Beginning in 1714, the illustrious dead of the area were buried in the crypt of the Chiesa di San Matteo.  The bodies were placed in the marble niches, with marble “pillows” on which their heads rested.  In 1787, the remains were moved into common ossuaries inside the church. The Palazzo Rudinì dates from approximately 1760,…

The Palazzo del Duca di Castrofilippo can be found on the Ruga de Alemannis.  This street is literally lined with sumptuous palaces, which were built by some of the area’s most notable families.  Today, the buildings serve many different purposes.  The Palazzo del Duca di Castrofilippo has now been divided up into residential apartments. The…

Diagonally across the street from the Chiesa di San Giovanni dei Napoletani was our next destination, the Chiesa di Santa Maria della Catena.  This church dates from 1490, when it was built to house a chapel from a pre-existing, smaller church, where a miracle had taken place.  It seems that in 1342, three prisoners, who…

In Piazza San Giacomo La Marina, you will find the Chiesa di Santa Maria La Nova.  The church dates from 1534, but it was not completed until 1582. The Chapel of the Crucifix contains a wooden crucifix from the 18th century, as well as a statue of Our Lady of Sorrows, by the artist, Girolamo…

While up on our rooftop terrace, we had noticed a building behind ours, which was decorated with carved busts of people.  This piqued our interest, and so we headed out to see just what the structure was, making it our first destination on another sunny Sicilian day. As it turned out, the building we had…

On Via dell’Università, on the facade of the building that houses the university’s Faculty of Law, there is a plaque in honor of Pietro Amodei, who was the first Sicilian martyr of the Revolution of 1848.  This is the spot where the clash with the Neapolitan Calvary took place, which cost Amodei his life. In…

Even though most guidebooks, and even the locals alike, refer to the intersection pictured above as Quattro Canti, its real name is Piazza Vigliena.  This is the point where the city’s two main streets cross: Via Marqueda and Corso Vittorio Emanuele.  Its nickname comes from the fact that there are four sides, and thus four…

Close to our apartment, in the Piazzetta Garraffo, you will find the sculpture known as the Genio del Garraffo, or Palermo lu Grandi.  This statue is the emblem of the city.  The statue symbolizes the genius loci, the metamorphosis of the animal spirit into man.  This is one of the seven representations of the Genio…

A plaque, on the end of a building, honors those who fought against Fascism in Sicily. In Piazza Marina, you will find the Fontana del Garraffo.  The fountain takes its name from the Arabic word “gharraf,” which means “an abundance of water.”  The fountain dates from 1698, and is the work of the sculptor, Gioacchino…

Before leaving the USA, I read about a small archaeological area by the waterfront, in Palermo, which was called the Engramma San Giorgio.  We made our way down there, only to discover that the site was only open two days a week: on Fridays and Saturdays.  We made a note of the opening hours, and…

The Chiesa di Sant’Antonio Abate can be found at Via Roma, #203A.  The church dates from 1220.  The campanile, next to it, was built in 1302, and houses a famous bell known as the “Pretoria,” as it was used by the senate of the city to summon its citizens, when important events were taking place….

After Palermo, our plan was to take a train to Agrigento, which would be our second destination in Sicily.  Even though we were not traveling for a few days, I am the type pf person who simply feels better knowing that things are all in order, and so, as our first outing in Palermo, we…