{"id":67756,"date":"2015-09-25T23:20:15","date_gmt":"2015-09-25T22:20:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sicile-sicilia.net\/?p=67756"},"modified":"2026-10-12T21:50:19","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T20:50:19","slug":"quattro-canti-in-palermo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sicile-sicilia.net\/en\/quattro-canti-in-palermo","title":{"rendered":"Quattro Canti in Palermo"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Quattro Canti<\/strong> (literally Four Songs<\/em> in English), also known as Piazza Vigliena<\/strong>, or the octagon of the sun or Theater of the Sun, is the square in Palermo located at the intersection of the two main streets that cross the city: via Maqueda<\/strong> and the Cassaro<\/strong> now called Corso Vittorio Emanuele.
It is also the point at the junction of the four historic districts of Palermo: the Kalsa<\/a> to the southeast, Loggia<\/a> (or Castellammare) to the northwest, Albergheria<\/a> to the southwest and Seralcaldi<\/a> (or Monte di Piet\u00e0) to the northwest. <\/p>\n

Presentation and architecture<\/h2>\n

These four facades were built between 1609 and 1620. They are topped by the royal coats of arms. The four levels follow one another according to the principle of the ascent from the world of nature to that of heaven.<\/p>\n

\"North<\/a>

North angle of the Quattro Canti<\/p><\/div>\n

The lower level is adorned with a fountain, representing the rivers of the ancient city (Oreto, Kemonia, Pannaria, Papireto). Next comes a level in the Doric style, with allegories of the four seasons (symbolized by Aeolus, Venus, Ceres and Bacchus) ; then an Ionic-style level that houses the statues of Charles V, Philip II, Philip III and Philip IV ; the upper level bears the four saints of Palermo : Agatha, Ninfa, Oliva and Cristina, who were the patron saints of the city before the arrival of Santa Rosalia (1624) and Saint Benedict the Moor (1652).<\/p>\n

The project was entrusted to the Florentine architect Giulio Lasso<\/strong>. He was inspired by the square of the four fountains<\/a> in Rome.
The current basins and the fountains of the lower level date from the 19th century, and were made to hide the originals because of the raising of the ground level.<\/p>\n

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