Part 25

From the Santa Lucia Pier (Pl. G, 4, 5) we enter the old town by the Via Francesco Crispi (Pl. F, E, 4; tramway No. 1, see p. 147), leading to the old Porta San Giorgio (Pl. E, 4). The Via Cavour diverges here to the right to the old Porta Maqueda (p. 151); we turn to the left, cross the Piazza del Castello (Pl. D, 5), pass the old Fort Castellammare, and skirt the Cala (p. 147), or old harbour, a little beyond which is the—

PIAZZA MARINA (Pl. C, 5), where the beautiful *_Giardino Garibaldi_ recalls the tropics with its luxuriant vegetation.

A little to the N.E. of the Giardino is the Porta Felice (Pl. C, 5, 6; p. 151), from which to the Porta Nuova (Pl. B, 1; p. 150), over 1 M. distant, runs the CORSO VITTORIO EMANUELE, intersecting the whole of the old town. This long street owes its present form to Don Pedro de Toledo (p. 138), but having been for centuries the route from the harbour to the castle, it has retained its old popular name of _Cássaro_ (from the Arabic _kasr_, castle).

At the _Quattro Canti_ (Pl. C, 3), the old business centre of the city, the Corso is crossed by the VIA MAQUEDA (Pl. A-D, 4, 3; p. 151), begun by the viceroy Marqués de Villena in 1609, and now a second important artery of the old town.

The Corso leads to the Piazza del Duomo, on the N. side of which rises the—

*=Cathedral= (Pl. C, 2), dedicated to the _Assunta_, on the site of an older church which the Moors had converted into a mosque. The original Romanesque building, erected by Archbishop Walter of the Mill (Gualterio Offamilio) after 1185, has been entirely transformed in the course of centuries, with the exception of the lower part of the clock-tower and the external decoration of the choir niche. The handsome W. façade with the two towers which date from 1300–59, the incongruous dome, and the modernized internal decorations are the work of the Florentine _Fern. Fuga_ (1781–1801). The right aisle, on the left of the S. portal, contains the *Monuments of Norman and Hohenstaufen monarchs.

At the S.W. end of the Corso Vittorio Emanuele, beyond the Piazza della Vittoria (Pl. B, 2), on a slight eminence, which from the earliest times has been the site of the castle, rises the—

=Palazzo Reale= (Pl. B, 1), which still bears traces of its original fortified character, although the foundation walls alone are Arabian, and the central tower with the pointed arch (Santa Ninfa, p. 150) is the only relic of the Norman part of the building.

The last door on the left, opposite the monument of Philip V., leads into the palace-yard (sticks and umbrellas are left with the porter; guide ½ fr., but quite unnecessary). We ascend the stairs to the left, on the first floor turn to the right, and pass through the arcaded passage to the—

**_Cappella Palatina_, a perfect gem of mediæval art, built by king Roger II. in 1132–40 in the Arabic-Norman style (adm. daily 7 to 10.30 free; later, week-days till 4, Sun. till 3, fee; best light in the morning). In the interior the chapel is a basilica with two aisles; including the choir and apse it is 36 yds. long and 14 yds. in breadth. The Arabian pointed arches are borne by ten antique columns; the central dome, 59 ft. high, is adorned with Greek and Latin inscriptions. The beautiful Arabian timber ceiling in the nave, with its Cufic (early Arabic) inscription, is joined to the walls by stalactite vaulting. All the walls are incrusted with glass-mosaics on a gold ground.

The palace-tower, _Santa Ninfa_, now an observatory, is famed for the delightful panorama it affords (fee ½–1 fr.; not always accessible). The top of the _Porta Nuova_ (Pl. B, 1), close by, also overlooks the city and the Conca d’Oro.

Descending the steps by the monument of Philip V., we now follow the Via del Bastione a Porta di Castro and the Via dei Benedettini to the ruined church of *_San Giovanni degli Eremiti_ (Pl. A, B, 1, 2; adm. by the garden-gate; fee 25 c.). The interior is in the form of a so-called Egyptian cross (p. 376), with three apses. The nave is divided into two squares by a pointed arch. Quite an Oriental effect is produced by the five unadorned domes, which are best viewed from the pretty cloisters (now a garden). Adjoining the S. side of the church is a dilapidated little mosque.

