THE CATHEDRAL AT PALERMO, SICILY.

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that of Pola in Istria, in its exterior is perfect, though completely the reverse interiorly; whilst, on the contrary, the one at Verona is diametrically the opposite, possessing the range of seats as entire as at the time when admiring citizens witnessed the sports performed in the arena for their gratification, but, with the exception of four arches, completely deprived of its exterior façade, the principal and most beautiful feature of those stupendous edifices.

THE CATHEDRAL AT PALERMO.

SICILY.

"In a clime which blends the oriental palm and aloes with the orange-tree, the fig, the olive, and the vine: cheered by the brightest sun, refreshed by the purest breeze, and looking upon the dark blue wave, Palermo is one of the most attractive spots in the world."

Knight's Normans in Sicily.

Palermo, anciently Panormus, the capital of the island of Sicily, stands at the head of a bay five miles in depth, on a spacious fertile plain, which, from its being surrounded by mountains, and distinguished by its luxuriance, is called the Vale of the Golden Shell, and confers on the city itself the epithet of Happy, (Felice.) The sea-view of the city is enriched by the picturesque form of Monte Pellegrino, which hangs over the plain, and possesses peculiar interest, as being the spot where Hamilcar Barcas made a brave resistance against the Romans. An ancient ruined wall encompasses the city, totally worthless as a defence, several of the bastions being converted into gardens, while others have been cut away, to increase the breadth of the celebrated public promenade, the Marina. The citadel stands on the western bank of the Cala Felice, and is calculated to offer some resistance; but the Galita on the opposite side of the cove, and the battery at the mole-head, are sufficiently strong. The climate in general is salubrious, but those parts of the city built on the site of the ancient port are subject to malaria in autumn. The health of the inhabitants, 180,000 in number, is much promoted by the extreme cleanliness of the streets, and the ample supply of water. Every house is furnished with a fountain, even on the second and third stories, contributing in a particular manner to the luxuries of such a climate, and affording facilities for salutary ablution.

The plan of modern Palermo is regular, all the minor streets obeying the direction of the two chief avenues, each a mile in length, which intersect at right angles near the centre of the city. The high-street is called Via Toledo, and also Cassaro, from Alcazar, the palace, to which it conducts: it presents an everlasting scene of animation, bustle, and occupation. It is enclosed by lofty houses in that heavy style introduced into Sicily by the Spanish viceroys. The central story, the Piano nobile, occupied by the proprietors, is adorned with rich corbelled balconies, filled with flowers, or shaded with striped verandas, that impart a variety, richness, and colour to the picture. The windows of the

H

still higher stories are enclosed with light iron gratings, within which the sisters of some religious order are concealed, and through which they occasionally look upon the gay glittering world beneath them. The basement story, like those beneath "the rows" in the ancient streets of Chester, are used as stalls, shops, and mezannini, or lofts, by the lower trades-people. This management contributes to increase the regular confusion of a great thoroughfare in a populous city, by throwing the pedestrians into contact with equipages and vehicles of all sorts, as well as exposing them to the obstructions arising from commodities thrust out into the streets for sale from the numerous arched stalls. Crowds of priests, nobles, officers, and loungers are seen yawning on their chairs in front of the coffeehouses, while carpenters, coopers, and artisans prosecute their noisy trades outside their shop-doors, infringing still further upon the side-walk allotted to foot-passengers. Nor can the thirsty groups that surround the iced-water stalls be forgotten, as they occasionally interrupt all progress until their wants are supplied. This scene of business and bustle is characteristic of the Cassaro only. By the intersection of the two principal streets, an open space is obtained, called the "Quatro Cantoni," or "Piazza Vigliena:" it is a handsome octangle, the four corners of which are ornamented with fountains and porticoes carried up to the height of the houses. These porticoes are adorned with tiers of statues :-the lowest represents the seasons; the second, the four kings of Spain who were also sovereigns of Sicily; and the third consists of an equal number of Palermitan saints. This beautiful piece of sculptured architecture was erected by order of the Duke de Villena, a Spanish viceroy, from the designs of Julio Lasso, a Roman architect. Besides this remarkable, beautiful, and very public area, there are in Palermo several fine squares or "places," ornamented with obelisks, jets d'eau, and statuary, of which, perhaps, the most striking are the column of St. Dominic and the superb "Fontana Pretoriana," opposite the Pretorian Palace, or rather the Palazzo del Senato, which is profusely decorated with arabesque ornaments, statues of river-gods, nymphs, and various animals.

Along the Cassaro, attention is called at every step to some monument or specimen of the arts and civilization. The churches here are numerous, both parochial and conventual, and rich, beyond description and belief, in marbles, jaspers, agates, frescoes, gildings, and relievos: in fact, there is hardly a space to be found, either on the walls or the ceilings, that is not either encrusted with mosaics, or adorned with paintings. These glorious temples are open to the stranger at all hours, as the acolytos, or lay brothers, will discharge the kind offices of guides and indicators, even during the celebration of divine service.

