THE FOUR SONGS OF PALERMO

Not everyone knows that the oldest area of the city of Palermo was divided into four mandates, each of which had a patron saint and a coat of arms.

The Kalsa or Tribunali whose symbol was a rose and had St. Agatha as its patron saint; the Albergheria or Royal Palace protected by Santa Cristina and represented by a green snake on a gold field; Castellammare or Loggia whose patron saint was Sant'Oliva and which had adopted as its coat of arms that of the Habsburg royal house and Seralcadio or Monte di Pietà which had as its symbol Hercules fighting against the lion and as its patron Saint Ninfa.
The four ancient districts of Palermo converge in the Quattro Canti, a square with four monumental Baroque palaces, a true synthesis of the history of the city, where festivals were once celebrated but also public executions, as an ancient popular saying recalls.

The buildings are adorned with the sculptures of the patron saints of each district and those of the sovereigns with the royal coats of arms in white marble while, on the lower floor, four fountains with allegories of the 4 seasons, symbolize the ancient waterways of Palermo: the Kemonia, the Papireto, the Oreto and the Pannaria.

The Quattro Canti, together with Via Maqueda and Cassaro, form the Octagon or Triangle of the Sun, thanks to the particular location of the square that ensures that every day of the year at least one of the buildings that compose it is illuminated by the sun's rays, making it a corner of the city particularly suitable for photos.

The historic center of Palermo shows off other evocative wonders, such as Piazza Pretoria, or Piazza della Vergogna, few steps from i Quattro Canti, with its large fountain adorned with nude statues in Carrara marble, and three of Palermo's historic markets.