The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-05-07
The Beauties of Palermo, Its
Lovely and Picturesque
Surroundings.
HOME OF ENHANCING MELODY
The Nightly Carnival on the Glorious
Marina Magnificent Thorough
fares-Bright and Dainty Archi-
tecture-Street Scenes-Femi-
nine Loveliness-The Capuchin
Catacombs.
Special to THE SUNDAY CALL


the ancient Panoramus OF the PbnnI.
clans, with Its quarter million population
oil to-day, seems TO my eyes to be one of
the brightest and most beautiful cities of Europe
one gers away from lava and scorise In Palermo.
Ii hundreds OF bigands are harbored in the
heights OF Misilmerl, only eight miles away. such
DarDarous dangers are shut out from the con-
seriousness by The gayety and splendor OF the
Slcillan capital.
beautiful as Is the winsome city itself, its site
Is Tar more lovely and enchanting At the north
eastern extremity OF Sicily huge precipices throw
protecting arms nearly around Palermo on the
north. These almost mountainous heights TO
the right and left descend to the sea in deli
cafe lines aud with tInts of rarest tone. Between
the headlands lies the deep ana dreamful narbor:
theh the city on gently rising plain. Behind
thls, encircled by vast mountain capped loop
shaped almost precisely like The horseshoe arch
OF the Moors, stretches far and far AWAY thai
most famous of all Italian valleys, Cunca a. Orc,
or the Valley OF the Golden She'll Itisayast and
maryelOusly fertile plain glorious and never
failing garden, ma ssed with the noblest orange
groves OF the Mediterranean, with olive pIanta-
lions world-famous for their YIELD with orchards
OF palm, almonds, fgtrees, even of dates, of
locust trees and OF The strange nespole or med
lars whose truit Is only eaten In state of de-
cay, and Ike one vast Persian carpet OF bloom
understandable roses. flowers, j. das trees ana raw.
lshlng nora In endless varety-until, from March
TO December, every zephyr floating across it
pears 10 remotest nook and Granny of the
charmed aud ming city lansuorous pet fumes
In endless pulsing OF odorouS change
falermo Itself Is bright dainty, splendid in
architecture, In promenade and garden, In bal
cony gallery. monument and fountain, and In all
the lightsomeness OF figure habit ana EXPRESSION
which distinguish the more southern OF the Latin
peoples, especially when Wedded with the ex-
uDefance and citation which prosperity and pride.
iu consciousness In surroundings always entail,
lntefsecting the city at right angles are two
MAGNIFICENT THoRoUGuFAREs
The COrso Vittorio Emanueie. a perfeerly
straight northeast and southwest street: and
The Strada Maequeda, running from lie north
west TO the southeast in straight line The
northeast terminal Of the Corso touches the
splendid BAY and at the intersection of the two
tne business. social and geographic center OF the
known as the QuattrO Cantoni. The facade OF
this comprises magnificent series OF piazzas
adorned WIN massive colonnades and superb
statues. Noble gates stand at the four terminals
OF The C0rs0 aud The Strada Macqueda as well
as those OF many other important thoroug hfares
within The four very nearly equal quarters thus
formed from any portion Of which divisions the
main arteries OF the city are easily reached
30, mountains enelree ana project in The rear;
a vast ana fruitful valley OF bloom and perfume
stretches from the city'S gates; then the bright
and beautiful city descends gently 10 A noble
barber side; aud, as ii 10 perfect the loneliness
OF the entire scene, art in the splendid Marina
the most gigantic and massive sea drive and
promenade possessed by any European clty-to
the right, and nature in the precipttous cliffs
called Monte Pellegrino to the left ioin In form
Ing at once lie most beautiful and glorious har-
Dor entrance TO be found on any European
shores. No wonder the Palermtans are proud
OF their Marina, or that Sicily, the birthplace OF
pastoral poetry, should forget the mountain
sides, valleys, streams, herds ana shepherds in
singing songs 10 this most beautiful and deIlr-
Gus dangerous spot for the human heart IN all
Iiay. 1t IS divided into the upper and lower
Marina. and extends from tile Corso which In
turn, has come in q straight line from the royal
palace and citadel ct the edge OF the Valley OF
the Golden Shell, TO the magnificent Botanic
dan md fhn naV hA.a
IN length The upper Marina Is bordered
by magnificent houses, with eXqui.itely tile
paved courts, separated by delicate iron aud
bronze ratings from the promenade. The
later Is broad, masslycy walled esplanade
broken here and there by splendid tiers OF steps
descending 10 Tie lower Marina, where there are
first, rows OF tremendous shade trees from 200
10 300 years old. then drive of immense width
anu perfect paving, the massive protecting walls
win frequent semlcii cular projecting esplanades,
and, al last. along the seaside, paved and
lighted foot-way of the greatest natural and arli-
hcla beauty. BY night the Marina is a scene OF
most extravaaani luxury in dress and eQuipsge.
