Two elements, such as two road axes, are orthogonal when they cross one another to form an angle of 90 degrees (a right angle)....

The consequences of the earthquake forced the Spanish authorities, who ruled Sicily at the time to focus on this emergency. Giuseppe Lanza, Duke of Camastra, was appointed vicar general for the reconstruction of the Val di Noto. The decision was not accidental; the nobleman had already participa...

The origin of the name Catania dates back to the time of the Sicels, a population that inhabited Sicily before the Greeks. So the Sicels called their village "Katana", meaning grater, to emphasise the irregular and porous surface of the solidified lava. Afterwards, each population that occupied ...

The almond tree is a very long-lived and widespread tree in the Mediterranean Basin. It can reach a height of 10 metres and is usually easy to recognise in a garden. Its splendid flowering of pinkish-white shoots, which in Agrigento starts as early as January, makes it one of the most beautiful and ...

The Temple of Hera Lacinia rises on the highest rocky spur of the Hill of the Temples, with the façade facing east. The temple, like others in the city, is of Doric order and can be dated to around 450-440 BC. The structure has an imposing basement of four steps. Of the thirty-four columns still ...

In the Garden of Kolymbetra, in addition to the citrus fruits that sweeten the surroundings with their scent, there are thousand-year-old olive trees. These evergreen plants belong to the Oleaceae family and are particularly good at standing the test of time. They even have the ability to regenera...

The citrus grove of the Kolymbetra Garden is home to 600 trees of varying types including sweet oranges, bitter oranges, lemons, tangerines and clementines. Each species has ancient varieties with a timeless taste, such as the juicy and sour blood orange, the yellow-orange colouring and typical r...

Soi bioengineering is a new discipline in the wider field of general engineering whose techniques involve the use of natural materials such as wood, earth or stone in combination with living materials such as plants or parts of plants....

The Italian Environment Fund (Fondo Ambiente Italiano – FAI) is a non-profit foundation that, since its creation in 1975, has protected and developed Italian historical, artistic and landscape heritage. Through the organisation of initiatives and events such as the FAI Days in spring and autumn,...

In 480 BC Theron, tyrant of Agrigento, moved against Himera in order to achieve his dream of an outlet on the Tyrrhenian Sea. However, the city, located near present-day Termini Imerese, was also coveted by the Carthaginians, with whom Theron fought. The Greeks of Sicily had a crushing victory in...