Page 60 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Sicily

58  P ALERMO AREA B Y AREA

The Fontana Pretoria, once called “the fountain of shame” because of its statues of nude figures
7 Fontana Pretoria decorating the exterior and the 0 La Martorana
portal. Now the town hall, it is
Piazza Pretoria. Map 1 C3. Piazza Bellini 3. Map 1 C4. Tel 345
Palermo’s major civic monument, 828 82 31. Open 9:30am–1pm,
Located in the middle of although its original 16th- 3:30–5:30pm Mon–Sat, 9am–1pm
Palermo, this fountain is on a century structure was radically Sun & hols.
slightly higher level than Via altered by 19th-century
Maqueda. It was designed in restoration. However, a statue Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio is
1552–5 by Tuscan sculptor of Santa Rosalia by Carlo Aprile called La Martorana in memory
Francesco Camilliani for the (1661) still occupies a niche on of Eloisa della Martorana, who
garden of a Florentine villa and the top of the faça de. At the founded the nearby Benedictine
was later installed in Piazza entrance, a grand staircase with convent. Eloisa used to decorate
Pretoria. The a coffered ceiling takes you to the church with handmade
concentric the first floor and various public marzipan fruit; as a result,
basins are rooms: the Sala delle Lapidi, Sala Frutta di Martorana is now
arranged on dei Gonfaloni and Sala Rossa, one of Palermo’s most famed
three levels, which is also known as the delicacies. Built in 1143 on a
with statues of Mayor’s Hall. Greek cross plan, this church
mythological was partly altered and enla rged
creatures, 9 Santa Caterina in the Baroque period, and
monsters, combines Norman features
tritons, sirens d’Alessandria and decor with later styles.
and the four Piazza Bellini. Map 1 C3.
rivers of Closed for restoration &
Palermo
(Oreto, The church of the Dominican
Papireto, monastery of Santa Caterina is
Gabriele, a splendid example of Sicilian
Maredolce). Baroque art, despite the fact
Due to the A statue on the that both buildings originated
nude statues it Fontana Pretoria in the 14th century.
was known as The main features of the late
“the fountain of shame”. Renaissance façade (the present
church was built in 1580–96)
8 Palazzo delle are its double stairway and the
statue of St Catherine (Caterina)
Aquile in the middle of the portal.
The large cupola was built
Piazza Pretoria. Map 1 C3. Tel 091-740
11 11. Open 9am–1:30pm, 3–7pm in the mid-18th century.
Mon–Fri, 9am–1pm Sat. The interior has marble inlay,
sculpture pieces, stuccoes
Its proper name is Palazzo and frescoes. In the chapel
Senatorio, or Palazzo del to the right of the transept is
Municipio, but it is commonly a fine statue of Santa Caterina,
called “delle Aquile” because sculpted by Antonello The portal on the Baroque façade of
of the four eagles (aquile) Gagini in 1534. La Martorana
For hotels and restaurants in this area see p202 and pp210–11

058-059_EW_Sicily.indd 58 11/3/16 2:09 PM
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm