Our perambulation of Palermo continues.
Market: Palermo's main street market is a crowded jumble of people, sights, sounds and smells. Whether you need fruit, vegetables, fish or meat, you will find it at the market. Since much of the produce is local, it is especially fresh and low cost.
While visiting the market, we ran into the chef of the restaurant Cin Cin where we ate the night before. The chef (the tall dude in the photo below) shops in the market for the freshest ingredients for his menu.
Pop Quiz: In the photo below, what is the woman doing? A. Smelling fresh oregano. B. Checking whether she has bad breath.
Oratorio Santa Caterina d'Alessandria: We visited a small church in the old city that is dedicated to the martyr Saint Catherine of Alexandra and known for its excellent plaster statues. The recently restored church is beautifully decorated in the Baroque style.
Teatro Massimo: Palermo is home to a large, beautiful opera house, the Teatro Massimo, opened in 1897. The theater is truly massimo, being the largest in Italy and third largest in Europe. Sicilians, like all Italians, love opera. The theater also hosts ballets and concerts.
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| Teatro Massimo |
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| Teatro Massimo: a panorama of the boxes |
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| Teatro Massimo: the royal box |
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| Teatro Massimo: the ceiling. The painted panels can be raised and opened during performances to improve air flow in the theater--a necessary function since Sicily can be quite hot, even at night. |
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| Teatro Massimo: the Sala Pompeiana, a circular room originally reserved for members of noble families to use during intermissions |
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| Teatro Massimo: a wooden model of the theater |
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| Teatro Massimo: ballet rehearsal |
The theater has a museum dedicated to operas staged there.
The Teatro Massimo is a favorite sight of film buffs. The climactic scenes of The Godfather Part III were filmed there, including a tragic scene on the steps of the theater.
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| Not the Godfather |
Street Scenes: While touring Palermo, we saw some typical and not-so-typical sights.
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| A street musician |
In the photo below, an enterprising person is giving away puppies (
cuccioli) on the street in exchange for a small reimbursement.
Next Up: More amazing sights in Palermo.
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