The window overlooking the sea by Tano Festa in Reitano

Precisely for this reason, in the immediate vicinity of Reitano, a site called River of Art and which has among its main attractions also that of Window on the sea, a work by Tano Feast. Here's what it consists of and how you can go about admiring it.

What is Window on the sea

This is the name by which the work of art is known "Monument for a dead poet” created by the sculptor Tano Festa in 1989.

The work is a tribute to Sicily and the sea and consists of a huge window which is right there on the sea, so looking through it it is possible to admire the panorama of the gulf below in all its beauty, given that it was built on a hill. The work is not isolated but fits into a open-air museum strongly desired by the local authorities who have transformed a previously abandoned place into a place dedicated to beauty but also to reflection. A trip to Reitano to admire the Window on the sea, then, can be the right occasion to discover an area of ​​Sicily little traveled by the most touristic routes but for this reason even more fascinating.

The profound meaning of the Window on the sea

Like any work of art, also the Window on the sea is based on the author's urge to express feelings, tell a story.

In particular, this work by Tano Festa is part of his artistic production which has always been marked by the use of colour. The original name of the sculpture, then, is a clear indication of its deeper meaning, namely a tribute to the artist's brother, poet by profession, died prematurely. The window frame, almost 18 meters high, however, is not a palette, as many have interpreted, but it is a gateway to infinity, the moment of transition from childhood to adulthood. Even the choice of the color blue is not accidental because in addition to recalling the sea, it should be emphasized that blue is also the color of the soul, therefore of the most intimate and original part of a human being.

What is the Fiumara d'Arte

As already underlined, the Window overlooking the sea is part of the open-air museum that it is River of art. This open-air space includes 12 original works by contemporary artists who have carried out their work at the mouth of the Tusa river. Certainly among the most famous works there are Ariadne's Labyrinth, created by Italo Lanfredini, which is located in the territory that is part of the municipality of Castel di Lucio but also 38th parallel – Pyramid which is a work by Mauro Staccioli and is located instead at Motta d'Affermo, but the others are also very beautiful and evocative, such as Motta d'Affermo, a joint work by Piero Dorazio and Graziano Marini, also in Castel di Lucio, or Golden boat room, by the Japanese Hidetoshi Nagasawa, which is located at Mistretta.

What to see around the Window on the Sea

Once in Reitano, visitors can take the opportunity to discover other local beauties. Among the most representative monuments are the Church of the Madonna del Carmelo, built in the thirteenth century. From the same period is also the Church of Our Lady Immaculate inside which there is a beautiful chapel dedicated to Sant'Erasmo, which is also the patron saint of the country. Inside this chapel there are beautiful paintings, some dating back to the seventeenth century, such as the one dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament which is made in gold on a wooden tablet.

Then, located in various points of the town, there are some monuments that were built in more recent times but are nonetheless very suggestive, such as the one dedicated to fellow citizens who fell in the war during World War II.

How to get to Reitano

To reach Reitano and admire the Window on the sea you can use your own auto as the most convenient and fastest way. From Palermo, for example, the road to take is the A20 and then continue on the E90, the same road that those coming from Messina must also choose. From Catania, on the other hand, the reference motorway is the A19 up to your destination, finally from Syracuse after having traveled the A19 you must continue on the E932.

Those who prefer the train they will have to refer to the stations of La Malfa or Lolli because Reitano does not have its own. From these localities it is then possible to continue to your destination with the bus service made available by the AST company.