When we traveled the Med from West to East, we sailed past Sicily along the South coast. (https://www.twobatsea.com/skimming-past-italy/). Now, 4 years later and traveling in the opposite direction we sail along the North coast.
In the previous blog we left the Aeolian Islands and sailed to interesting and touristy Cefalù. On Sep 18 we continued to Palermo, the capital of Sicily. It is not recommended to anchor in the bay and to leave your dinghy on the beach when visiting this city so we opted for marina Sitimar, smack in the middle of the historic centre.
It was late afternoon when the marina formalities were finished so we immediately went to explore the town and to look for a place to have dinner.
The first “attraction” we stumbled into was (the at first sight rather dilapidated) Piazza Garraffello. The name comes from the Arabic term gharraf; “abundant with water”. The fountain is from 1591. The ruins in the background are the in WWII bombed remains of the Catalan lodge, and are deliberately left in this state as a reminder. I am not sure this fact makes this eyesore palatable?
San Domenico (Saint Dominic) is a Baroque-style Roman Catholic church, located on Piazza San Domenico in the ancient quarter of La Loggia, one of the original quarters of Palermo. Many prominent Sicilians are buried here, notably Giovanni Falcone, an Italian Judge who spend most of his professional life trying to overthrow the Sicilian Mafia. His biggest success was the “Maxi Trial” where 338 out of 475 defendants were convicted to a total of 2665 years in prison. Not surprisingly Falcone paid with his own life in 1992 when his car was blown up.
The first impression of the La Loggia quarter is a bit overwhelming. The maze of alleyways is a leftover from the Arab period (830 – 1070) but the heavy, dark dilapidated buildings stem from the Norman period (1070 – 1270) when Sicily became one of the wealthiest kingdoms in Europe. One street corner reeking like a public toilet and on the next one your nose is spoiled by flavoursome kitchen exhausts. You expect a black mafia limousine screaming around the corner anytime but instead, are greeted by another friendly piazza.
The following morning we continue our walking tour along the Via Vittoria Emanuele, (the main and most ancient street of the city), towards the ancient quarter via “The Quattro Canti”, or Four Corners. Not that there are any corners to be seen there, because the buildings are scooped out to match the circular piazza.
Each Baroque building façade has three tiers. On the ground, fountains representing Palermo’s four rivers, are topped by a statue representing the seasons. The next level features Spanish kings (three Philips plus a Charles) and the top tier has Palermo’s patron saints (three women, one man). Click on the image to enlarge.
The church was erected in 1185 by the Norman archbishop of Palermo at the location of a former Mosque. It is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The upper orders of the corner towers were built between the 14th and the 15th centuries. The present appearance dates from 1801,
We opted for the “Tasting menu with paring wines”. With this kind of dinner you do not eat. You relish a pallet of mouthwatering taste, colour and aroma. Take a bite, take a sip and pamper your tastebuds. Click the thumbnail below.
After this fantastic dining experience we strolled along Palermo’s oldest street back to the boat to be met with again another surprise at The Quatro Canti.
If it breaks your heart to see beautiful buildings in disrepair, or if you like your world polished and logical, Palermo may not be the place for you.
If you’re willing to embrace the city’s complexity and diversity, then book a ticket tomorrow. More about this fascinating place in our next post. Thanks for reading, see you next time. Liza and Frits