Palermo

 Today we wandered around Palermo.  Lots of great stuff to see.  First up, the Fontana Pretoria, also known as the Fountain of Shame.  The fountain, made of Carrara marble, was crafted in 1555.  

From Rick Steves' Best of Sicily book:  The nickname “Fountain of Shame” comes from the nude figures—considered quite racy in conservative Sicily. To make things worse, the fountain was assembled right under the windows of the Dominican convent of Santa Caterina.  Local folklore claims that the nuns tried dressing the figures, but to no avail. Eventually, they slipped out of their convent—chisel and hammer in hand—and chipped away some of the offending parts. The iron fence was added in the 19th century to prevent further “remodeling.”

 

Just up the street from our hotel is the Piazza Bellini.  This tiny square is surrounded by three of the city’s most famous churches.  La Martorana,  ...

San Cataldo, ....

(more on these later) and Santa Caterina—with a boisterous Baroque interior that’s a feast for the eyes (Rick).

Santa Caterina also has some vestments with excellent goldwork.

And an amazing pastry shop.