FROM NAPLES TO PALERMO (193 M.). =1.= Steamers of the _Ferrovie dello
Stato_ (Line C) daily in 9 hrs., at 10.45 p.m. (returning at 8.30
p.m.); fare 25 fr. 5 or 15 fr. 65 c.—=2.= _Società Nazionale_, Line
XVI (see below) every Mon. evening in 12 hrs., and Lines X & XI every
second Frid. aft. in 17¾ hrs. (fares 25 fr. 5, 15 fr. 65 c.).—=3.=
_Adria Co._ (RR. 23, 24) every Thurs. afternoon, in 15 hrs.; fare 18
fr., without food.—=4.= _Lloyd Sabaudo_ 1–3 times monthly (comp. R.
24). Passengers, both going and coming, should rise early in order to
enjoy the superb approaches to the bays of Palermo and Naples.
FROM GENOA TO PALERMO DIRECT (494 M.) every Thurs. (returning on Wed.)
by Line XXII (for Palermo, Trapani, Syracuse, and Catania) of the
_Società Nazionale_ (fare 80 or 55 fr.).
FROM PALERMO TO TUNIS (217 M.). =1.= _Società Nazionale_: =a.= Line
XVI (from Naples, see above), leaving Palermo Tues. aft., Trapani
Tues. evening, arrives at Tunis Wed. morning (returning from Tunis
Wed. night, from Trapani Thurs. morning, from Palermo Thurs. evening,
arr. at Naples Frid. morning); fare from Palermo to Tunis 64 fr. 25 or
43 fr. 25 c.; =b.= Line XVII, from Palermo to Pantelleria and Tunis
(small cargo-boats), calling at Castellammare del Golfo, Trapani,
Favignana, Marsala, Mazzara, Sciacca, and the island of Pantelleria;
dep. from Palermo Thurs. morning, from Mazzara (reached also by
railway, 89 M. in 4¼ hrs.; 18 fr. 25, 12 fr. 80, or 8 fr. 30 c.) Frid.
afternoon (landing or embarkation in fine weather only), arr. at Tunis
Sat. evening (returning from Tunis on Sun. evening, arr. at Mazzara on
Mon. evening, and at Palermo Tues. night; fare from Mazzara 73 fr. or
50 fr. 35 c.)—=2.= _Navigation Mixte_ (_Touache Co._), cargo-steamer
from Palermo to Tunis direct (coming from Marseilles, R. 21), on Wed.
noon, in 18 hrs. (returning Thurs. at noon); fare 60 or 40
fr.—Combined tickets (Naples-Palermo-Tunis) are available by either of
the two companies’ boats.
Agents at Naples, Palermo, and Tunis, see pp. 137, 148, 331.
Naples, see p. 135. The bay is usually quitted at night. We proceed to
the S.S.W., through the _Bocca Grande_ (p. 133). After about 1¼ hr. we
skirt the rocky W. coast of _Capri_ (p. 154).
Towards morning appears to the S.W. the island of _Ustĭca_ (784 ft.),
which was visited by an earthquake in March 1906; to the S.E. in clear
weather are seen _Filicuri_ (2543 ft.; Greek _Phoinikusa_) and _Alicuri_
(2175 ft.; the ancient _Ericusa_), the westmost of the _Lipari Islands_
(p. 155); beyond lies the N. coast of _Sicily_, from _Cape Gallo_ (p.
152) and the finely shaped _Monte Pellegrino_ (p. 151) to the _Madoníe
Mts._ (6480 ft.), snow-clad in winter.
[Illustration: PALERMO]
A scene of striking beauty is revealed as we steam into the *_Bay of
Palermo_, which opens towards the E., between Monte Pellegrino and the
smaller pointed headland of _Monte Catalfano_ (1237 ft.), backed by a
circus of grand mountains, _Monte Cuccio_ (3448 ft.), _Monte Grifone_
(2550 ft.), and others. After passing between the harbour piers, the
_Antemurale_ on the S. and the _Molo_ (lighthouse) on the N., we observe
on the left the shallow old harbour of _La Cala_ (p. 149) with the
ruined fort of _Castellammare_.