We now return to the Quattro Canti (p. 149) and turn to the right into the Via Maqueda. Here, immediately on the right, is the _University_ (Pl. C, 3); on the left is the _Palazzo di Città_ or _Municipio_. Just beyond the latter is the small Piazza Bellini, whence steps ascend to two old Norman churches (adm. daily 9–4, 1 fr.; Sun. free). The smaller, _San Cataldo_, of 1161, is crowned with Arabian pinnacles. Still more curious is the larger church—

*_La Martorana_ (Pl. B, C, 4), named after its founder, the Greek admiral of Roger I. (1143), and known also as Santa Maria dell’ Ammiraglio, a Byzantine edifice with Norman additions, now suitably restored. The two lower stories of the clock-tower are part of the original church.

From the Corso Vittorio Emanuele, a little to the E. of the Quattro Canti, runs the new Via Roma (Pl. C, D, 4) to the N.N.W. to the Piazza San Domenico. On the E. side of this piazza rises the large church of _San Domenico_ (Pl. D, 4), containing monuments to many eminent Sicilians.—Behind the church, in the Via Bambinai, is the _Oratorio del Santissimo Rosario_ (keys at No. 16, adjacent), containing a fine Madonna del Rosario by A. van Dyck.

From the Piazza San Domenico the Via Monteleone leads to the N.W. to the Piazza dell’ Olivella, where an old monastery on the right contains the—

=Museo Nazionale= (Pl. D, 3; week-days 10–3, 1 fr.; Sun. 11–3, free, but not fully shown; closed on high festivals, on the last three days of the Carnival, and in Holy Week).

GROUND FLOOR. From the Primo Cortile, containing mediæval and Renaissance portals, sculptures, and inscriptions, we enter the Secondo Cortile (once the cloisters), where ancient sculptures and inscriptions are exhibited, on the left Sicilian, on the right those of foreign or uncertain origin.

From the vestibule, beyond the cloisters, we pass through a small room, containing two Phœnician sarcophagi found near Palermo, to the Sala di Panormo, with mosaics and inscriptions from Panormus, and opposite to it the Sala del Fauno, so named from the fine satyr in the style of Praxiteles which it contains.

The adjoining Sala di Selinunte contains the celebrated *Metopes of Selinus (p. 154). On the left, between parts of the ponderous entablature of the oldest temple, are three rude and primitive metopes of the beginning of the 6th cent. B. C. (quadriga, beheading of Medusa, Hercules and the Cercopes); then the lower halves of two metopes, dating from about the middle of the 6th cent. (battle of the gods and the giants); on the back-wall four metopes of the early 5th cent., a period just before the prime of Greek art (Hercules slaying the queen of the Amazons, Hera unveiling herself before Zeus, Actæon torn to pieces by the dogs of Artemis, Athene slaying a giant).

The stairs in the forecourt ascend to the—

FIRST FLOOR. The steps to the left lead to the Sala Arăba, which contains Arabian and Arab-Norman antiquities found in Sicily (door-frame from the Martorana monastery, earthenware vase from Mazzara) and early Arabian objects from Cairo. The Corridoio di Ponente contains painted female figures (4th–3rd cent. B. C.), similar to the terracottas of Tanagra. Beyond the cloisters is the room of the ancient bronzes, among which we note a fountain-group of Hercules and the Cerynæan hind, from Pompeii, and a ram marvellously lifelike. Next come two rooms on the left with Greek vases. From the corridor on the opposite side we enter the Gabinetto di Numismatica, an admirable collection of the ancient coins of Sicily and of antique trinkets. The last room contains gorgeous church vestments.

On the SECOND FLOOR is the Gallery of Pictures, chiefly by Sicilian masters (_Pietro Novelli_ and others); a small winged altar-piece by _Jan Mabuse_ (1501?), a gem of Netherlandish art, should, however, be noted.