BY day 1t Is place for languOrous, lazy sesta
and dreams. Then the quantity babited fisher
MEL oil the bay aud IDLE stragglers are its only
occupants. Seaward, hundreds of picturesque
sails speck the sapphire waves; aud across Inc
ripping bay looms PeIlegrlno, another Gibraltar
In contour and loftiness,
SACRED TO SANTA RosALIA,
The adorned patron Saint OF Palermo. A mag
innocent yearly FESTIVAL, celebrating the deliver
ance from the terrible Sicillan plague OF 1924, is
annually held between the 1lth and 18th of
July, when an efhgy OF Rosalia Is drawn through
the principal streets on a trlumpEal car 100 feet
ioug, ~ VIDE, and 90 10 40 feel high, by from 80
10 100 caparIsoned mules, tho eiligy being In sill
yer upon dome supported by colossal figures of
apostles aud saints, below which are masses OF
roses aud trees OF artificial coral aud the framed
motto. which has become a noted Sfcilian shrine
Is adorned by the statue OF the adorned saint by
the sculptor Gtegorio Ledeschi. clothed with a
fODe Oh soId gold, and another gigantic statue in
marble stands near the grotto ON The brink of a
mighty preciplce. To this figure OF Santa Rosalia
tne ueYout mariner and fisherman always turn
Tor protection against the dread evils of the
mighty sea.
The architecture as well as the dialect of Sicily
Is mixture OF Greek. Arabic, Norman and
Spanish. Nowhere else Is this more noticeable
than In Palermo, whose streets disclose a most
various composite of structures, though The effect
Is always extremely bright aud interesting, II
never aftlStlcally wholly satisfying; while with
the people who are seen upon them there are
striking gayety and 1auntlness as universal char
acteristics or the lowly, blended with astonishing
elegance on the part of the possessors of wealth
ana the nobility In general. The latter class
form monStrouS, undue proportion of the non.
ulatlon; and, as In the gay Cuban capital, where
the Spanish saying, "The father q grocer the
son a gentleman, the grandson a beggar," so
tersely expresses the rapid changes of condition
on account OF the wild extravagances OF metro.
politan life, the entire nobility and aristocracy
OF Sicily: rich or beggared. seem housed within
Palernlos walls.
STREET SCENES.
While the shops and cafes are very beautiful.
the street iacades above present q grolesque
cominiuglng OF sunken galleries like coisteTs,
coionhaded fronts of the most classic severity
aud projecting balconies as graceful and delicate
as may anywhere be found in Southern SpaIn
AT all hours OF The day tile Streets which for tine
most part are exceedingly narrow swarm with
priests, oincefs. mobiles and picturesque noun
talneerS, with every manner OF the lowly city
folk OF the South, while carpenters. faiIors
c0opers. cobblers, locksmitbs and the various
petty artisans. unconcerned Tor the comfort of
pedestrians, pursue their several VOcatious with
delightful conscious importance entirely outside
their shop doors, gosstping whistlng and sing
ing, adding much 10 the picturesque confusion
OF the th0foughfares- Indeed In no other part
OF the world have come upon such melodious
activity Everybody huns, whistles or sings as
lie laDors, and not lnfrequentiy is the passer
halted and enthraed by the delicious abandon
with which some labOrer, unconscious OF own
meoidic power, pours forth unframed, but per-
Feet notes. rising as clear aud loud above the
distractng sound OF the street as the lark's song
above the chlrpings about farmhouse and
meadow. ~
Unlike the custom 10 Spain and some Italian
provinces where women are treated as persons
requiring never-endlng surveillance, In Sicily,
and particularly In PaermO, no hateful restrlc.
tons OF this nature seem to be required. Women
are seen III the streets, shops aud cafe, a free
from any restraint, and universally treated with
as much respect and consideration as In Amer.
ica Indeed II there Is a difference it Is in favor
are astounding and endless This gives the tray.
eler most gratifying opportunity for the study Of
Italian women In Sicily; and most unbesitat-
lngly pronounce those OF Palermo more vivacous
than french women, more beautiful than the
best examples OF Spanish female loneliness and
charming than any l have elsewhere seen. NV
own observation disclosed a singular condition
OF contrasts.
BEAUTIFUL. WOMEN.