* * * * *
=Palermo.=—ARRIVAL. The steamers from Naples are berthed at the new
Santa Lucia Pier (Pl. G, 4, 5); in the case of the others landing or
embarkation is effected by boat (60 c.; with baggage 1 fr.). The
custom-house examination is slight. Porter (facchino) for hand-bag 10,
trunk 50 c.—From the pier to the town ca. ¾ M. (tramway No. 1, see
below). Omnibuses or motor-cars from the hotels await steamers at the
pier. Cabs, see below.
=Hotels= (most frequented Feb.-April). *VILLA IGIEA, ¼ hr. to the N.
of the quay, at the Acquasanta terminus of tramways Nos. 1 & 7, near
the sea, with park, casino, and fine view, R. from 8, B. 2, déj. 5, D.
7, omn. 3 fr.; *EXCELSIOR PALACE (Pl. e; G, 2), Via della Libertà,
near the Giardino Inglese, good restaur., R. from 4, B. 1½, D. 6, omn.
1½ fr.; *HÔT. DES PALMES (Pl. a; E, 3), Via Stabile 103, R. 4–12, B.
1½, D. 6, omn. 1½ fr.; three houses of the first class, closed in
summer. The following, also of the first class, are open throughout
the year. *HÔT. DE FRANCE (Pl. c; C, 5), near the Giardino Garibaldi,
R. 4–10, B. 1½, D. 5, omn. 1½ fr.; *TRINACRIA (Pl. b; C, 5), with sea
view, entrance in Via Butera, R. from 4, B. 1½, D. 5, omn. 1½ fr.;
SAVOY (Pl. g; E, 3), Via Cavour, R. from 3, D. 4½, omn. 1–1½ fr.;
PANORMUS (Pl. k; E, 3, 4), Via Michele Amari 11, R. from 2½, B. 1¼,
déj. 2½, D. 3½ fr.—Less pretending (open all the year round): MILANO
(Pl. f; F, 3), Via Emerico Amari 114, R. from 3½, omn. 1 fr., well
spoken of; ALBERGO VITTORIA (Pl. h; D, 4), Via Bandiera 31, and
CENTRAL (Pl. d; C, 3), Corso Vittorio Emanuele 343, R. from 2 fr.,
both with restaurant; PATRIA (Pl. i; B, 4), Via Alloro 96 (view from
roof-terrace), CAVOUR, Corso Vittorio Emanuele 330, both hôtels garnis
(R. from 1½ fr.).
=Restaurants= (Italian cooking; à la carte). _Gran Caffè Nuovo_, in
the Teatro Biondo (Pl. C, 4), _Restaurant de Paris_, Via Maqueda 200,
both good. Plainer: _Vanini_, Corso Vittorio Emanuele 405; _Ristorante
Napoli_, same street, No. 265; _Ristorante Bologni_, same street, No.
381.
=Cafés= (rarely frequented in the morning). _Caffè del Teatro Massimo_
(p. 151); _Trinacria_, Quattro Canti di Campagna (Pl. E, 3);
_Caflisch_, Via Maqueda 250; _Café Italia_, Via Cavour.—_English Tea
Rooms_, Piazza Marina 41.—BEER. _Gran Caffè Nuovo_ (see above);
_Trinacria_ (see above); _Gambrinus_, Teatro Massimo.
=Cabs.= For 1–4 pers., within Via Lincoln, Corso Tukery, Piazza dell’
Indipendenza, and Piazza Ucciardone, per drive 50 c., from midnight to
dawn 1 fr.; to outer quarters, drive under ½ hr., also to the quay or
the railway-stations 1 fr.; from midnight to dawn 1 fr. 50 c.: one
hour 1 fr. 80 c., each addit. ¼ hr. 40 c.—Hand-bag 20, trunk 40
c.—Driving in the inner city on Good Friday prohibited.—For long
drives a bargain should be made; thus, to Monreale (p. 152), with stay
of 1½ hr., 7–8 (or out of season 4–6) fr.