From the Museum the Via della Bara leads to the W. to the PIAZZA GIUSEPPE VERDI (Pl. D, 3), in which rises the _Teatro Massimo_ or _Vittorio Emanuele_, the largest in Italy.—At the N. end of the Via Maqueda (p. 149) is the old Porta Maqueda (Pl. D, E, 3), whence the Via Ruggiero Settimo leads into the broad—

VIA DELLA LIBERTÀ (Pl. F, G, 3, 2), a fashionable evening promenade, ending at the pretty _Giardino Inglese_ (Pl. G, H, 2).

The MARINA, officially named _Foro Umberto Primo_ (Pl. C, B, 6), which begins at the _Porta Felice_ (Pl. C, 5, 6; p. 149), near the harbour, affords a superb walk and is a favourite resort on summer evenings after 6 (music at 9).

At the S. end of the Marina lies the *=Villa Giulia= or _Flora_ (Pl. A, B, 6), one of the most beautiful public gardens in Italy, where the blossoming trees diffuse their fragrance in spring far around. It is adjoined on the W. by the *_Botanic Garden_ (Pl. A, B, 6; gardener 25–50 c.), almost vying with the famous Jardin d’Essai at Algiers (p. 232).

A visit to *=Monte Pellegrino= (1968 ft.), the ancient _Heirkte_, a bare limestone hill to the N. of Palermo, should not be omitted in clear weather. (Tramway No. 4 to _Falde_, near the S. foot of the hill, see p. 147; donkey, ordered in the town beforehand, with attendant, 4 fr.)

The zigzag path, visible from the town, ascends in about 1½ hr. from the Punta di Bersaglio, 5 min. to the N. of Falde, to the _Grotto of St. Rosalia_ (d. about 1170), which has been well described by Goethe. Near it are a cottage, where bread and wine may be obtained (bargaining advisable), and the restaurant _Argos-Eden_ (open only on Sun.).

A steep footpath ascends thence in ½ hr. to the _Telégrafo_, the signal-station on the summit, where we enjoy a *View of the beautiful basin of Palermo, of the indented N. coast of Sicily, and of the Lipari Islands (p. 146). To the E., beyond the Madoníe (p. 146) and the distant Nebrodian Mts., towers Mt. Ætna.

MONREALE (tramway No. 9 and carr., see pp. 147, 148) is reached from the Porta Nuova (Pl. B, 1; p. 150) by the Corso Calatafími. Beyond (3 M.) _La Rocca_ the road ascends to the (¾ hr.) top of the ‘royal hill’ (1148 ft.). The town of =Monreale= (Restaur. Savoy, Eden; pop. 24,000) owes its origin to a Benedictine abbey, founded by William II. (1174), and to the famous cathedral (1174–89) built here as the seat of the second archbishopric in the island.

The **_Cathedral_ is a Norman Romanesque basilica consisting of nave, aisles, and three apses, 335 ft. long and 131 ft. wide. Externally the choir end of the church, with its Arabian pointed arches and mosaic decoration, is particularly fine. The magnificent main portal, flanked in northern style with two square towers, has two admirable bronze doors by ‘Bonannus Civis Pisanus’ (1186). The doors of the side-portal are by Barisano. The pointed arches of the nave rest on granite columns, and all the walls are lavishly decorated with glass mosaics. The roof (172 steps; verger, who shows the chapels also, 50–75 c.) commands a splendid view.

Of the Benedictine monastery nothing is now left except the *_Cloisters_, the pointed arches of which are adorned with mosaics and borne by 216 columns in pairs, remarkable for the variety of their capitals and for the inlaid ornamentation of their shafts (date ca. 1200). Entrance (1 fr.) from the Piazza del Duomo by the side-door to the left. The custodian shows also the garden of the monastery, where we have a charming view of Palermo.

See also _Baedeker’s Southern Italy_.

