Rococo, Art, Architecture and Palermo Food

Wednesday February 24 was a beautiful sunny day with a high of about 17C.  After breakfast, we headed out to see the amazing stuccowork of Giacomo Serpotta (1652 - 1732), who introduced rococo to Sicilian churches. His work had been featured in the BBC Sicily Unpacked series.

We have also solved a mystery.  All our guidebooks have talked about the horrendous traffic in Palermo.  However, the historic centre of the city, which is quite large, has been almost deserted.  At first we thought it was just because it was off-season, but finally discovered that it is due to the fact that the historic centre is in a traffic-limited area.  The city is following an EU directive to curb air pollution.  Between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. one needs a permit to enter the traffic-limited area.  It is enforced by video cameras.  There are also very wide bike lanes on the main streets to encourage cycling. We have covered a lot of territory in our three days in Palermo and all of it has been in the traffic-limited area.  An excellent policy.

The first place we visited was the Oratorio del Rosario in Santa Cita, a 17th century chapel.  The chapel is brimming with the wonderful stucco works of Giacomo Serpotta.  There is an elaborate piece on the entrance wall depicting the Christian victory over the Turks.  There are hundreds of cherubs modelled on Palermo's street urchins.   Not to be missed!!

Altarpiece

Battle scene 

The commandments

The drapery on the statues is incredible

His clouds overhead are ominous

We all liked the expression on this dude

Lute player- very realistic

Marble floor

There was a bust of Serpotta outside the Oratorio, commissioned on the 200th anniversary of his death in 1732.

Bust of Serpotta installed in 1934 

There was an amazing tree in the courtyard with tiny spikes and a leathery feel.

Vicky admiring tree

The second place we visited on our Serpotta tour was the Oratorio del Rosario in San Domenico.  This small chapel contains many of Serpotta's amazing stuccos, which were installed between 1710-17.  The figures of the Virtues are often humorous.  Serpotta's name means "lizard" or "small snake" and he often included one of the reptiles in his work as a signature.

Humility had a bird on her head

Peace

                                                         Patience with chain, being hit by arrows

The altarpiece was done by Anthony Van Dyck and is entitled The Virgin of the Rosary with St Dominic and the Patroneses of Palermo.  Van Dyck left Palermo in fear of the plague and painted the work in Genoa in 1628.

Boy in foreground is holding his nose due to the plague  (skull is on ground in front of him)

The expressions are incredible

Amazing detail in the stucco

Justice with her sword and scales

We continued our walk-- remnants of bombed buildings with preserved walls.

Outside Palazzo Mirto

The third stop on our Serpotta tour was the Oratorio di San Lorenzo.

Courtyard of Oratorio with a lovely orange tree

Another bust of Giacomo Serpotta

He's got goggles!  (a small pond outside the Oratorio)

This was the only site of Serpotta's work that we were not allowed to take pictures in, so I got a picture (see below) from the internet--again the Virtues were displayed in amazing stucco.  He installed these stuccos between 1698-1710.   It was from this Oratorio that the 1609 Nativity with St Francis and St Lawrence by Caravaggio was stolen on October 19,1969.  A replica hangs in its place.   

                                                                      Inside of the Oratorio di San Lorenzo

After visiting the last of the churches showcasing the work of Giacomo Serpotta we went in search of lunch.  We passed a plaque marking the death of Joe Petrosino, a Police Lieutenant in New York, who was killed investigating the Mafia.

In Memoriam

Walking along the water- lots of boats in the port

We decided to have a quick lunch at the cafe we had a coffee at earlier in the day.  Panelle (chick pea fritters) and paninis hit the spot.  We were in the lovely Piazza San Domenico facing the Chiesa di San Domenico, which dates back to the 17th century.

Chiesa di San Domenico

We continued our walk.

Narrow streets with laundry

We stopped to admire the outside of the Teatro Massimo, Palermo's grand neoclassical opera house.  It took over 20 years to complete and has become one of the city's iconic landmarks.  The closing scene of The Godfather: Part III was filmed there.

The very imposing Teatro Massimo 

We stopped for a coffee an an outdoor kiosk.  Sitting in the sun was lovely.

Vicky and David

We wandered by the Cattedrale di Palermo again, getting a view from the back.  We went in this time, but the inside is rather plain.

Rear of Cattedrale

Guarding the entrance

We continued our walk and wandered into a beautiful courtyard with an ancient palm tree and a ceramic shop.

Ancient palm tree in courtyard

Symbol of Sicily- outside of ceramics shop

Our last major stop for the day was the remarkable Chiesa del Gesu ( Jesuit Church).  The church, which has been recently restored, was built in the 16th century and its interior was decorated over the next 200 years with no cost spared!!!  Every inch is covered with inlaid marble and thousands of sculptures.  It was totally over the top baroque--- we had never seen anything like it anywhere!  The outside is nothing special, but the inside is truly amazing.  So glad we did not miss it.

View inside church

Incredible marble details

                                                           

Close up of the alter

Looking the other way

The gold eye near the ceiling

Beautiful patterned inlaid marble

Swirly pillars with flowers

Another character

Lots of three dimensional faces

This one looked almost art nouveau

Wonderful old wooden latter (for dusting??)

View of ceiling

After visited the Chiesa Gesu, we headed back to the apartment to rest.  A few hours later, we headed out to dinner at Al Fondaco del Conte located adjacent to the Ballaro market near our apartment.

Outside of Al Fondaco del Conte

The chef/owner came over to the table and suggested we share some appetizers among the four of us. He brought over some artichokes,which are in season, and an amazing platter of food.  He tweaks traditional Palermo specialties just slightly.  The caponata was made with fish, which is how it was originally made in Sicily.  The arancini, made with rice, squid and squid ink were wonderful.  There was also an appetizer made with sardines and a tomato sauce (see picture below).

Artichokes

Alonso, Chef/Owner and David

Appy plate with arancini, caponata and sardine/tomato sauce

 Alonso had the grilled seabass, which the chef deboned masterfully in front of us.

Deboning the seabass

I had the rolled swordfish, which is made with raisons and breadcrumbs.

Rolled swordfish

Vicky and David shared a wonderful pasta dish of home-made ravioli filled with shrimps and other seafood, followed with an amazing grilled squid in a cauliflower puree.

Ravioli filled with seafood

Grilled squid and prawn with cauliflower puree

We were quite full, but chef suggested a light mandarin jelly desert with a raspberry sauce.  We split it four ways--- a lovely palate cleanser to end the meal on a high note.  The chef and his sister who waited on us were extremely friendly and helpful.  Going in the off-season means we get innovative food at a very reasonable price.  The bottle of Sicilian biological wine we had was also excellent.

Mandarin jelly with raspberry sauce

Luckily we were only five minutes from our apartment.  It was a wonderful last full day in Palermo.

Just as I was getting ready to post this on Thursday evening, our internet died (we are now in Erice).  It just came back (Friday morning).