Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Fontana Pretoria
MAP
FOUNTAIN
GOOGLE MAP
This huge and ornate fountain, with tiered basins and sculptures rippling in concentric
circles, forms the centrepiece of Piazza Pretoria , a spacious square just south of the Quattro
Canti. The city bought the fountain in 1573; however, the flagrant nudity of the provocat-
ive nymphs proved too much for Sicilian church-goers attending Mass next door, and they
prudishly dubbed it the Fountain of Shame.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Albergheria
Southwest of the Quattro Canti is Albergheria, a rather shabby, run-down district once in-
habited by Norman court officials, now home to a growing number of immigrants who are
attempting to revitalise its dusty backstreets. The top tourist draws here are the Palazzo
dei Normanni (Norman Palace) and its exquisite chapel, both at the neighbourhood's far
western edge.
Cappella Palatina
MAP
CHAPEL
GOOGLE MAP
(Palatine Chapel; adult €8.50, EU citizen 18-25yr €6.50, EU citizen 65+ €5, EU citizen under 18yr free;
8.15am-5pm Mon-Sat, 8.15-9.45am & 11.15am-12.15pm Sun) On the middle level of the Norman
Palace's three-tiered loggia, this mosaic-clad jewel of a chapel, designed by Roger II in
1130, is Palermo's premier tourist attraction. Gleaming from a painstaking five-year res-
toration, its aesthetic harmony is further enhanced by the inlaid marble floors and wooden
muqarnas ceiling, a masterpiece of Arabic-style honeycomb carving that reflects Norman
Sicily's cultural complexity.
Palazzo dei Normanni
MAP
PALACE
GOOGLE MAP
(Palazzo Reale; Piazza Indipendenza 1; incl Cappella Palatina adult €8.50, youth 18-25yr €6.50, senior 65+ €5, child un-
der 18yr free; 8.15am-5pm Fri, Sat & Mon, to 12.15pm Sun) On weekends, when Palermo's vener-
able Palazzo dei Normanni isn't being used by Sicily's parliament, visitors can take a self-
guided tour of several upstairs rooms, including the gorgeous blue Sala Pompeiana , with its
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search