AIA CONTINENTAL EUROPE SPRING 2023 CONFERENCE / Sicily Crossroads of Culture

Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina. Photo Credit: L D King

When the Daily Telegraph announced in its 14 Apr 23 issue that Sicily was “The greatest island in the Med* (*according to science)”, attendance at AIA Continental’s 2023 Spring Conference in Catania, Italy, was a foregone conclusion, and NO ONE who signed up in advance was going to be put off by one badly behaved, erupting volcano…  In the event, Mount Etna’s temper tantrum – although it temporarily closed the airport just days before the conference opened on 25 May 2023 – merely left Catania with a coating of fine, gritty volcanic dust, easily swept away by its long-inured populace.  

Even so, it could be said that AIA CE’s conference week started off with a bang…

Catania has been defined by its seismic location.  In 1693, southeastern Sicily was struck by a catastrophic earthquake.  With remarkable fortitude, the island’s inhabitants rebuilt their cities in high baroque style that peppers their skylines with an array of domes, cupolas, campaniles and broken pediments.  The word baroque means imperfect pearl, but there was nothing imperfect about the overall effect.

Baroque Cathedral of Siracusa.  Photo Credits: L Korzilius / L D King

Although the classical cityscapes of Catania, Noto and Syracuse offered unlimited delight, the conference – true to its title – also presented the diversity of Sicily in a series of remarkable tours to multiple UNESCO world heritage sites.  The island clearly benefited from its location as the literal crossroads of Mediterranean cultures.  

First, Syracuse – Siracusa and the island of Ortigia – with its Greek temples and Spanish fort exemplifies the mixing of cultural artefacts.  The early church – one of the first Christian churches and the only one in continuous use from the classical period to the present day - grew around the ancient Greek temple to Athena, eventually encompassing it in an eerie blend of the ancient and less ancient. 

The Cathedral of Siracusa in Ortigia over the centuries has been a Greek temple, a church and a mosque before becoming a church again.  Photo Credits: L D King 

Second, a tour of Catania’s Monastero Dei Benedettini – now an educational facility - also highlighted a diversity of styles in one large complex, with its crypt hiding Greek and Roman fragments and modern structural engineering to complement the main baroque staircase. 

Monastero Dei Benedettini in Catania.  Photo Credits: L D King

Although the church’s treatment of column capitals – a Sicilian obsession  - left something to be desired, the monastery’s dome and courtyard captured the essence of tranquillity.  

Monastero Dei Benedettini in Catania.  Photo Credits: L D King AIA / L Korzilius FAIA

Third, the highlight of the conference was the tour of the Villa Romana del Casale outside Piazza Armerina.  The villa, located in the interior of Sicily in what was once a wealthy Roman province, was destroyed centuries ago, but subsequent landslides and floods preserved the remains of 3,500 m2 of one of the largest and most varied arrays of Roman mosaics in the world.  

 An assortment of Roman mosaics.  Photo Credits: L D King and RD Reber

Villa Romana was a hard act to follow, but Sergio Danese (a conference organiser along with fellow AIA CE member Barbara Di Gregorio) surprised the group with a special treat in the nearby hill town of Piazza Armerina.  What started out as a mundane pit stop at a mid-19th century theatre, turned first into a fun-filled cooking demonstration and then into a dazzling operatic performance, all in celebration of ‘pasta alla Norma’ – the Sicilian (and conference) staple consisting of pasta with aubergines in a tomato and basil sauce. 

Cuisine and opera; a Sicilian experience.  Photo Credits: A Miller (top) / L D King

Lest there is an impression that the Catania conference was essentially one big  holiday tour, rest assured a full program of distinguished speakers, lectures, panel discussions and building tours filled a 3-day weekend agenda with continuing education courses.  Those who attended the conference plus the Monday extension to Mirabella and Caltagirone earned 24 continuing education units. 

Lakisha Ann Woods, AIA CEO having her thoughts on emerging professionals translated into Italian. Video Credit: Alex Miller

As well as ancient monuments, modern architecture – complete with exquisite Italian interior design, sustainability features and Italian craftsmanship – also kept the attendees on their toes.

Clay and lava fused with glaze and hand painted at the NineFifty tile workshop / Frantoi Berretta olive oil producing site and luncheon venue.  Photo Credit: RD Reber / L D King

And – of course – plenty of time was left for social networking, culminating in the traditional Saturday gala dinner, held in the surrounding Sicilian countryside. 

The Gala Dinner, complete with Willie Nelson background music. Video Credit: Alex Miller

The Slideshow pictures below were taken by attendees Lorraine King, Lester Korzilius, Alex Miller and R D Reber.  They offer a mere tantalising glimpse of conference sites, city views and – most importantly – the ATTENDEES.

Just for fun, a few examples only give a hint of Sicilian column capital treatments…

If you are not aware of AIA CE’s conferences but are looking for a user-friendly way to earn significant continuing education units while indulging in a European city break, look them up on AIA CE’s website HERE. These international conferences are a bargain, and AIA UK members are always welcomed.  The Fall Conference will be held in central France.

Written by L D King, AIA