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Published: August 22nd 2015
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Well, how many churches does it take for a city to be dubbed "City of Churches"? My guess is, Palermo would surely qualify. How many churches have I seen? I have lost count. Many are ridiculously ornate. There is often so much detail that the brain just can't itake it all in. Me, I am much more a fan of the adage of "less is more". But I have to say that our first stop of the day, the Oratorio Di San Lorenzo, was breathtaking. Serpotta was the artist who decorated this jewel which has walls crowded with stuccoed statues and putti. The women who depict the various virtues are gorgeous. They are very well dressed in the best fashion styles of the day. The putti are charming; they frolic and smirk; their chubby limbs are delightful. I simply loved this place. And, as we were the first visitors of the day, we were all alone in the space. In a tourist Mecca such as Italy, that was a treat.
I shall not bore with a list of other stops. However, one thing I did enjoy seeing in the Galleria Regionale della Sicilia was the lovely Annunciation by Antonello da
Messina. Mary is depicted so delicately and masterfully. This was highlight in a gallery of otherwise lugubriously dark works.
In the afternoon, we visited the Botanic Gardens. I paraphrase here what Mark wrote in the comments book:
"A fine example of Nature triumphing over human order".
Suffice to say, the once obviously great garden was a little past it's prime. Despite this, it was a cool retreat from the heat of mid afternoon and the plants were varied and impressive.
Post script : we are watching Italian TV (which is always a very interesting thing to do!). The programme is called "Estate in Diretta". They are discussing the finding of a human foot in the Tiber. We have just seen a reporter in a boat retracing the probable journey of the foot to the point where it was found. There is a panel before a live audience (including a very attractive criminologist) discussing what the story behind this macabre find might be. The foot contains two tattooes, one contains the words "today is a good day to die". I am speechless!
Second post script
Friday, our last day in Palermo, was spent visiting the
L'Oratorio di San Lorenzo
Very stylish "Fortitude". Notice the tiny lizard on the column; Serpotta in the Sicilian dialect means "little lizard". jewels in the crown of the city, la Cappella Palatina and Monreale Cathedral. Guide books wax lyrically about the mosaics which adorn both churches. I can add nothing to what has been written. They were both truly spectacular. Any pictures that I have taken cannot capture the experience of being envelopped in their shimmering beauty. The cloister at Monreale was also sublime. Once again, we were lucky enough to be there with very few other people and the silence was mesmerising.
Tomorrow, I tackle the open road in a car and I am the driver. Aren't I lucky? I hope to write again!
Third post script: dinner at L'Ottava Nota, superb!
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