Quattro Canti in Palermo, Sicily

It’s Palermonday again!

Two weeks ago, we visited Italy’s largest opera house, Teatro Massimo, and last week we were at La Fontana della Vergogna, or the Fountain of Shame.

Well, just around the corner from gorgeous Piazza Pretoria is Quattro Canti, or the Four Corners, marking the intersection of Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Via Maqueda–the old heart of Palermo:

Quattro Canti, Palermo, Sicily on Flickr

The four buildings of Quattro Canti each have three levels of Giulio Lasso-designed Baroque sculptures.

Quattro Canti, Palermo, Sicily on Flickr

The themes are the Four Seasons, Spanish kings, and patron saints of Palermo’s original four quarters.

Quattro Canti, Palermo, Sicily on Flickr

Quattro Canti, Palermo, Sicily on Flickr

There are also gorgeous Baroque fountains at ground level.

Quattro Canti, Palermo, Sicily on Flickr

It is said that the sculptures used to be pearly white, but city smog and pollution have given them a grey, um, patina. Still gorgeous though, aren’t they?

Make sure you come back next week for the next installment of Palermondays because believe me, everywhere you look in Palermo, there seems to be yet another amazing, sculpted masterpiece.

Grrr…Palermo, Sicily on Flickr

They just don’t make buildings like this anymore, do they?

21 Beans of Wisdom to “Quattro Canti in Palermo, Sicily”
  1. 05.12.2008

    wow, lovely scenes. Italy looks so beautiful, I hope to visit the place one day πŸ™‚

    Thanks for visiting my blog ^^

    noobcook’s last blog post..French Beans with Spicy Dried Shrimps

    Thank *you* for coming over noobcook–love your name!

  2. You have really shared with us some lovely pictures …I have been to Italy before and its an
    amazing place for architectures… Really they don’t make such things anymore..
    Thanks for visiting my blog !!

    Swati: Sugarcraft India’s last blog post..A gift with love …

    Happy to see you here Swati! Glad you enjoyed the photos πŸ™‚

  3. Gil
    05.12.2008

    Thank you for more lovely pictures. It is so hard to believe that the artists that created those works did it all by hand. I have read that diesel fumes are murder on the buildings and works of art in Italy along with other pollutants.

    It’s amazing to see such fabulous art right into the side of buildings out there *free* for everyone to see…but yes, being destroyed daily by us πŸ™

    Just saw this article, though, so maybe pollution isn’t all bad?

    Pollution a lifesaver for Midwest storm victims?

  4. SpiceLove
    05.12.2008

    Thanks for those lovely photos! I wish I could visit Italy someday. It is my favorite destination. Happy Mother’s Day wishes to you!

    SpiceLove’s last blog post..Hello Everybody!

    Come on over SpiceLove πŸ™‚

  5. Ahhh, I feel like I have just taken a lovely trip. Beautiful post!

    Simply…Gluten-free’s last blog post..Rice Noodle Salad

    Happy to take you there πŸ™‚

  6. Joanne
    05.12.2008

    Every Monday I forward you to my husband because he loved Palermo so much. Hopefully we’ll get back there sooner or later!

    Joanne’s last blog post..Food pop culture 2

    A few more Palermondays to come Joanne πŸ™‚

  7. 05.12.2008

    Yep. You are right. They don’t make em like that anymore. Those sure were beautiful and those are great pics you got dodging traffico!

    Cherrye’s last blog post..Save Money This Year in Florence with the Fiorino Effect

    I’ll do just about anything for the blog as you well know πŸ˜‰

  8. 05.12.2008

    They certainly don’t. You make me want to go to Palermo!

    Diane Mandy’s last blog post..The future is so bright…

    It’s a beautiful city Diane πŸ™‚

  9. 05.12.2008

    Beautiful pictures — a glorious trip! That feeling of being surrounded by art and beautiful spaces is the one detail I still remember from being in Italy… your pictures bring it all back.

    annoa2’s last blog post..Perhaps I would like the telephone more if most of my conversations didn’t go like this:

    So happy to hear it; there is a rather enveloping feeling–excellent description πŸ™‚

  10. 05.12.2008

    Hi,
    Did you hear the Etna roar?

