Join us in Sicily to visit Palermo. We leave the villa in the morning to spend the day in Palermo. The famous sights we will visit are:
The Cathedral of Palermo (Cattedrale di Palermo)
Palermo Cathedral or the Duomo is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Palermo. It is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Palermo Cathedral is characterized by different architectural styles, due to a long history of additions, alterations, and restorations. It was erected in 1185 and was built on the site of an older basilica that was used as a mosque in the 9th century.
The Praetorian Fountain (Fontana Pretoria)
The Praetorian Fountain is the monumental fountain of Palermo. It is located in the heart of the historic center and represents the most important landmark of Piazza Pretoria. The fountain was built in Florence was transferred to Palermo in 1574.
The fountain represents the Twelve Olympians, other mythological figures, animals, and the rivers of Palermo. Between the 18th century and 19th century, the fountain was considered a sort of depiction of the corrupt municipality of Palermo. For this reason and because of the nudity of the statues, the square became known as “Piazza della Vergogna” (Square of Shame).
The Church of San Cataldo (Chiesa di San Cataldo)
The Church of San Cataldo is a Catholic church located at Piazza Bellini in central Palermo, Sicily, Italy. Erected in 1154 as a notable example of the Arab-Norman architecture which flourished in Sicily under Norman rule on the island, the church is annexed to that of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio. In 2015, it received status as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The Church of St. Mary of the Admiral (Chiesa di Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio aka Martorana)
The Church of St. Mary of the Admiral is characterized by a multitude of styles that come together. Because of the succession of centuries, it was enriched by various tastes in art, architecture, and culture. Today, it is a historical church monument, the result of multiple transformations. Since July 2015 it has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site registry.
In 1193-94, a convent of Benedictine nuns was founded on the adjacent property by Eloisa Martorana. In 1433-34, under the rule of King Alfonso of Aragon, this convent absorbed the church, which has since then been commonly known as La Martorana. The nuns of the Martorana were famous for their molded marzipan which they made in the form of various fruits. Although the convent no longer exists, frutta di Martorana are still one of Palermo’s most famous and distinctive food items.
The Theater Massimo (Teatro Massimo)
The Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele is an opera house located on the Piazza Verdi. It is the biggest in Italy, and one of the largest of Europe (at the time of its inauguration, it was – with its area of 7730 sqm. – the third largest opera house in Europe. The final scenes of The Godfather Part III were filmed at this theater.
The Politeama Theater (Teatro Politeama)
The Politeama Theater is a theater of Palermo. It is in the central Piazza Ruggero Settimo and represents the second most important theater of the city after the Teatro Massimo. It houses the Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana.
The theater was built in the neoclassical style and designed as a “polytheama” or performance space for a variety of whose, its role in Palermo was to be as central to social life as the movies are now. Following the ancient theme of entertainment for the masses, it is structurally reminiscent of Greek and Roman traditions: circular, with ambulatories supported by Doric and Ionic columns, originally made for open air shows.
The outside is decorated with a frieze depicting circus performers. The façade is designed like a Roman triumphal arch, echoing the Hellenic design of the theaters of Pompeii.
Equestrian exhibitions, gymnastics, acrobatics, operettas, plays, and social festivities were held and seen here. Just before it was built, moral in Palermo was low due to an epidemic of cholera. The city needed a boost and the authorities encouraged construction despite budget restrictions. It was completed 30 years before the more aristocratic Teatro Massimo.
The Ballarò Market (Il Mercato di Ballarò)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZ6nm_B8Wi4
Palermo’s Ballarò market is a place that awakens all the senses. And lucky for us, this is where we will taste some of the famous street food of Palermo.
Hearing is incited by the ‘abbanniate’, which is the Sicilian word for the loud and powerful yelling of the sellers. It is their way of getting the attention of passers-by, showing them their goods so that taste and sight can also feast on the stands crowded with fresh fish, meat, vegetables, and traditional foods like flour and chickpea fritters. The eyes almost need to shield themselves from the light and colors, so bright they seem tangible.
Ballarò is the “oldest food market in Palermo”, according to a 10th-century Arab author’s travel log. It is held in Albergheria, one of the five Norman quarters of Sicily’s capital city.
The Catacombs of the Capuchins (Le Catacombe dei Cappuccini)
The Capuchin Catacombs are burial catacombs in Palermo. Today they provide a somewhat macabre tourist attraction as well as an extraordinary historical record.
The Capuchin Catacombs originated in the 16th century at the Church of Santa Maria della Pace. When the church’s common grave was no longer big enough to contain all of their brothers, the friars decided to build a larger cemetery, which would be underground under the major altar (any burial place underground was defined as a ‘catacomb’). When the friars recovered the dead bodies from the common grave, they discovered that 45 of them had preserved perfectly – they had mummified naturally.
They saw it as a sign of God’s benevolence and thus decided to no longer bury those bodies but display them standing inside niches along the walls of the first hall of the Catacombs.
From the 17th to the 19th century, thousands of people, mostly Sicilian nobles and illustrious people, entrusted their bodies to the friars and became exposed inside the Capuchin Catacombs, which today you can visit.
The cemetery was closed in 1880, with the exception of two mummifications carried out in the early 20th century, one of them being that of a two-year-old child, Rosalia Lombardo, known as the “most beautiful mummy in the world”.
All our featured excursions are included in the pricing of our retreats. For more information see our website at https://charetreats.com/ or telephone us at 1.201.805.5570.
0 Comments