Course

There are two sides of Sicily. There is the Greek side with Siracusa as its center and the Muslim side with Palermo as its capital. But the Muslim heritage is only one of its many architectural chapters. From the medieval to the Renaissance to the Baroque, to its grandiose Neoclassical period, Palermo has been at the forefront of architectural experimentation all the way to the 20th century and beyond. Its Teatro Massimo was the third biggest opera theater in Europe. This class will cover the singular trajectory of a city full of remarkable surprises.

Faculty Bio

Pierluigi Serraino is a practicing architect and educator. He is the author of many books on architecture, including TASCHEN's Modernism Rediscovered. His latest book is The Modern Garden: The Outdoor Architecture of Mid-century America (Rizzoli, 2024).

This is a Livestreamed + Recorded Course

• Classes will stream live on the scheduled day and time
• Classes will also be video recorded
• You must be a current OLLI @Berkeley member to register. Learn about membership, including our fee assistance program

Schedule Highlights

• Course starts on Wednesday, Feb. 18, and ends on Wednesday, Mar. 11
• Classes meet for 4 weeks, 1.5 hours per session (10:30–noon)
• All course materials will remain in Member Dashboards through March 29

Member Praise for Pierluigi Serraino

Pierluigi is a wonderful instructor--I always learn something new from him, as well as something to think about. He always opens my eyes.

Course materials, organization, Pierluigi's deep knowledge of the specific area and ability to fit it into larger context of regional traditions and international design trends, and receptivity to participant questions & observations ... all great! Highly recommend!

Faculty Q&A

• Read an interview with Pierluigi Serraino from our archive.