=Tramways= (within the city 10, transfer 15 c.). Among the chief are:
=1.= From _Piazza Marina_ (Pl. C, 5) to Via Francesco Crispi (Pl. E,
F, 4), Piazza Ucciardone (Pl. G, 4), and _Acquasanta_ (Villa
Igiea).—=4.= From _Porta Maqueda_ (Pl. D, E, 3), to Via Francesco
Crispi, Piazza Ucciardone, and _Falde_ (p. 151).—=7.= From _Piazza
Marina_ to Via Lincoln (Pl. B, A, 6–4; Central Station), Corso Tukery,
Piazza dell’ Indipendenza (Pl. B, 1), Corso Alberto Amedeo (Pl. B-D,
1), Politeama Garibaldi (Pl. F, 3), and _Acquasanta_ (Villa
Igiea).—=9.= From _Piazza Bologni_ (Pl. C, 3) to Piazza dell’
Indipendenza, Rocca (p. 152), and _Monreale_ (p. 152), every ½ hr., in
35 min.; fare 40 (back 30) c.—Above Rocca (gradient ca. 1 in 8) there
is a funicular section 1100 yds. long.
=Post Office.= (Pl. C, 3), Piazza Bologni.—=Telegraph. Office= (Pl. C,
3), Via Maqueda 222; also in the Piazza Marina.
=Steamboat Lines.= _Società Nazionale_, Corso Vittorio Emanuele 96,
corner of Piazza Marina; _Ferrovie dello Stato_ (steamer service), J.
& V. Florio, Via Roma; _Navigation Mixte_ and _White Star_, A.
Tagliavia, same street, No. 51; _Austro-American_ (p. 425), A. Lauria;
_Cunard_, Piazza Marina 13; _Anchor Line_, E. G. Orr (see below).
=Banks.= _Banca Commerciale_, _d’Italia_, and _di Sicilia_, all in
Corso Vittorio Emanuele.—_Thos. Cook & Son_, same street, No. 155.
=Consuls.= British, _R. G. Macbean_, Via Francesco Crispi;
vice-consul, _W. A. Morrison_.—United States, _H. De Soto_, Piazza
Castelnuovo 44.—=Lloyd’s Agent=, _E. G. Orr_, Piazza Marina.
=English Church.= _Holy Cross_ (‘Anglicana’; Pl. E, 3, 4), Via
Stabile; services every Sun. at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. in winter.
ONE DAY AND A HALF is the minimum time for a glance at the sights.
1st. In the forenoon, _Cappella Palatina_ (p. 149), _San Giovanni
degli Eremiti_ (p. 150); _Cathedral_ (p. 149), _Martorana_ (p. 150),
_Museum_ (p. 150); in the afternoon (best in the early morning in
summer), _Monte Pellegrino_ (p. 151); in summer, towards evening,
_Villa Giulia_ and the _Marina_ (p. 151).—2nd. In the forenoon,
_Monreale_ (p. 152).
_Palermo_, the capital of Sicily, with 250,000 inhab., the seat of an
archbishop and a university, lies on the beautiful bay named after it,
in the midst of the _Conca d’Oro_, a fertile plain artificially watered,
and yielding oranges, lemons, mandarins, and other fruits in profusion.
Palermo is also the chief seaport in the island, whence fruit, wine,
sumach, and the sulphur of S. Sicily (79% of the world’s consumption)
are largely exported.
The city, the _Panormus_ of antiquity, began its career as a Phœnician
colony; it next became the capital of the island under the Carthaginian
domination, but was conquered by the Romans in 254 B. C. Next came the
Ostrogoths and the Byzantines, who were succeeded by the Aglabides and
Fatimites (p. 323), who again made the town the capital of the island
under the name of _Balerm_, and opened up Sicily to Moorish culture.
