SMART TRAVEL
The pomp of Sicilian Baroque Palermo isn’t a city for everyone, simply because it’s loud, chaotic, dramatic and absolutely irresistible. Located on Sicily’s northern coast, throughout its history this city has been influenced by occupying Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Normans and Spaniards. That incredible historical cocktail created a cultural theatre the likes of which can be found nowhere else in Europe. Unavoidable classics It is a must for your visit to start from the Quattro Canti (Four Corners) intersection. This is the city’s baroque heart, where two main streets intersect and four identical, semicircular façades are adorned with statues representing the four seasons, four Spanish kings and the city’s four patron saints. In the immediate vicinity is the Piazza Pretoria, with its magnificent Fontana Pretoria fountain, which was dubbed the Fountain of Shame during the Inquisition, due to its statues of nude nymphs and gods. Next comes the monumental Cathedral of Palermo, a UNESCO protected architectural chameleon – having begun its life as
a Byzantine basilica, only to become a mosque, before being transformed into a Christian church once again. It includes Norman, Gothic and Baroque elements. Don’t overlook the Palazzo dei Normanni and its interior treasure, the Cappella Palatini, with walls covered completely in golden Byzantine mosaics that shimmer under candlelight. And, yes, the city’s opera house: the Teatro Massimo – the largest opera house in Italy and the third largest in Europe. Opera arias still resound through the beautiful square at the bottom of the
staircase, - the very staircase where a daughter paid for her father’s sins, or rather, where Michael Corleone in The Godfather 3 screams without a voice to the sounds of the climax of Cavaleria Rusticana! It’s all worth remembering. Secret locations When you’ve had your fill of the main attractions, turn to the city’s lesser- known corners. Visit the Oratory of San Lorenzo, with an interior decorated with highly detailed snow-white stucco work that looks
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