According to legend, the telamons were giants who fought a war with the gods at the beginning of the world. These mighty creatures were rebellious beings who did not want to bend to the will and power of Zeus, the father of all gods. In the end, the gods prevailed over the giants and the king of...

At the Regional Archaeological Museum "Pietro Griffo" in Agrigento, in the room dedicated to the Temple of Olympian Zeus you can admire a telamon in its original vertical position. [caption id="attachment_13754" align="aligncenter" width="498"] The telamones were colossal statues alternating with...

Architectural styles are a complex of rules that characterise a building, such as a temple. In Greece the main ones were the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian orders. The first, and oldest, was widespread mainly in the Peloponnese region. The columns of Doric temples were very strong but also very line...

Stalactites are elongated, mineral formations often found hanging in underground envi-ronments such as caves. Small drops of water ooze from the rocky walls of these natural places and solidify thanks to a chemical process. But this happens over a very long time: a stalactite can grow around two mil...

The Anaktoron, or King's Palace, was built around the 12th century BC and had six large square-shaped rooms. The largest of these was probably a workshop where bronze weapons were made. The remains of this large building are still present in the Acropolis of Pantalica. [dettaglio_immagine id=...

In art, "Baroque" indicates a style that developed in the 17th century and aims to amaze and astound the viewer. In painting, sculpture and architecture, Baroque works are characterised by large dimensions, strong theatricality and the search for movement, through the use of curved shapes and rich d...

According to Greek religion, nymphs are divine powers of forests, mountains and trees, but above all of water and springs. Immortal and beautiful, nymphs are the companions of the hunting goddess Artemis. When Pan, god of the wild and nature, plays the flute, the nymphs dance, walk on the mountain...

Since only men were allowed to perform in antiquity, the theatre masks were light in colour when the actor played a female role, and dark for male roles, and had openings at the eyes and mouth. The masks amplified the actors' voices and, thanks to their pronounced shapes, made the characters recog...

The Jews of Syracuse were not only great traders, but experts in the arts of mechanics and metals, in particular in copper and iron working. The blacksmith trade was very popular in Giudecca and was often passed down from father to son. The workshops were responsible for both the creation and sa...

The Second Punic War was fought between Rome and Carthage between 218 BC and 202 BC, first in Europe then in Africa. At the end of the fighting, Hannibal was defeated at Zama while the Roman general Scipio was victorious and nicknamed "Scipio the African"....