Palermo - Le Vie dei Tesori
Le Vie dei Tesori, a festival celebrating Sicilian culture, begins in Palermo next Friday, October 4, 2019. This festival runs during the weekends (Friday to Sunday) in September and October across Sicily - during September it has been taking place in 10 cities including Messina and Noto, and during October it will take place in Catania, Ragusa, Modica, Scicli, and of course, Palermo. Last year, I was so fortunate to be in town during the festival. On these weekends, cultural treasures that are usually closed to the public open their doors. Often there are tour guides there to show you around, and it is certainly an experience to remember.
The beautiful statues that surround the Fontana Pretoria
The first place I visited was the Cripta Lanza a San Mamiliano. I just wandered in here by chance. I was walking by and saw that it was open for the festival and stopped in. The church itself is beautiful and open, with vast yellow and pink walls. Then there is the totally ornate chapel, La Cappella della Madonna del Rosario, completely made of inlaid marble and featuring sculpted cherubs. The real treat is the crypt. This church is hundreds of years old, but only recently was the crypt discovered during maintenance work! It is really incredible to see, and to learn the heartbreaking story of the Lanza family who is buried there.
The Lanza crypt beneath San Mamiliano. The sublime Pietà now sits upstairs in the church.
I next found myself in Piazza Pretoria by chance. This square is home to the beautiful Fontana Pretoria, which stands in front of the city hall building, the Palazzo delle Aquile. I had noticed a line to go inside, and discovered that this was also a part of the festival. But we did not visit city hall. Instead, we went under it, to the Rifugio Antiaereo, a bomb shelter used by the city during the bombing raids of World War II. We went down, to tunnels with benches lining the sides. It wasn’t comfortable now, and I cannot begin to imagine what it would have been like then. Palermo needed these shelters, and they did save lives. In the tunnels there are photos taken of the area after the bombings, the buildings in ruins. 2,123 people were killed, and around 30,000 wounded in these attacks, which took place from 1940 to 1943. Palermo today is a vibrant city; the Rifugio Antiaereo is testament to the endurance and spirit of her people.
“No smoking” in the Rifugio Antiaereo
I’ve recently become a fan of visiting city archives, and I believe that started when I visited the Archivio di Stato - Gancia. What can I say, I just love rooms full of old books. This is actually the second archive of the city - so much history to discover!
The Archivio di Stato - Gancia. I really love visiting archives and seeing how history was written down.
The Oratorio San Lorenzo was my next stop at Le Vie dei Tesori. During this time last year, another event was taking place in Palermo - the Manifesta Biannale (I will definitely be writing about this in another post!). The Oratorio was a part of both Le Vie dei Tesori and the Manifesta, so there was an exhibit going on inside. The Oratorio San Lorenzo features spectacular sculptures. It is also once home to a Caravaggio that was stolen in 1969 and was never recovered. Today, an amazing reproduction stands in its place.
The Oratorio di San Lorenzo and it’s “Caravaggio”
Finally, and again, by total accident, I happened to pass by the Porta Felice. This is a gate to the city, something that I used to walk by almost everyday, and I had no idea there was anything inside! It was so cool. The views from atop the gate, at sunset no less, were incredible. Looking back on that experience warms my heart. Palermo is such a beautiful city, and I can’t wait to be back there, and to call it home.
This is the Porta Felice. During the festival it was possible to visit the balcony on the upper level.
As you can see, there is a great bit of history, diversity and culture to be discovered in Palermo! And this is just the beginning. As you may have seen on my Instagram, I will be moving to Palermo soon, and I cannot wait to get to know Palermo along with you, my dear readers. Until next time, xx.
So much history at the Archivio di Stato - Gancia.
In 2019, Le Vie dei Tesori will run in Palermo on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, from October 4 to November 3. It will also take place in Catania, Ragusa, Modica, and Scicli. If you are on the island, be sure to stop by. You can find more information about the festival here.
Note: The header image was taken inside the courtyard of the Archivio di Stato - Gancia.
