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Drever
Drever
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4 out of 5
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Quattro Canti - The Four Corners

  • November 21, 2005
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Drever from Ayr
Quattro Canti - The Four Corners

A walk up the Via Maqueda from the railway station to the intersection with Corso Vittorio Emanuele brings you to the "Quattro Canti" (Four Corners). This is the heart of Palermo's old historic district and an ideal starting place for a walking tour. Many of the sights of historical and touristy interest are close by.

The Quattro Canti itself is interesting. The facades of the buildings on each corner--three Baroque palaces and the church of San Giuseppe dei Teatini display Baroque sculptures. These show various themes: the Four Seasons, Spanish kings, and various patron saints of Palermo's four old quarters. The magnificent but grimy pearl coloured fountains at ground level are typically Baroque.

Piazza Pretoria is just a few steps south along Via Maqueda. The superb Fontana Pretoria also known as the Fountain of Shame, takes up most of the square. Its 16 statues of nude nymphs, humans, mermaids, and satyrs frolic in the spray. Their bare-arsed cheek even survived the Spanish Inquisition --the Inquisition stretched people on the rack for less than putting this fountain in place. In 1870, Garibaldi sat on the edge of the fountain, no doubt absorbing its charms while instilling courage into the citizenry to fight for independence.

Flanking one side of the square is the Palazzo delle Aquile, the town hall, named for the stone eagles that cover its facade. Just a few steps to the east the three red domes of the tiny Church of San Cataldo graces the Piazza Bellini. The church, built around 1154 by the Emir, or prime minister, of King William I, is squat and plain and impressive in its austerity. Both internally and externally the church keeps its 12th-century feel and doesn't even have electric lighting. Externally, its most distinctive features are the three pinkish red domes or cupolas. Internally it does have a mosaic floor. Down the steps at street level, at the base of its foundation, are the remains of a Roman wall.

Martorana Church also in Piazza Bellini dates from 1143. George of Antioch a famous Admiral during the reign of King Roger II had it built. His official title was the Arabic Amir-al-Bahr, or Emir of the Sea. Both the Italian "ammiraglio" and the English "admiral" stem from this medieval title. In the 17th century, unfortunately baroque construction and frescoes replaced the main nave and much of the mosaics. The sections, keeping their Arab-Norman characteristics, have some of the most beautiful mosaics ever achieved in Sicily.

The most famous mosaic is that of Christ crowning King Roger II. Monreale Cathedral later copied this design. Other noteworthy mosaics in the Martorana are that of Christ Pantocrator and that of Admiral George worshipping the Madonna. The splendid bell tower, representing the peak of Norman-Arab style, is the Church's outstanding external feature.

Nearby, in the Piazza Carmine, the adjacent Piazza Ballaro and the surrounding street is the daily bustle of a busy and crowded fruit and vegetable market.

From journal Palermo and Agrigento – where civilisations meet

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