The Catania Fish Market

The Catania Fish Market is like nothing I have ever seen before. To try to get an idea, some have described it as the best fish market in the world. When we arrived in Catania, Sicily we were told about the fish market, but honestly I did not know what to expect until I arrived. The fish market is opened Monday through Saturday from the morning until 2pm. Friday morning, as we started out on our walking tour around Catania, all I heard from other groups was how unique the experience was. Finally we made it to the Piazza, and tucked behind it - not quietly may I add - was a mob of people. The smell of fish was spread throughout the square even before entering but got even stronger the closer we got. There were fish, lots and lots of fish. Sea creatures I had never seen before or even knew existed. At each stand were the Sicilians yelling, I do not even know what, trying to sell their fishes or just to get the attention of the people walking by.

The Sicilian Fisherman was unique to any other fisherman that I have encountered in the past. He wanted me, especially since he knew that I was American, to take his picture. The fisherman wanted to show you what they had, even though they knew that you were not buying fish. They would pose for pictures and smile as we flashed our cameras when walking by with fascinated looks. The fish had just been caught that day or night before and were probably as fresh you can find. Each stand too was very different. One man might have caught a thirty-pound fish, while the man next to him was selling a bucket of Sardines. Some of the fish did not even look like fish. For example, one was probably three feet long but it was metallic silver coiled. To not get too graphic about the gory details, it really made me appreciate the process that was involved from catching the fish, to selling the fish at the market, to preparing the fish either at home, and then to enjoying it.

Even if you do not like fish, or are a vegetarian, I would strongly recommend visiting the fish market if you ever visit Catania. It was much more than just the selling of fish and other sea animals, but was an insight to the Sicilian way of life. They were proud of who they were and expressed this through the fish that they caught. While I am not an expert by any means, and have only been to a handful of fish markets before this trip, I can say that this was definitely the most unique and exquisite market that I have ever seen.

Caroline Passano, Vanderbilt University

CET Florence Student Correspondent, Fall 2011

Venice Off the Beaten Path

Last week my Imagery and Public Space class went to Venice for a day trip. Lucky for us, our professor, Dr. Steer is from Venice, so while I had absolutely no clue where we were walking, it was nice to not be staring at map.

Other benefits of having a professor from Venice include seeing lesser-known artworks, or perhaps lesser found works of art because as the title of this post suggests, this was a tour “off the beaten path.”

Fun Facts:

There are winged lions all over the city, the symbol of St. Mark.

Venice is shaped like a dolphin, and miraculously standing on stilts above water. We had beautiful weather, but I imagine that when it rains or floods, you may need a boat tied to your front door.

Arriving into Venice by train, the city seems to rise up out of the water, and you can only begin to imagine what inside might be like. Dr. Steer met us at the train station and we were off to start what would become a day packed with art everywhere we turned (which I have come to learn is not unusual for Italy).

The streets are winding, and while one minute you can be standing in a narrow alley in the shade, within the next few steps you may emerge into a wide piazza filled with pigeons going haywire with the sun full force on your face. Filled with darks and lights, the city itself seems to mirror the chiaroscuro that is so common in the region’s art.

Our Route:

Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari

(houses Titian’s breathtaking Assunta of Mary ascending into the heavens above the high altar. With the light streaming in, there is so much gold your vision starts to swim).

Scuole Grande di San Rocco

The confraternity meeting house, again we find the balance between the sacred and the secular in canvas paintings by Tintoretto that cover the entire ceiling and walls. Supposedly, the Baroque master of the chiaroscuro technique, Caravaggio, takes his inspiration from Tintoretto, and no wonder because the sense of drama due both to the size of the canvas and the scene is palpable.

After lunch we took a gondola ride crossing the canal to get to our next stop! There were 12 of us, plus one man with a massive Ikea bag, so we held on tightly when we were informed that falling over was not uncommon…having seen the James Bond movie, I knew I probably didn’t want to swim in that water.

Basilica di San Marco

St. Mark’s Church, built to house the relics of St. Mark, was constructed in the Byzantine tradition and covered in glittering, gold mosaics.

Here we are overlooking the Piazza San Marco.

Chiesa San Zaccaria

A convent to house the city’s wealthiest unmarried daughters. Most went kicking and screaming, and one of the girls even went so far as to sneak her boyfriend in…where he lived in the underground tombs. Now that’s dedication.

San Giorgio de’Schiavoni

Another confraternity meeting house, but much smaller than San Rocco. Here were scenes of St. George battling the dragon and saving the princess.

After a water-taxi ride to the train station (I recommend taking some Dramamine), we all left Venice talking about when we were going back. Sometimes feeling lost is a good thing, and in Venice, it is.

Ciao for now!

Clara Martin, Vanderbilt University

CET Florence Student Correspondent

Fall 2011

Weekly Newsletter, October 3rd

Newsletter: October 3^rd – 9^th

CET Events

Monday, Oct. 3^rd:

- CET v. Accent soccer game at 7:45pm (meet Anna in Via Giusti, 21 at 7:25pm).

Tuesday, Oct. 4^th:

- Drawing Class onsite at Chiostro dello Scalzo (9.30am)

- European Banking museum visit, Palazzo Strozzi (meet at CET at 9am)

- Medieval Art and Architecture Site Visit (meet at the Duomo at 1pm)

- CET v. Gonzaga soccer game at 8:25pm (meet Anna in Via Giusti, 21 at 8pm)

Wednesday, Oct. 5^th:

- ICH Make Up Class from 2 – 3:30pm. Meet in via Georgofoli at 2pm (in front of the olive tree).

Thursday, Oct. 6^th:

- Group Aperitivo at 7pm (activity TBC)

Events in Florence

Gucci Museum:

- Gucci just inaugurated a new museum located in Palazzo della Mercanzia (in piazza Signoria next to the Palazzo Vecchio). Entrance fee 6 Euros. The museum also holds a bookstore and café.

Tuesday, October 4^th:

- Flo’ Party, 9-11pm, Palazzo Strozzi: Party with deejay – chance to see the two Palazzo Strozzi Exhibits ‘Money and Beauty’ and ‘Declining Democracy’ for free! Please register at www.flonthego.com/party

Looking for something different to do? Check out the ‘Piazzale del Gusto’ in Viale Michelangelo, 61 (google map) This open air bar/restaurant describes itself as a “permanent food fair” that every 15 days changes its menu. For the next two weeks you can sample the offerings of the “fried food fair”, with cheap food and drinks for all.