STOCK PHOTOGRAPHS of PALERMO, ITALY

When, in Homer's famous tale, the hero Odysseus landed in Sicily on his way home from the Trojan War, he and his men became trapped in the cave of the Cyclops…

Huge boulders at the ship and today the large rocks along this coastline at Acitrezza are said to be those thrown by the enraged Cyclops. Sicily’s capital and main port, Palermo, has a reputation for… palm-fringed city etched on the skyline between Monte Pellegrino and Monte Catalfano.

…famous cathedral at Monreale. However, what is both concerning, yet at the same time appealing, is that many of these fine buildings are shabby or even virtually derelict. However, the crumbling balconies decorated with washing and the unfamiliar … of bygone splendour and graceful decay, full of the charm of down at heel public buildings and palaces that recall the city’s heyday under the Saracens, Normans and

Quattro Canti, a major intersection of roads lined with 18th century palaces with distinctive concave facades. From here most of the main sites can be reached by fairly short walks beginning with the elaborate fountain that dominates the Piazza. This 16th century fountain was originally created to grace a Tuscan ….Santa Caterina and this is also just a stone’s throw from the Church of San Cataldo and to the famous Martorana.

The latter is not to be missed and is of Norman Arabic style later turned into a baroque church of great beauty but known particularly for the beautiful mosaics of “Christ surrounded by Angels and Apostles” that adorn the inside of the dome.
…Palazzo Reale, also known as the Palazzo dei Normanni, which houses the celebrated Palatine Chapel, a superb expression of the hybridized

…Gesu, San Domenico and you should not miss the Oratorio di Santa Zita featuring the superb stucco work of Giacomo Serpotta which celebrates the divine intervention of the Virgin of the Rosary at the Battle of Lepanto as well as the Oratorio del Rosario di San Domenico which features more fine Serpotta stucco work as well as an altarpiece by Anthony Van Dyck.

…the Vucciria market is the best known and, situated south of the Quattro Canti, between Via Roma and Corso Vittorio Emanuele, extending across a wide area of warren-like streets decked with the most amazing fish, fruit, vegetables, meat and, above all, filled with the most expressive faces.

Just remember to watch your pockets, cameras and bags and it is best not to wander here at night. I enjoyed a simple but distinctively Sicilian meal in the rather ramshackle “Shanghai” restaurant which has tables on a roof terrace with a great view right down into the centre of the market.

…pani c’a meusa… Favorita Park, just outside the city centre has an unusual Chinese lodge and an immense royal park full of statues, fountains, unusual trees and exotic plants. Those keen on plants and gardens will also want to visit the Botanical Gardens or, Orto Botanico at the Villa Giulia to the southwest which is still one of the most important gardens in Europe containing a vast collection of tropical, aquatic, medicinal and carnivorous plants as well as many thousand species of vegetables.

Other places of general interest include the Teatro Massimo, one of the largest opera houses in Europe. All through the summer months the programmes of ballet and music at the theatre closes and its musical shows are perfomed in the open air in Viale del Fante.

The Galleria Regionale in Plazzo Abatellis houses a fine collection of art, sculpture and pottery spanning six centuries while the Regional Archaeological Museum includes important finds from the whole of Sicily. Another popular place to visit is the International Marionettes Museum dedicated to preserving folk traditions with the most importan

© John Heseltine