PALERMO - Sicily

PALERMO - Because of its charming and strategic position in the middle of the Mediterranean, Palermo has, over the centuries, been a coveted and repeatedly occupied location; this has made the city a melting pot of different peoples and cultures and the numerous rules that succeeded one another left clear imprints on its appearance. As a result, the capital of Sicily conserves examples of the Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Norman, French and Spanish in its urban layout and architecture - in a blend of form that makes it unique.

One example of the mixture of different styles is Palazzo dei Normanni, built by the Arabs in the 9th century, reused by the Normans, restored in the 17th century under the Spanish viceroys and now the seat of the regional assembly.

An admirable product of the fertile encounter between Normans, Arabs and the legacy of Byzantium is the Cappella Palatina, on the first floor of the Palazzo. Built between 1130 and 1143 for Roger II who, like all the Norman sovereigns, employed Arab workers, it has a basilica plan and an elevation resting on pointed arches, covered with a rare stalactite wooden ceiling that is typically Arabian in style. The floor is a mosaic of fine marbles and semi-precious stones, used also to partially clad the walls. The upper register and apses glitter with the gold of mosaics celebrating an exaltation of Byzantine art.

Behind Palazzo dei Normanni stands another fine example of Arab-Norman architecture, San Giovanni degli Eremiti, recognised by the red domes on top of the church; its cloister has a unique charm, reduced as it is to a state of ruin and literally overgrown with vegetation.

On the other side, on Corso Vittorio Emanuele, which follows the route of the Arab Cassaro, is the great Cathedral. The building only partially conserves its original structure because of the numerous remakes undergone from 1184 on, the year construction commenced.

This deserves a visit not so much for its coldly neoclassical interior as for the thrill of standing before the sarcophagus containing the mortal remains of Frederick II of Swabia, Stupor Mundi, who is buried in the cathedral of his beloved Palermo with other Swabian and Norman sovereigns. Continuing along Corso Vittorio Emanuele, stop at the Oratory of San Lorenzo.

This is your first chance to encounter Giacomo Serpotta (1656-1732), the brilliant and tireless sculptor who fashioned stucco with unequalled mastery, adorning the oratories and churches of Palermo with his works.

Farther on, San Giuseppe dei Teatini (1612-1645), with its soaring dome and spherical vault clad with majolica, has a grandiose interior decorated by Guglielmo Borremans (frescoes) and Serpotta (sculptures).

Immediately after this, the Cassero crosses Via Maqueda in Piazza Vigliena, the famous Quattro Canti; to the right of this is Piazza Pretoria, with Palazzo delle Aquile, the City Hall; the square is almost entirely filled by the spectacular fountain (16th C.) recently restored to its late-Renaissance splendour.

Behind it stands another complex that is exemplary of Arab-Norman art and architecture, the Martorana, a church erected in 1143 that conserves its original bell-tower.

This should be visited to see the mosaics that clad the walls, some older than those of the Cappella Palatina. Nearby, a Cataldo dates from the same period, which saw a return of the red domes seen in San Giovanni degli Eremiti. To the south, but not far away, the marble "mischi" (inlay) that line the whole interior of the church of Gesu are a striking example of horror vacui, aesthetics prevalent in Jesuit churches.

Straight after Via Maqueda, Corso Vittorio Emanuele meets Via Roma; here stands the church of San Domenico, one of the most important baroque buildings in the city.

The nearby Oratories of the Rosario and Santa Cita conserve precious stuccowork by Giacomo Serpotta. When in the vicinity of the Oratory of Santa Cita, do not forget to visit the Archaeology Museum, founded in the early 19th century and still one of the most important in Italy. Among the many treasures conserved are finds made at Selinunte, such as the beautiful metope of the main temples.

Continue along Via Roma and cross Via Cavour to come to Piazza Verdi, dominated by the grandiose Teatro Massimo, a temple of Sicilian music along with the nearby Teatro Politeama.

The 19th/20th-century city lies to the north, and features major examples of the Italian Liberty (Art Nouveau) style of which Ernesto Basile was a leading representative. Return to Piazza San Domenico to reach the Vucciria market, the best known and most picturesque in Palermo, and portrayed in a famous painting by Renato Guttuso.

Also in this zone is the church of San Francesco, built in the 13th century but repeatedly altered; it deserves a visit for its interior, simple but embellished by sculptures by the Gagini family and stuccowork by Serpotta. Corso Vittorio Emanuele points straight towards the sea, opening at the end into Piazza Marina; this features, in the centre, a specimen of Ficus magnolioides that rivals those in Palermo's Botanic Gardens. Also on this square is Palazzo Chiaramonte or Steri, now home to the University rectorate. With a square plan and central atrium, it is a symbol of the power and fame of Sicily's leading 16th-century feudal family.

Almost opposite, in the church of Santa Maria della Catena, Catalan-Gothic style is mixed with Renaissance features. To the south is another important mansion, which belonged to the magistrate of Palermo, Francesco Abatellis, and was constructed in the late 15th century. It now houses the Regional Gallery (Galleria regionale) of Sicily, which conserves the Triumph of Death, a grandiose 15th-century fresco from another of the city's noble mansions, the bust of Eleonora of Aragon, a famous work by Francesco Laurana, and the Virgin Annunciated, considered Antonello da Messina's masterpiece.

The Gallery is in the district known as Kalsa, which has for some time been subject to a vast regeneration operation that saw a moment of great symbolic significance in the opening of the Spasimo, salvaged as a space for temporary exhibitions.

Remaining in the Spasimo area, extend your stroll to the church of the Magione, founded in 1191 for Cistercian monks. Although much the fruit of reconstruction, the interior conserves the solemn severity of the original church, which served as a last resting place for numerous Teutonic knights.

Even more interesting are the remains of the cloister (12th C.) - note the refined capitals on the restored side, older than those in the cloister of Monreale. Nearby, Palazzo Ajutamicristo is an example of 15th-century civil architecture and the original beauty of the courtyard can still be imagined despite its present poor state.

Outside the centre, visit the Zisa, one of the leading examples of Fatimid construction dating from Norman times and terminated between 1165 and 1167. Finally, go north through the Favorita park to the foot of Mt Pellegrino, linked to the patron Saint Rosalia, and you will come to the seaside resort of Mondello.