When Palermo became the residence of its Norman conquerors (1072–1194)
they erected castles and churches, partly employing Arabian architects
and artificers, whose work shows a charming blend of Byzantine, Arabian,
and Oriental features. Later, as the favourite seat of the Hohenstaufen
(1194–1266), Palermo attained the zenith of its glory. The old town,
however, owes its architectural character to the Spanish viceroys
(16–17th cent.), who chose it as their residence in spite of the
protests of Messina. Since the union of Sicily with the kingdom of Italy
(1860) there has been a great revival of building enterprise, with the
result that broad streets and villa-suburbs have sprung up, particularly
on the N. side of the old town.
From the Santa Lucia Pier (Pl. G, 4, 5) we enter the old town by the Via
Francesco Crispi (Pl. F, E, 4; tramway No. 1, see p. 147), leading to
the old Porta San Giorgio (Pl. E, 4). The Via Cavour diverges here to
the right to the old Porta Maqueda (p. 151); we turn to the left, cross
the Piazza del Castello (Pl. D, 5), pass the old Fort Castellammare, and
skirt the Cala (p. 147), or old harbour, a little beyond which is the—
PIAZZA MARINA (Pl. C, 5), where the beautiful *_Giardino Garibaldi_
recalls the tropics with its luxuriant vegetation.
A little to the N.E. of the Giardino is the Porta Felice (Pl. C, 5, 6;
p. 151), from which to the Porta Nuova (Pl. B, 1; p. 150), over 1 M.
distant, runs the CORSO VITTORIO EMANUELE, intersecting the whole of the
old town. This long street owes its present form to Don Pedro de Toledo
(p. 138), but having been for centuries the route from the harbour to
the castle, it has retained its old popular name of _Cássaro_ (from the
Arabic _kasr_, castle).
At the _Quattro Canti_ (Pl. C, 3), the old business centre of the city,
the Corso is crossed by the VIA MAQUEDA (Pl. A-D, 4, 3; p. 151), begun
by the viceroy Marqués de Villena in 1609, and now a second important
artery of the old town.
The Corso leads to the Piazza del Duomo, on the N. side of which rises
the—
*=Cathedral= (Pl. C, 2), dedicated to the _Assunta_, on the site of an
older church which the Moors had converted into a mosque. The original
Romanesque building, erected by Archbishop Walter of the Mill (Gualterio
Offamilio) after 1185, has been entirely transformed in the course of
centuries, with the exception of the lower part of the clock-tower and
the external decoration of the choir niche. The handsome W. façade with
the two towers which date from 1300–59, the incongruous dome, and the
modernized internal decorations are the work of the Florentine _Fern.
Fuga_ (1781–1801). The right aisle, on the left of the S. portal,
contains the *Monuments of Norman and Hohenstaufen monarchs.
At the S.W. end of the Corso Vittorio Emanuele, beyond the Piazza della
Vittoria (Pl. B, 2), on a slight eminence, which from the earliest times
has been the site of the castle, rises the—
=Palazzo Reale= (Pl. B, 1), which still bears traces of its original
fortified character, although the foundation walls alone are Arabian,
and the central tower with the pointed arch (Santa Ninfa, p. 150) is the
only relic of the Norman part of the building.
The last door on the left, opposite the monument of Philip V., leads
into the palace-yard (sticks and umbrellas are left with the porter;
guide ½ fr., but quite unnecessary). We ascend the stairs to the left,
on the first floor turn to the right, and pass through the arcaded
passage to the—
**_Cappella Palatina_, a perfect gem of mediæval art, built by king
Roger II. in 1132–40 in the Arabic-Norman style (adm. daily 7 to 10.30
free; later, week-days till 4, Sun. till 3, fee; best light in the
morning). In the interior the chapel is a basilica with two aisles;
including the choir and apse it is 36 yds. long and 14 yds. in breadth.
