Ken Munsie: 272. Farewell to Palermo

My three week stay in Palermo has come to an end and it's time to pack the kit and head off on another exciting adventure ... but before I do that, here are a few impressions of this crazy chaotic Sicilian city ...

The Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele is an opera house opened in 1897 and dedicated to King Victor Emanuel II. It is the biggest in Italy, and one of the largest of Europe (the third after the Opéra National de Paris and the K. K. Hof-Opernhaus in Vienna), renowned for its perfect acoustics. But alas there was nothing on during my stay …

The Praetorian Fountain is a monumental fountain in the centre of the city. The fountain was built by Francesco Camilliani in the city of Florence in 1554, but was sold and transferred in Palermo in 1574.

The fountain represents the Twelve Olympians, as well as other mythological figures, animals and the rivers of Palermo.

And have I mentioned before the Lambrettas of Italy ... !!! ...

Palermo is a city of many theatres, and the second most important theatre ( after the Teatro Massimo ) is The Teatro Politeama Garibaldi - built during the second half of the 19^th century and officially opened in 1882 – the same year that Giuseppe Garibaldi died and so was named after him.

The Neoclassical building has a large entrance by way of triumphal arch topped by the bronze quadriga designed by Mario Rutelli. This quadriga depicts the "Triumph of Apollo and Euterpe" flanked by two statues of knights on horseback.

A Bacchante in the garden by Valerio Villareale

And throughout the city are a million and one sculptures of all sorts - from heroes of Greek and Roman mythology, through famous Italian political heroes, to representations of Sicilian life ...

Teatro Marmoreo

Fontana del Genio a Villa Giulia -
built in 1778 by Ignazio Marabitti

Many of the streets have their own shrines ...

... the lifeblood to Palermo is the tourists ...
but that's all I'm going to say about that ... !!! ...

And like the streets of Naples and Catania that I have trodden over the past few weeks, the laneways of Palermo weaving throughout the city are a wonderland to explore - exposing daily life of many Italians ...

Markets and cafes crowded into the laneways ...

... as well as businesses and light industries ...

... endless apartment buildings facing each other

onto shiny limestone paved streets

and then it's nice to walk out into green tree-lined boulevards

and everywhere, interesting architecture from centuries past like the 43 metre high

Porta Nuovo triumphal arch & gateway ...

built in 1570 with its Moorish statues.

and throughout the city, opening off these paved laneways and streets are countless doorways - some grand and other, not-so-grand - but all hiding secrets of life behind ...

Palermo is a port and coastal city opening onto the Tyrrhenian Sea

Mount Pellegrino ( where I took you last time ) from the foreshore

And it is a city of hundreds of Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque churches - all competing to outdo each other with bizarre and extraordinary decore - both interior and exterior