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Sicilian cornucopia
 
 
 
 
 
 
Quattro Canti   24 Nov 2014 Quattro Canti    24 Nov 2014   Palermo, Sicily Italy    S - M - L
 
 
 
 
 

A long post today, with lots of text and photos. We spent the day exploring medieval Palermo which is just outside the door of our b&b.

 
 
 
 
Quattro Canti  
 

We start at Quattro Canti (four corners) which divides the old town into four quadrants. At one time inhabitants of each quarter had their own dialects, trades, palaces, and markets, and intermarriage was discouraged. At each corner of the Quattro Canti is a tall concave wall with several tiers of statues. In years past this was where the heads of convicted rebels were displayed. Quattro Canti isn't a piazza, which I expected, it's just the intersection of two major streets, Via Maqueda and Corso Emanuele, though a major street in old Palermo is barely two cars plus sidewalks wide. The typical Palermo street is narrower still, barely enough for a Fiat, and more than once I found myself flat against a building letting a car pass. Not as bad as it sounds as I don't think drivers actually want to hit you.

 
 
 
 
Quattro Canti  
 

We start at Quattro Canti (four corners) which divides the old town into four quadrants. At one time inhabitants of each quarter had their own dialects, trades, palaces, and markets, and intermarriage was discouraged. At each corner of the Quattro Canti is a tall concave wall with several tiers of statues. In years past this was where the heads of convicted rebels were displayed. Quattro Canti isn't a piazza, which I expected, it's just the intersection of two major streets, Via Maqueda and Corso Emanuele, though a major street in old Palermo is barely two cars plus sidewalks wide. The typical Palermo street is narrower still, barely enough for a Fiat, and more than once I found myself flat against a building letting a car pass. Not as bad as it sounds as I don't think drivers actually want to hit you.

 
 
 
 
Quattro Canti  
 

We start at Quattro Canti (four corners) which divides the old town into four quadrants. At one time inhabitants of each quarter had their own dialects, trades, palaces, and markets, and intermarriage was discouraged. At each corner of the Quattro Canti is a tall concave wall with several tiers of statues. In years past this was where the heads of convicted rebels were displayed. Quattro Canti isn't a piazza, which I expected, it's just the intersection of two major streets, Via Maqueda and Corso Emanuele, though a major street in old Palermo is barely two cars plus sidewalks wide. The typical Palermo street is narrower still, barely enough for a Fiat, and more than once I found myself flat against a building letting a car pass. Not as bad as it sounds as I don't think drivers actually want to hit you.

 
 
 
Piazza Pretoria  
 
Next to the church is Piazza Pretoria and at its center is a fountain surrounded by many statues of naked nymphs, in the form of naked men and women. The flagrant nudity so offended neighboring churchgoers that they called it the Fountain of Shame though given that the fountain predates the church I wonder why the church was built next door.
 
 
 
 
Piazza Pretoria  
 
Next to the church is Piazza Pretoria and at its center is a fountain surrounded by many statues of naked nymphs, in the form of naked men and women. The flagrant nudity so offended neighboring churchgoers that they called it the Fountain of Shame though given that the fountain predates the church I wonder why the church was built next door.
 
 
 
 
Piazza Pretoria  
 
Next to the church is Piazza Pretoria and at its center is a fountain surrounded by many statues of naked nymphs, in the form of naked men and women. The flagrant nudity so offended neighboring churchgoers that they called it the Fountain of Shame though given that the fountain predates the church I wonder why the church was built next door.
 
 
 
Church of San Cataldo  
 
The Church of San Cataldo is a Catholic church in Piazza Bellini. It was erected in 1154 and exhibits Arab-Norman architecture.
 
 
 
 
Church of San Cataldo  
 
The Church of San Cataldo is a Catholic church in Piazza Bellini. It was erected in 1154 and exhibits Arab-Norman architecture.
 
 
 
 
Church of San Cataldo  
 
The Church of San Cataldo is a Catholic church in Piazza Bellini. It was erected in 1154 and exhibits Arab-Norman architecture.
 
 
 
Palermo street  
 
 
 
 
Palermo street  
 
 
 
 
Palermo street  
 
 
 
Chiesa San Giuseppe dei Teatini  
 
Immediately adjacent to Quattro Canti is Piazza Pretoria and a church. This being Italy, there are actually four churches facing the Piazza but only one caught my interest, San Giuseppe dei Teatini. San Giuseppe's misleadingly simple exterior conceals a breathtaking interior. Ceiling to floor, front to back to side, it is covered in different shades of marble and tile and paint, all worked into beautifully-detailed representations of religious themes. It's almost enough to get me to join the Catholics, which I guess is the point. I imagine this space had a magical impact on the minds of the residents of seventeenth-century Sicily, residents who likely lived in a style that differed vastly from that represented by this gorgeous spectacle.
 
 
 
 
Chiesa San Giuseppe dei Teatini  
 
Immediately adjacent to Quattro Canti is Piazza Pretoria and a church. This being Italy, there are actually four churches facing the Piazza but only one caught my interest, San Giuseppe dei Teatini. San Giuseppe's misleadingly simple exterior conceals a breathtaking interior. Ceiling to floor, front to back to side, it is covered in different shades of marble and tile and paint, all worked into beautifully-detailed representations of religious themes. It's almost enough to get me to join the Catholics, which I guess is the point. I imagine this space had a magical impact on the minds of the residents of seventeenth-century Sicily, residents who likely lived in a style that differed vastly from that represented by this gorgeous spectacle.
 
 
 
 
Chiesa San Giuseppe dei Teatini  
 
Immediately adjacent to Quattro Canti is Piazza Pretoria and a church. This being Italy, there are actually four churches facing the Piazza but only one caught my interest, San Giuseppe dei Teatini. San Giuseppe's misleadingly simple exterior conceals a breathtaking interior. Ceiling to floor, front to back to side, it is covered in different shades of marble and tile and paint, all worked into beautifully-detailed representations of religious themes. It's almost enough to get me to join the Catholics, which I guess is the point. I imagine this space had a magical impact on the minds of the residents of seventeenth-century Sicily, residents who likely lived in a style that differed vastly from that represented by this gorgeous spectacle.
 
 
 
Palermo bicyclists  
 
 
 
 
Palermo bicyclists  
 
 
 
 
Palermo bicyclists  
 
 
 
Cattedrale di Palermo  
 

From Quattro Canti we walked to the Cattedrale (7€) where we climbed to the roof for a view out over the city. Afterwards we climbed down below the Cattedrale to check out the (not as interesting) treasury and the (sort of interesting) crypt. Unlike San Giuseppe, only the exterior of the Cattedrale is worth a visit.

 
 
 
 
Cattedrale di Palermo  
 

From Quattro Canti we walked to the Cattedrale (7€) where we climbed to the roof for a view out over the city. Afterwards we climbed down below the Cattedrale to check out the (not as interesting) treasury and the (sort of interesting) crypt. Unlike San Giuseppe, only the exterior of the Cattedrale is worth a visit.

 
 
 
 
Cattedrale di Palermo  
 

From Quattro Canti we walked to the Cattedrale (7€) where we climbed to the roof for a view out over the city. Afterwards we climbed down below the Cattedrale to check out the (not as interesting) treasury and the (sort of interesting) crypt. Unlike San Giuseppe, only the exterior of the Cattedrale is worth a visit.

 
 
 
Cattedrale di Palermo  
 
 
 
 
Cattedrale di Palermo  
 
 
 
 
Cattedrale di Palermo  
 
 
 
Paul on roof of Cattedrale di Palermo  
 
 
 
 
Paul on roof of Cattedrale di Palermo  
 
 
 
 
Paul on roof of Cattedrale di Palermo  
 
 
 
Plaza in front of Cattedrale di Palermo  
 
 
 
 
Plaza in front of Cattedrale di Palermo  
 
 
 
 
Plaza in front of Cattedrale di Palermo  
 
 
 
Cattedrale di Palermo  
 
 
 
 
Cattedrale di Palermo  
 
 
 
 
Cattedrale di Palermo  
 
 
 
Cattedrale di Palermo  
 
 
 
 
Cattedrale di Palermo  
 
 
 
 
Cattedrale di Palermo  
 
 
 
Chiesa San Giuseppe dei Teatini  
 
 
 
 
Chiesa San Giuseppe dei Teatini  
 
 
 
 
Chiesa San Giuseppe dei Teatini  
 
 
 
Quattro Canti  
 
 
 
 
Quattro Canti  
 
 
 
 
Quattro Canti  
 
 
Teatro Massimo Older
Sicilian cornucopia