Old Woman Winter 

At the busy intersection of Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Via Maqueda, in Palermo’s historic center, sits Quattro Canti–four corners. The crossroads is flanked by four 18th century Baroque facades, each with a series of statues: At the top, the city’s patron saints prior to Santa Rosalia; in the middle, the Spanish kings of Sicily; and at the street level, four fountains, each graced with a woman at various stages of her life that represent the four seasons of the year. Today, on the winter solstice, I present to you an old woman holding a flaming lantern who represents “inverno” or winter. 

2 Comments Add yours

  1. I will observe them more carefully next time in Palermo!

    1. Stand by for upcoming posts about the original patron saints at the top of the facades!

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.