Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1
Around the Quattro Canti
The busy intersection of Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Via Maqueda marks the
Quattro Canti
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(Four Corners), the centre of Palermo. This intersection is sur-
rounded by a perfect circle of curvi-linear facades that disappear up to the blue vault of
the sky in a clever display of perspective. It is known locally as Il Teatro del Sole (Theatre
of the Sun) as each facade is lit up in turn throughout the course of the day.
Piazza Pretoria
Fringed by imposing churches and buildings, this piazza is visually dominated by the
The fountain's tiered basins ripple out in concentric circles, crowded with nude nymphs,
tritons and leaping river gods. Such flagrant nudity proved a bit much for Sicilian church-
goers, who prudishly dubbed it the Fontana della Vergogna (Fountain of Shame).
Designed by the Florentine sculptor Francesco Camilliani between 1554 and 1555 for
the Tuscan villa of Don Pedro di Toledo, the fountain was bought by Palermo in 1573 and
proudly positioned in front of the Palazzo Pretorio (Municipal Hall) in a bid to outshine
the newly crafted Fontana di Orione installed in Messina.
SQUARE
Piazza Bellini
The disparate architectural styles and eras of the buildings adorning this magnificent
piazza should by rights be visually discordant, but in fact contribute to a wonderfully har-
monious public space. The piazza's eastern edge is adorned by the delightful
Teatro Bellini
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(Bellini Theatre), built in the late 19th century and named after
the great Sicilian-born opera composer, Vincenzo Bellini.
SQUARE
La Martorana
CHURCH
(Chiesa di Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio; Piazza Bellini 3; donation requested; 8.30am-1pm & 3.30-5.30pm Mon-
Sat, 8.30am-1pm Sun)
On the southern side of Piazza Bellini, this luminously beautiful, re-
cently restored 12th-century church was endowed by King Roger's Syrian emir, George of
Antioch, and was originally planned as a mosque. Delicate Fatimid pillars support a