The Arabian pointed arches are borne by ten antique columns; the central
dome, 59 ft. high, is adorned with Greek and Latin inscriptions. The
beautiful Arabian timber ceiling in the nave, with its Cufic (early
Arabic) inscription, is joined to the walls by stalactite vaulting. All
the walls are incrusted with glass-mosaics on a gold ground.
The palace-tower, _Santa Ninfa_, now an observatory, is famed for the
delightful panorama it affords (fee ½–1 fr.; not always accessible). The
top of the _Porta Nuova_ (Pl. B, 1), close by, also overlooks the city
and the Conca d’Oro.
Descending the steps by the monument of Philip V., we now follow the Via
del Bastione a Porta di Castro and the Via dei Benedettini to the ruined
church of *_San Giovanni degli Eremiti_ (Pl. A, B, 1, 2; adm. by the
garden-gate; fee 25 c.). The interior is in the form of a so-called
Egyptian cross (p. 376), with three apses. The nave is divided into two
squares by a pointed arch. Quite an Oriental effect is produced by the
five unadorned domes, which are best viewed from the pretty cloisters
(now a garden). Adjoining the S. side of the church is a dilapidated
little mosque.
We now return to the Quattro Canti (p. 149) and turn to the right into
the Via Maqueda. Here, immediately on the right, is the _University_
(Pl. C, 3); on the left is the _Palazzo di Città_ or _Municipio_. Just
beyond the latter is the small Piazza Bellini, whence steps ascend to
two old Norman churches (adm. daily 9–4, 1 fr.; Sun. free). The smaller,
_San Cataldo_, of 1161, is crowned with Arabian pinnacles. Still more
curious is the larger church—
*_La Martorana_ (Pl. B, C, 4), named after its founder, the Greek
admiral of Roger I. (1143), and known also as Santa Maria dell’
Ammiraglio, a Byzantine edifice with Norman additions, now suitably
restored. The two lower stories of the clock-tower are part of the
original church.
From the Corso Vittorio Emanuele, a little to the E. of the Quattro
Canti, runs the new Via Roma (Pl. C, D, 4) to the N.N.W. to the Piazza
San Domenico. On the E. side of this piazza rises the large church of
_San Domenico_ (Pl. D, 4), containing monuments to many eminent
Sicilians.—Behind the church, in the Via Bambinai, is the _Oratorio del
Santissimo Rosario_ (keys at No. 16, adjacent), containing a fine
Madonna del Rosario by A. van Dyck.
From the Piazza San Domenico the Via Monteleone leads to the N.W. to the
Piazza dell’ Olivella, where an old monastery on the right contains the—
=Museo Nazionale= (Pl. D, 3; week-days 10–3, 1 fr.; Sun. 11–3, free, but
not fully shown; closed on high festivals, on the last three days of the
Carnival, and in Holy Week).
GROUND FLOOR. From the Primo Cortile, containing mediæval and
Renaissance portals, sculptures, and inscriptions, we enter the
Secondo Cortile (once the cloisters), where ancient sculptures and
inscriptions are exhibited, on the left Sicilian, on the right those
of foreign or uncertain origin.
From the vestibule, beyond the cloisters, we pass through a small
room, containing two Phœnician sarcophagi found near Palermo, to the
Sala di Panormo, with mosaics and inscriptions from Panormus, and
opposite to it the Sala del Fauno, so named from the fine satyr in the
style of Praxiteles which it contains.
The adjoining Sala di Selinunte contains the celebrated *Metopes of
Selinus (p. 154). On the left, between parts of the ponderous
entablature of the oldest temple, are three rude and primitive metopes
of the beginning of the 6th cent. B. C. (quadriga, beheading of
Medusa, Hercules and the Cercopes); then the lower halves of two
metopes, dating from about the middle of the 6th cent. (battle of the
gods and the giants); on the back-wall four metopes of the early 5th
cent., a period just before the prime of Greek art (Hercules slaying
the queen of the Amazons, Hera unveiling herself before Zeus, Actæon
torn to pieces by the dogs of Artemis, Athene slaying a giant).