The terminus of the Cassaro is the Marina, the most beautiful object at Palermo, and without an equal in all Europe. This splendid parade is open to the sea on one side, and on the other enclosed by a line of palaces belonging to the Palermitan nobility. An elevated flagged way, the "Banchetta," protected by a dwarf wall, is appropriated to the accommodation of the pedestrian, while a broad open avenue admits a concourse of carriages and horsemen. From this marine terrace the view is most beautiful, including the noble bay, Monte Pellegrino, with the eastern shores; and, in summer time,

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when the cool sea-breeze at evening (mamatitti,) succeeds the sultry hours of the day, the Palermitan hastens to the Marina, to enjoy the refreshing luxury. The fascinations of the Mediterranean climate are only understood by those who have glided along its waters, or paused upon its shores; they will perfectly comprehend how it is that the Palermitan lounges away a large portion of his life on his favourite Marina, listening to the tones of music floating on the air, and tarrying until the moon reveals the glorious scenery around his city. At the extremity of the Marina is the Flora Reale, a beautiful public garden, planted on the precise spot where the exhibition of the Auto da Fè formerly took place. Here luxuriant rows of orange, lemon, citron, and lime-trees are supported on trellises, forming avenues, and dividing parterres of odoriferous plants, watered by numerous fountains. The principal of these is adorned with a statue of Panormus by Mirabati: and amongst the architectural and sculptured embellishments of the grounds, are cenotaphs in honour of Charondas, Epicharmus, Archimedes, and Stesichorus. It must not be concluded, that in noticing the Marina and the Cassaro, the features of Palermo are sufficiently described-this is not the case-modern Palermo is a city of palaces and temples of exquisite design; and the ancient city yields to few in the Mediterranean in animating, historic interest.

At the extremity of the Cassaro, which is terminated by the Palazzo Reale, stand the Archiepiscopal Palace and the Cathedral. The latter edifice, which is so happily represented in the accompanying Illustration, called familiarly the Chiesa Madre, was built about the year 1180, by Walter Offamilio, after he had been created archbishop of Palermo. The more ancient cathedral was then pulled down, having been previously converted into a mosque by the Saracens. The crypt, some portion of the south side of the building, and the whole of the east end, are all that remain of the original structure of Walter: the remainder of the church has been rebuilt, and restored at various periods. The heads of the painted windows in the south wall are adorned with Saracenie ornaments, and the grotesque heads under the east-end eaves, are obviously Norman. Inscriptions, still legible, establish the date of the completion of the south door to be 1426; and of the ornamented portico, added by Archbishop Simon de Bologna, 1450. This rich and rare specimen of art consists of pillars, the capitals of which are formed of closely fretted leaf-work, of pointed arches, and of Saracenic and Greek details. One of the pillars is supposed to have belonged to a mosque, from its being inscribed with a passage, in Cuphic characters, extracted from the Koran, and often quoted by the Saracens. The general style of the building is Gothic, and although, possibly, not in the happiest taste, may be pronounced the finest specimen of the twelfth century now in existence. The exterior is enriched with florid tracery, but presents rather a discordant association of a modern Italian cupola with the ancient and venerable-looking crenated towers. The interior has been violated by recent re-edification, and the introduction of the light Greek style amidst the solemn, sombre, magnificent Gothic, in which the mullioned windows and stained glass throw an awe-inspiring religious shade on the different objects, best suited to the melancholy mementos of mortality that lie around on every side. The nave is supported by eighty-four lofty columns of Oriental granite:

the chapels of the holy sacrament, of the crucifix, the Madonna, and St. Rosalia, are elaborately adorned; and the ceiling is painted in ornamented fresco. The statues in the choir were executed by Gagini, a sculptor of considerable ability, but possessed of so much modesty and judgment, that, on the receipt of the commission to perform the task, he immediately proceeded to Rome, to study the best models contained in that ancient capital. Within this cathedral are contained the most interesting sepulchral objects in Palermo -the tombs of the Norman kings. They are four in number, resembling each other exactly in design, and placed in a spacious lateral chapel allotted to their reception. Each consists of a sarcophagus resting on a pedestal, beneath a marble canopy supported by six pillars. Two of them are of white marble, inlaid with mosaics; the other two are plain, composed of fine red porphyry, and of considerable dimensions. The sarcophagus, which is supported at either end on the shoulders of kneeling Saracens, encloses the remains of King or Count Roger. The porphyry tombs originally occupied a position in the Cathedral of Cefalu, which was built by Count Roger, in conformity with a vow that he would found a church on the spot where he first landed, if he should escape the perils of the sea, with which he was then surrounded. The remains of that monarch having been entombed at Palermo, the emperor, Frederic II., directed that the empty sarcophagi should be removed to the Chiesa Madre, to receive the ashes of his father and himself. This command was executed, and the emperor's posthumous decree fulfilled; he and his imperial sire were laid within the sarcophagi of porphyry, while the brave King Roger, and his daughter Constantia, repose within the tombs of snow-white marble. Another sarcophagus, also of white marble, placed in a recess in the royal chapel, contains the ashes of the Princess Constantia of Arragon. The workmanship of all these sarcophagi, and their rich gilt canopies and roofs, is of such an exquisite finish and accomplished design, that some antiquaries have assigned to them an earlier date than the period of those princes whose bodies were unquestionably entombed within them. In 1342, the tomb of the emperor Frederic was opened, when his remains were found wrapt in the very robe which had been presented to the emperor Otho IV. in 1211, by the Sicilian Saracens, who then solicited his aid. In 1781, another inspection of the monument was made, when the body was found to remain perfect and entire, clothed in the triple imperial dress, the alba, dalmatica, and pluviale, all ornamented with pearls, embroidery, and gold. Every part of the cathedral possesses interest, beauty, and subjects of curiosity: the archiepiscopal throne, and canons' stalls, are embellished with gothic work, carved in hard wood: the high-altar is adorned with a variety of beautiful marbles; and the ciborio, is fifteen feet in height, which is composed entirely of lapis lazuli. The spacious piazza on the south side of the cathedral is enclosed by a balustrade of dark grey marble, which sustains sixteen statues of prelates who were Palermitans by birth. In the centre stands a beautiful figure of St. Rosalia, on a triangular pedestal, erected in 1744, in gratitude for her meritorious assistance in expelling the plague.