Art and history Course

“Italy without Sicily leaves no image in the soul: here lies the key to everything.”
– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Join us on a virtual journey through the history and art of Sicily, a true crossroads of civilizations.

Thanks to its strategic location in the heart of the Mediterranean, Sicily has preserved the legacy of countless cultures  Phoenician, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Norman, Swabian, Angevin, Spanish forming a vibrant mosaic of art, language, and tradition.

From ancient temples and Greek theaters to Roman villas, Byzantine churches, Arab mosques, Norman palaces, and Baroque architecture, Sicily is home to seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites:

• Villa Romana del Casale (Piazza Armerina)
• Valle dei Templi (Agrigento)
• Aeolian Islands
• Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto
• Syracuse and the Necropolis of Pantalica
• Mount Etna
• Arab-Norman Palermo

This course, led by our teacher Elisa Aucello, offers a comprehensive overview of the island’s most important sites of historic and cultural interest from prehistory to the present day.
Each lesson begins with a historical introduction and continues with a virtual tour of significant sites, enhanced with images and video content.

Course Structure

The course is divided into ten modules:

1. The Greek Sicily
2. The Roman Sicily
3. The Arab-Norman Sicily
4. From Gothic to Renaissance
5. The Renaissance
6. Late Renaissance and Mannerism
7. The 17th century: spanish sicily
8. The Sicilian Baroque
9. From the 19th Century to Today
10. Field Experience: Discovering Taormina*

*The final lesson may be tailored to student preferences.