Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-03
In SUNNY PALERMO.
Pleasing Pictures of the Most Attrac-
tive of Sicilian Cities.
BIRTHPLACE OF PASTORAL POETS,
And the Home of the Most Beautiful
Women in All Italy.
STRANGE LEGEND OF SANTA ROSALTA

seems to my eyes to be one OF the brightest
and most beautiful cities of Europe. One
gets away from lava and scorie in Palermo.
If hundreds of brigands are harbored In the
heights of Misilmeri, only ieight m lies away,
such barbarous dangers are shut from the
consciousness by the gayety and splendor of
the Sicilian capital. And here one is even
partially relieved Of the presence of the
eternal stone monuments and dead age re-
mains which almost have the power to in
time render the European traveller possess
ing students mind maundering senti-
mentalist, a driveling idiot, or worse, a
classic pedant and cynic.
Beautiful as is the winsome city itself, its
site is far more lovely and enchanting. At
the northeastern extremity of Sicily, huge
preeiDices throw protecting arms nearly
around Palermo on the north. These al
most mountainous heights to the right and
left descend to the sea in delicate lines and
with tints Of rarest tone. Between the head
lands lies the deep and dreamful harbor.
Then, the city on a gently-rising plain. Be-
hind this, encircled by a vast mountain
capped loop, shaped almost precisely like
the horseshoe arch of the Moors stretches
far and far away that most famous of all
Italian valleys, Conca d. Orc, or the Valley
OF the Golden Shell. 1t is vast and mar
velously fertile plain, glorious and never
failing garden, msssed with the nobest
orange groves of the Mediterranean, with
olive plantations world-famous for their
yield, with orchards of palms, almonds. fig
trees, even of dates, Of locust trees, and of
the strange nespole or medlars, whose fruit
is only eaten in a state of decay, and like
one vast Persian carpet of bloom-inde-
scribable roses, flowers, Judas trees, and raw
lshlng flora In endless variety-until, from
March to December, every zephyr floating
across it bears to remotest nook and Granny
OF the charmed and charming city languor-
GUS perfumes in endless pulsings of odorous
change.
SPLENDID CITY.
Palermo itself is bright, dainty. splendid,
in architecture, in promenade and garden,
In balcony, gallery, monument and fountain,
and in all the lightsomeness of figure, habit
and expression which distinguish the more
southern of the Latin people. especially
when welded with the exuberance and Ella
tion which prosperity and prideful con-
sciousness in surroundings always entail.
Intersecting the city at right angles are two
magnificent thoroughfares, the Corso Wit
torio Emanuele, perfectly straight north
east and southwest street; and the Strada
the southeast in straight line. The north
east terminal OF the Corso touches the
splendid bay; and at the intersection of the
two, the business, social and geographic GEN.
ter of the city, is spacious octagonal, cir |
cus-shaped space known as the Quattro Can |
toni. The facade of this comprises a mag
nifcent series of piazzas adorned with
massive colonnades and superb statues. |
Noble gates stand at the four terminals of
r. .L1 O.. L.,
as those OF many other important thorough |
fares within the four very nearly equal |
quarters thus formed, from any portion of |
which divisions, the main arteries of the |
city are easily reached.
So, mountains encircle aud protect in the |
rear; a vast and fruitful valley of bloom and |
perfume stretches from the city's gates; then
the bright and beautiful city descends gent
ly to a noble harbor side; and, as if to per-
iect the loveliness OF the entire scene, art in
the splendid Marina-the most gigantic and
massive sea drive and promenade possessed
by any European city-to the right, and ma
ture in the precipi;ous cliffs called Monte
Pellegrino, to the left, join in forming at
once the most beautiful and glorious harbor
entrance to be found ON any European
shores. No wonder the Palermitans are
proud of their Marina, or that Sicily, the
birthplace of pastoral poetry, should forget
the mountain sides, valleys, streams, herds
aud shepherds, in singing songs to this most
beautiful and deliriously dangerous spot for
the human heart in all Italy.
A BEAUTIFUL LEGEND.
The legend o. Santa Rosalia is very dear
to the Palermitans. Descended from Charlie
magne, she was born in 1130, and though
reared in the utmost refinement and luxury,
she fled from her fathers house to the neigh
N1r atotva fha - har,; |
life of devotion and penance. At last she
sought a cavern in Monte Pellegrno where
she died unknown and alone. During the
terrible Sicilian plague of 1924, when all
efforts to diminish its ravages had proven
unavailing, certain lowly Palermitan,
soapmaker named Bonelli, in desperate dis
traction and to escape the horrors OF disease
and death around him, and especially to be-
moan the loss of his own wife, wandered out
upon the mountains. The vision of beau
ii ul vigin appeared to him. Leading him
to a cavern the virgin told him it was her
grotto, and that she was the devotee, Rosalia.
The blunt and honest fellow, with his
own sorrows uppermost in his mind, in
quired why had she abandoned her country
to such dire Affections. 1t was then re-
vealed to him that this had so far been the
will of heaven; but that as soon as the re-
mains of her body, which had previously
been discovered and placed in charge of the
Archbishop, had been carried through the
city the plague would cease; closing the
revelation with the assurance that in tour
days Bonelli would be with her in paradise.
The latter made confession to the Capuchins;
the relics of Rosalia were followed in
splendid procession through the city by the
Senate, clergy and people; from that
moment the plague began to diminish;
the soapmaker followed Rosalia to
paradise on the fourth day after having
seen the glorious vision; o magnificent
yearly festival celebrating the deliver
ance. is annually held between the
11th and 18th of July, when an efigy of
Rosalia is drawn through the principal
streets on atriumphal car, 100 feet long, 20
wide and so TO 70 feet high, by from 80 to
100 eaparisoned mules, the efigy being in
silver upon q dome supported by colossal
figures of apostles and saints, below which
are masses of roses and trees of artificial CO.
raj; and the grotto thus miraculously dis
which has become famous Sicil-
ian shrine, is adorned by a statue of the
adored saint by the sculptor Gregorio Ledes-
chi, clothed with robe of solid gold, and
another gigantic statue in marble stands
near the grotto on the brink of a mighty
precipice. To this figure of Santa Rosalia
the devout mariner and fisherman always
turn for protection against the dread evils of
the mighty sea.
CURIOUS STREET SCENES.
The architecture as we'll as the dialect of
Sicily is a mixture of Greek, Arabic, Nor
man and Spanish. Nowhere else is this
more noticeable than in Palmero, whose
streets disclose most curious composite of
structures, though the effect is always ex-
tremely bright and interesting, if never
wholly satisfying; while with
the people who are seen upon them there are
striking pavety and ianntiness ,as universal |