, finally, the not less important fresco decoration which was extended on the walls of the villa. Some traces remain in several rooms of the complex and also in some parts of the outside perimetrical walls. A some shy recovery work has been tried, but probably, nearby to he maims vision of delicate scenes of dancing young girls and Cupids, yelding the resignation of an irreparable loss is necessary. As referred above, in 2004 excavations were performed in the area it thinks was only the pars fructuaria of the villa, but it is noticed that the upper layers of that pars highlight a medieval settlement almost certainly referable to the ancient Piazza Armerina, destroyed by Guglielmo I il Malo and subsequently rebuilt at expenses of the kingdom in the actual site.
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