    Irene’s last blog post..Praying

    No Irene I didn’t…but on the bright side I didn’t notice any ashes in the air dirtying up my laundry hanging outside either πŸ˜‰

  11. 05.12.2008

    Beautiful pictures! Thank you for sharing them. Aaah, I miss Italy, the history, the beauty – now I hope to visit Sicily too, one day. πŸ™‚

    Sicily is such a beautiful island Vesper; I hope you get to see it!

  12. 05.12.2008

    Great shots!! I love all of the ancient stone figures. Such details.

    My Melange’s last blog post..Taverne Henri IV

    Thanks Robin πŸ™‚

  13. 05.12.2008

    I love these posts Michelle! It really makes me want to visit Italy again – I sure didn’t appreciate it when I was 22 thru 24 years old as I would now!

    I do hope you’ll get back Dory! I think you’ll see a whole different country than the one you saw the first time πŸ˜‰

  14. 05.12.2008

    Gorgeous! Your blog makes me want to plan a long, leisurely trip through Italy. I may not see everything, but I want to savor what I visit.

    Devon Ellington’s last blog post..Monday, May 12, 2008

    Glad you’re enjoying the tour Devon πŸ™‚

  15. 05.12.2008

    Each one of these posts makes me more certain that sicilia will be on a future trip (the next will just be in roma~ unfortunately my class will not allow much travel beyond)…& you are so right about the buildings~~ it is a jolt to one’s senses to return to the US after steeping in all that beauty.

    qualcosa di bello’s last blog post..roman reminisces…

    You will *love* Sicily! I didn’t realize you’ll be headed to Rome again…how fun!

  16. 05.12.2008

    Gorgeous pics! I’ve been to the Quattro Canti and remember just being awestruck. And the traffic was terrible, too!
    Thanks for bringing back the memories.

    Linda’s last blog post..LaToya are you okay?

    It truly is amazing, isn’t it? The traffic wasn’t so bad for us, luckily πŸ™‚

  17. 05.12.2008

    Lovely photo’s – I have been there and stayed at a hotel just a one minute walk away. I remember there was this dog on the road in the middle of that very intersection causing a lot of angry honking of horns as you can imagine as the area is so busy and so small! He was fine in the end as trotted over to the footpath once he calmed down a bit.
    We have a similar intersection in Rome: Quattro Fontane which is very similar. Have you ever been to Rome?

    Leanne’s last blog post..London calling

    I haven’t been yet, but I’ve heard lots of good things πŸ˜‰

  18. 05.12.2008

    I do hope you realize I am relying on you to keep taking me on tours of Italy. It’s probably the closest I will ever come to see the sights there and trust me when I tell you this, I love every trip, every view you choose to share with me here. Keep it up!

    Jeni Hill Ertmer’s last blog post..Dancing The Night Away!

    Happy to oblige Jeni…more next Monday!

  19. 05.12.2008

    Again, I’m now head over heels with Palermo. Must. go. visit.

    jen of a2eatwrite’s last blog post..Music Monday: “Give a Man a Fish” – Arrested Development

    Hee hee Jen…and there’s more to come!

  20. 05.13.2008

    No they don’t make buildings like they used to. I’m always amazed and somewhat awestruck at the detail they use to give attention to. Not that there are not magnificent buildings constructed today but it seems we , as a people, have become to hurried to take the time to do what they use to.

    cheeky’s last blog post..words that resonate

    Awestruck is definitely a good word to use when seeing these amazing structures. Ah and yes the hurriedness of it all today…pity πŸ™

  21. 05.13.2008

    Magnificent! I don’t think that beauty and craftsmanship could be replicated today.

    I certainly can’t imagine how much it would cost if all the ugly stuff without character costs millions and milions!

Michelle KaminskyMichelle Kaminsky is an American attorney-turned-freelance writer who lived in her family's ancestral village in Calabria, Italy for 15 years. This blog is now archived. 

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