Evening star., 1943-11-07
Fate of War>Torn Sicily's Priceless Art

much of it to risk the antichmax Of
having 1t found in its proper place.
German troops were in Catania long
time, and the place to look for it will
not be the United Kingdom or the
United States
Both German and prearmistice 1tal-
ian propaganda have stressed continu-
ally that the Allies will rob Italy of its
art treasures and antiquities The actual
fact is that a group of AMGOT officers,
in civilian life, noted specialists in these
fields in both America and Great Britain,
are assigned to make sure these treas
ures are preserved intact and that where
unavoidable damage has resulted from
the fighting it shall, so far as possible,
be repaired. Their biggest job to date,
they have found. is to devise ways Of
enabling the Italian custodians left
without pay or means of subsistence, to
live and remain on their jobs.
survey has shown the actual damage
from air bombing and other military
operations-(and they are asking no
questions as to whether any particular
case was due to Allied or Axis activ-
ities)-was much less than had been
feared, Sicily has been somewhat of an
art center throughout its history but
contains relatively little of outstanding
significance. All its priceless treasures
belong either to the Graeco-Roman or
Norman periods and none of these have
been seriously damaged.
Curiously enough, there is relatively
little, and that of second-rate impor-
tance, dating from the medieval or
renaissance periods when Palermo for a
time was the cultural center of the
Christian world.
This was during the ascendancy Of
the Swabian emperors, notably Fred
erick the Second, celebrated for his quar-
rels with the popes. But the Swabians
did little to encourage art, per Sc. They
were not cathedral builders Instead
they threw their energies into the ad-
vancement of science. particularly med
icine, and did much to bring about the
revival of learning in Europe. Hence
the accomplishments Of their courts are
immortalized in the minds of men,
rather than in stone or on canvas which
bombs can damage.
The fourth period is that of the So
called "baroque" architecture and paint
ing of the 18th and 17th centuries. This
school had a great development In Sicily.
Its works have suffered by far the worst,
and some of the damage Is irreparable.
But the artistic Importance, although
great, was not of the first magnitude.
Sicilian Temples.
Sicily is strewn with ruins of Greek
and Roman temples. None Of them, the
survey shows, were hit by bombs. The
one outstanding classical treasure Is the
Greek statue, the Metope of Selinunte,
which dates from about the 5th CEN
vetrano. Officers conducting the survey
were relieved to find that 1t had not
been scratched. 1t is known to art STU
dents throughout the world as one Of
the greatest extant specimens OF clas-
sical sculpture.
uC oICcA 1CiIldl1iS az COIi~
sist otherwise of six temples, none Of
which was damaged in the least. There
are acres of Greek temple remains near
Agrigento, where 7th Army headquar-
ters were located for a time and where
there was some hard fighting and near
Syracuse, taken by the British early in
the campaign. There Is no apparent
damage at either Of these sites.
There are two outstanding Norman
cathedrals. First In Importance, and
beyond question one OF the greatest in
the world, Is the great cathedral at
Monreale, just outside Palermo. It has
been q mecca Of art lovers for CEN
turies. 1t was In the path Of Allied
bombers and might easily have been hit
by accident. Fortunately, not bomb
fell within 10 miles OF Monreale. The
second, less we'll known, Is the Cathe-
dral Of the Redeemer Of the World at
Cefalu, seaport town about 40 miles east
Of Palermo, near which an American
division was quartered for time
1t was one OF the favorite amuse-
ments Of the soldiers Of summer eve
nings to listen to German radio ac-
counts Of how they were lootins this