Urban Developement of Palermo

1. COMENIUS PROJECT “DISCOVERING EACH OTHER”
MEETING IN PALERMO (ITALY) 8TH- 13th MAY 2013
ISTITUTO MAGISTRALE STATALE “REGINA MARGHERITA” - PALERMO

2.  Palermo has a very important and surely the largest old town
centre (historic town centre) in Europe.
 In the old centre we can find traces of the Punic-Roman
civilization, a series of prestigious monuments stylistically
related to the Arabic and Byzantine cultures, great monumental
buildings from the 14th to the 16th centuries, baroque churches,
monasteries and palaces with decorative masterpieces inside.
 Near the historical centre, from the end of the 19th century up to
the early decade of the 20th century, many buildings were built
in what is known as “Liberty Style”
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3. Greeks and Phoenicians
The Greek colony of Panormus
had two nuclei: the Paleapolis
("ancient city"), between the two
rivers Kemonia and Papirethos,
and the Neapolis ("new city").
In 734 BC Phoenicians from
Tyre (Lebanon) established a
flourishing merchant colony in
the Palermo area. The
relationship of the new city
with the Siculi, the people
living in the Eastern part of the
Island involved both commerce
and war.Papireto river
Kemonia riverPaleapolis
Neapolis
Between the 8th and the 7th
centuries BC, the Greeks
colonized Sicily. They called the
city Panormus ("All port") and
traded with the Carthaginians,
Phoenician descendants. The
two civilizations lived together
in Sicily until the Roman
conquest.
Harbour
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4. Roman age
Panormus was a flourishing and beautiful city during the Golden Age of the Roman Republic and Empire.
In Piazza Vittoria (“Victory’s Square”) notable palaces and mosaics have been discovered and a large theatre
still existed in the Norman age. According to geographer Strabo, during the Roman Empire it provided large
amounts of wheat for the capital.
However, after the reign of Vespasian, it decayed, and in 445 was sacked by the King of African Vandal,
Gaiseric. Later it was part of the territory of Odoacer and Theoderic’s Ostrogoths.
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5. Palermo under the Arabic influence
Palermo was conquered in 831 by Arabs from North Africa and
became the capital of the Arabic Emirate of Sicily until 1072, when it
returned under Christian rule, due largely to the efforts of Robert
Guiscard and his army.
For more than two hundred years, Palermo was the capital of a
flourishing Islamic civilisation in Sicily. By 1050, Palermo had a
population of 350,000, making it one of the largest towns in Europe,
second only to Islamic Spanish capital Córdoba, which had a
population of 450,000.
Traces of the ancient Arabic domination can be still seen today.
Muslim artifacts include the Kasr ("Castle"), on the cape of the
Paleopolis, the district of the great mosque; the Kalsa ("Elected"): the
emirs’ seat along the sea; the area of the Schiavoni ("slaves"), crossed
by the Papireto river; and in the western region, the Moasker, the
soldiers' quarter.
However, the Arabic emirate became increasingly torn by inner
disputes and was a rather easy prey for the Normans, who had
entered Sicily in 1061. In 1072, after four years of siege, Palermo fell to
Count Roger I of Sicily, putting an end to the Arabic presence in
Sicily.
The Castle
Elected
Area of
the “Slaves”
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6. The Normans
From 1072 to 1195
The Normans restored
Christianity as the official
religion and declared Palermo
to be the capital of the island.
In 1130, Roger II was crowned
King of Sicily in Palermo.
Although Christian, the
Normans were tolerant towards
the Muslim population, which
was a majority in Palermo and
the main centers of the island.
Jews also remained an
important community.
However, many mosques were
turned into Christian churches.
The high level of this
multicultural civilization can be
seen by the splendour of the
new monuments that the new
King had built in Palermo.
These buildings, which include
the church of the Marturana
and the Palatine Chapel, show a
fascinating mix of Arab,
Byzantine and Italian
influences.
Our school …
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7. Swabian period and the House of Anjou
The state marriage between the emperor Henry VI and the last descendant of the
Norman monarchs, Constance of Hauteville, gave the Kingdom of Sicily and Palermo to
the Hohenstaufen house of Germany. However, the noblemen refused to be ruled by a
foreigner, and Henry had to fight a rival monarch, before conquering Palermo in 1194 and
being crowned as King.
The second ruler of the house of Swabia was the famous Frederick II, who spent his early
years in Palermo as a rogue. He probably considered himself as primarily a true Sicilian
instead of a German ruler. Under his reign Palermo became the effective capital of the
Holy Roman Empire.
In this period, Palermo’s court anticipated Renaissance courts and hosted some of the
better intellectuals, artists and scholars of the period. The first Italian poetical school was
born in Palermo.
Frederick died in 1250 and was buried in the cathedral. His illegitimate son Manfred
succeeded him and continued his cultural and administrative politics. However, in 1268
Manfred was defeated by Charles I of Anjou, and the Kingdom of Sicily passed to this
new French house. Palermo suffered a period of decay as the capital was moved to
Naples. Charles and his officials exploited Sicily heavily and the island rebelled in 1282
(the Sicilian Vespers), giving itself to the Aragonese rulers.
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8. Palermo under Aragon
Under the Aragonese, Palermo experienced
internal struggles of noble families such as the
Ventimiglia, Aragona and Chiaramonte, who
wanted to control over western Sicily. The
sumptuous Palazzo Steri and Palazzo Sclafani were
built under the Aragonese kings.
In 1494, after the death of King Martin, Sicily was
annexed to Spain and Palermo became the seat of a
viceroy. The Jews were expelled and the Holy
Inquisition increased its power over the city.
Arts were still important with buildings like the
church of San Giuseppe, the Spasimo theatre and
the Porta Nuova. However, heavy taxes were
imposed, to pay for this construction program.
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9. Baroque architecture in Palermo
Sicilian Baroque is recognizable not only by its typical Baroque curves
and flowers, but also by its grinning masks and putti and a particular
flamboyance that has given Sicily a unique architectural identity.
The earliest example of Baroque in Palermo is Giulio Lasso's Quattro
Canti, an octagonal piazza, or circus, constructed around 1610 at the
crossroads of the city's two principal streets. Around this intersection
are four open sides, being the streets, and four matching buildings with
identical canted corners. The sides of the four buildings are curved,
further heightening the Baroque design of the buildings lining the
circus.
The Baroque style is the mirror of noble families’ wealth and power
during the Spanish domination, which lasted almost five centuries in
Sicily. Since the XVII century, in the center of Palermo center, there’s
been a competition among the noble families and the religious orders
for building the most beautiful and the richest churches and palaces.
1600 – via Maqueda
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10. Plan of Palermo 1893
The Belle Epoque, that period in Europe
between the end of the 19th century and the
beginning of the First world War, saw the
development of the style that is generally
known as Art Nouveau, but in Palermo is
called ‘Liberty’.
Here, two names are totally linked to the
period: Basile and Florio.
Ernesto Basile was the Sicilian architect
responsible for the most significant Liberty
style buildings in Palermo, including the
Villino Florio.
The Florio family, which came to Sicily from
Calabria at the end of the 18th century, had,
by the time of the Belle Epoque, increased
their fortune. The time arrived for them to
spend this fortune – and that they did it
with great style. Thanks to the Florios,
during this period, Palermo became a center
rich and famous in all Europe.
The Belle Epoque in Palermo
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11. P A L E R M O T O D A Y
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