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Palermo
- cultural crossroads
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From
the Quattro Canti to the Spasimo and from the Cathedral
to the Capuchin crypt. We take you through a Palermo
where east meets west and old mixes with new.
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 The
Quattro Canti ('Four Corners'), the centre
of the oldest part of Palermo and a prime example
of Baroque architecture, is in Corso Vittorio Emanuele.
Turn left into Piazza Bellini to admire one of the
capital's most famous churches, Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio
which is more commonly known as the Martorana.
The church is a unique combination of Arab, Romanesque
and Byzantine styles and its decorative mosaics
are second only to those in Ravenna. Next to the
Martorana is the church of San
Cataldo, dating from the Norman domination of
Sicily and stunningly simple and austere in style.
We then head back along Corso Vittorio Emanuele
to Palermo's Cathedral,
a magnificent medley of styles dating from the 12th
century with bits being added and changed regularly
since, the most disastrous addition being the 18th
century dome which spoils the church's general
harmony.
It's back on to Corso Vittorio Emanuele as far as
Piazza della Vittoria to Palazzo
dei Normanni and its adjoining chapel, Cappella
Palatina with its glorious mosaics. Palazzo
dei Normanni now houses Sicily's regional government
and has strict visiting hours which you should
check before planning a tour. Close by is San
Giovanni degli Eremiti (St. John of the Hermits),
a deconsecrated church which, like so many others,
bears full witness to all the cultures that passed
through this fascinating city. The church is surrounded
by a series of wells and is set in a pretty garden
with a cloister - a welcome refuge from the chaos
outside. The well in the centre of the garden is
shaded by a mimosa tree, or rather a Mimosa
pudica which closes over when its leaves are
touched.
It's time to retrace our steps, making a short detour
to see "Lo Spasimo", a number of buildings
including the church of Santa Maria dello Spasimo
which now host a variety of cultural events. Built
in late-Gothic style the church has been roofless
for years and houses a couple of Ailanthus altissima
trees. Here is one of the many interesting
stories that surround the church.
The Capuchin Crypt
A trip to the Capuchin Crypt is not for the
faint-hearted. The Crypt's fame dates back to the
1600s when Palermo's finest citizens decided to
be embalmed after death and laid to rest under the
Capuchin convent, gone but not forgotten. The catacombs
are divided into different sections - men, women,
professionals and clergy - and you can count hundreds
of mummified bodies. Time has reduced most of them
to skeletons but some are remarkably intact. A fitting
place to end our journey to Palermo, a city where
the rough lies with the smooth, where the passion
of the people and their heritage is dulled only
by the intensity of the heat and where the desire
for rebirth is almost palpable - just like the bodies
awaiting in the crypt.
Our journey through Palermo continues with
The
sights, sounds and smells of Palermo
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VENTRIX |
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August
2001
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THE SURVIVOR'S 
