Palermo is very much a Stile Liberty town and I enjoyed several walks searching out the nicer examples. Below are the other Stile Liberty buildings I saw in Palermo that weren’t designed by Ernesto Basile (who features in my previous post). You’ll find all the buildings mentioned on my map.
One of the most famous Stile Liberty sights is the sign for the old Panificio Morello bakery at 11 Via Cappuccinelle in the Capo market. Called A Pupa ru Capo by the locals, it depicts the goddess Demeter surrounded by golden ears of wheat, flowers and fruit.
The mosaic was created using a technique called Trencadís, the Catalan style that uses broken fragments of ceramics (made famous by Antoni Gaudí). The original sign (my photo is of a copy) has been taken to the Palazzo Ajutamicristo for restoration (the bakery building is deteriorating rapidly) but will hopefully be on display again soon.
A lot of Stile Liberty buildings can be found along Via Dante Alighieri and it’s side streets. This one is at 153 Via Dante, on the corner with Via Francesco Spallitta.
Just up the road is this apartment block at 8 Piazza Virgilio, just opposite Basile’s Villino Favaloro.
Not far away is one of my favourites: Palazzo Failla Zito at 32 Via XII Gennaio.
Also nearby is Palazzo Di Pisa at 26 Via Nicolò Garzilli.
The apartment block, built in 1902, was a project of the architect Antonio Zanca. The façade is embellished with floral motifs and intertwined ribbons, which gradually become more complex as they move up the higher floors. More ironwork floral motifs decorate the wooden doors.
Further south is Casa Li Vigni at 41 Via Filippo Juvara features intertwined ears of wheat above the door. Dating from 1906, the building also takes its name from its architect, Francesco Li Vigni.
Via Roma has several interesting buildings along it’s length, including this one at 365-369 Via Roma.
I accidentally stumbled upon Villa Cirino Giambalvo in Piazza Alberico Gentili.
And just around the corner at 7 Via Vincenzo di Marco is another interesting random building.
Villino Cavarretta at 3/7 Via Giacomo Leopardi seems to have just avoided the Sack of Palermo (the construction boom from the 1950s till the mid-1980s when many old villas were destroyed).
I came across this gate to Palazzo Florio-Fitalia at 7 Piazza Principe di Camporeale. It seems it is the last remnant of a large park associated with the nearby Villino Florio (see previous post) but is now occupied by the Circolo Unione, a gentleman’s club. Along with the wrought-iron loggia inside, it was made by the Oretea foundry, one of the many businesses owned by the wealthy Florio family.
And there are many more that I will add to this post on my next trip…
For more local Stile Liberty, see my Mondello post, and this link from the tourist office.
More modern architecture next!