Saturday trip to Enna

Known as the "belly button of Sicily" because it rests pretty much in the center of Sicily, Enna is a hilltop city with an interesting history.  When you see it from the autostrada, you think you may be in Tuscany.  It has that look.... old city perched on top of a large rock outcropping.  Its history melds Norman and Arab influences, with some 20th century touches.  Like this fascist era building.  Most Italian cities have a least one from the Mussolini era:

It is a city that has an impressive fortress, a beautiful duomo, lots of interesting churches and sweet piazzas:

The duomo is splendid. Here is the entrance:

Layers of interesting spolia (which is the Latin word for bits and bobs).  The colossal columns are resting on these marvelous Norman bases, with these delightful lions and animals:

Huge columns taken from mosques, splendid Baroque decoration, a carved roof that looks like something from the time of Henry VIII, over the top Rococo recesses....

The fortress is very large and covers an entire side of the hill top.  It has towers at every corner so you can see what is coming at you.  Archeologists have unearthed evidence of humans way before the Normans, of course.

Che bello!