Welcome to The Sicilian House travel blog for 2018.

Before Travelling South:

To stop en route before going onto Polizzi Generosa, Sicily  is a wonderful part of the journey. And Rome makes for a great stopover.

Last spring I wandered The Eternal City  for a few days before heading south and as luck would have it I got to see a wonderful exhibition, Da Caravaggio a Bernini at Scuderie del Quirinial, via XXIV maggio 16.

Da Caravaggio a Bernini at Scuderie del Quinirial:

Called a 'blockbluster' by Wanted in Rome  Da Caravaggio a Bernini, was filled with 17th century masterpieces, all from the Spanish Royal Collection. It was moving and easy to view.

Some of the artists were known to me but many were new. 

Some highlights (snapshots below) included Caravaggio's 'Salome with the Head of St John the Baptist',  dark and powerful; Guido Reni's 'St Catherine', glorious; the sheep in Jusepe de Ribera's 'Jacob and Laban's Flock', trusting.

The ass in de Ribera's 'Balaam and the Ass', heart touching. The exhibition notes explained beautifully the emotive gaze of the ass as...'begging the viewer for mercy with a pleading very human gaze, [who] partly opens its mouth to miraculously speak'. This occured when the ass stopped, frightened by a 'menacing' angel and just as the unaware Balaam was about to punish the ass for his 'insolence'.

Massimo Stanzione's 'The Seven Archangels' captivating; Andrea Vaccaro's 'Logica', commanding and Charles Le Brun's 'Dead Christ Lamenetd by Two Angels', full of gentle sorrow.

I don't recall Bernini's 'Crucifix from the Monastery of San Lorenzo e Escorial'  (which was noted by Wanted in Rome as a highlight). Did I just wander straight past it! 

Caravaggio:

Caravaggio's 'Salome'

Detail Caravaggio's 'Salome'

Guido Reni:

Guido Reni's 'St Catherine'

Massimo Stanzione:

Massimo Stanzione's 'The Seven Archangels'

Detail from Stanzione's 'The Seven Archangels'

'The Seven Archangels'

'The Seven Archangels'

'The Seven Archangels'

Luca Giordano:

Luca Giordano's 'Balaam and the Ass'

Charles Le Brun:

Charles Le Brun 'The Dead Christ Lamented by Two Angels'

Detail from 'The Dead Christ Lamented by Two Angels'

Andrea Vaccaro:

Andrea Vaccaro's 'Logica'

Jusepe de Ribera:

De Ribera's 'Jerome in Penitence'

Detail from 'Jerome in Penitence'

de Ribera's 'Jacob and Laban's Flock'

Detail from de Ribera's 'Jacob and Laban's Flock'

de Ribera's 'St Jerome in Meditation'.

I look forward to sharing stories throughout 2018.

Salve, 

Suzanne

Edited 22/2 /2018