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Pursuing our VOYAGE TO TUNIS we soon obtain a fine view of the bold limestone rocks of _Monte Pellegrino_ (p. 151). We next pass the beautiful _Bay of Mondello_ and the _Cape Gallo_ and steer to the W., away from the Sicilian coast and the _Gulf of Castellammare_. That spacious gulf is bounded on the E. by the _Punta di Raisi_, a spur of _Monte Orso_ (2900 ft.), and on the W. by the mountains of _San Vito_ (_Monte Sparagio_ and others).

Beyond _Cape San Vito_ (lighthouse) appear to the _S.W. Monte San Giuliano_ (see below) and the _Ægadean Islands_. The French steamers bound for Tunis direct pass near these islands; first _Lévanzo_ (951 ft.; ancient _Phorbantia_), beyond which to the S. is _Favignana_ (1070 ft.; ancient _Ægusa_), the largest of the group; then _Marittimo_ (ancient _Hiera_), with _Monte Falcone_ (2245 ft.).

The Italian steamer coming from Naples rounds _Monte San Giuliano_ (2464 ft.), a solitary mass of Jurassic rock, the ancient _Eryx_, famed for its temple of Venus Erycina, and highly revered by all the Mediterranean peoples, and next calls at—

=Trápani= (Grand-Hôtel, on the quay; landing or embarkation, without baggage, 60 c.; Brit. vice-consul, G. Marino), the ancient _Drepana_ (from _drepanon_, a sickle), so called from the form of the peninsula. Down to the first Punic war this was merely the port of the ancient _Eryx_, but it is now a thriving commercial place (pop. 38,000). The chief export is the sea-salt yielded by the extensive evaporation grounds on the W. coast, towards Marsala. The coral-fishery also is an important industry.

The Naples steamer next passes through the strait between the islands of _Levanzo_ and _Favignana_ (see above) and the flat W. coast of Sicily, and then steers to the S.W. through the _Straits of Pantelleria_ (p. 396), between Favignana and the _Isola Grande_, towards _Cape Bon_ (Arabic _Râs Addar_, the Roman _Promontorium Mercurii_), the E. boundary of the _Bay of Tunis_ (p. 129). High up on this bold headland stands a lighthouse (410 ft.), visible for 32 M. around, one of the most important landmarks for mariners between Gibraltar and Egypt. Beyond the cape rises _Jebel Abiod_ (1273 ft.), with its semaphore. The islands to the W. are _Zembretta_ and _Zembra_ or _Jamur_ (1420 ft.; the ancient _Ægimurus_).

The great quarries near _El-Aouaria_ (the ancient _Aquilaria_), between Cape Bon and the _Râs el-Ahmar_ (318 ft.) yielded the Phœnicians the material for building Carthage. We next pass the _Anse de Thonaire_, with its important tunny-fishery (Ital. _tonnara_), and the _Râs al-Fortas_.

The steamers usually enter the _Inner Bay of Tunis_ and _Lake Bahira_ in the early morning. _Tunis_, see p. 329.

The ITALIAN CARGO-STEAMERS (p. 146) first touch at _Castellammare del Golfo_, then proceed to _Trapani_ (see above), where they spend the night. They next pass _Favignana_ (see above), _Isola Grande_, the lagoon of _Lo Stagnone_, and _Capo Boeo_ or _Lilibeo_, the W. extremity of Sicily.

=Marsála= (Albergo Centrale; Leone; Stella d’Italia; landing or embarkation 60 c.; with heavy baggage 1½ fr.; Brit. vice-consul, Chas. F. Gray; pop. 58,000) is a busy trading town, well known for its fiery wines. It occupies the site of _Lilybaeum_, the chief fortress of Carthage in Sicily. The modern name is of Moorish origin (_Marsa-Ali_, harbour of Ali).

Skirting the monotonous S.W. coast of Sicily the vessel next calls at =Mazzara del Vallo= (Alb. Centrale; Alb. Stella; Brit. vice-consul, O. Favara), founded as _Mazara_ by the Greeks of Selinus, but destroyed along with its mother-city by the Carthaginians in 409 B. C.

Beyond Mazzara we pass the _Punta di Granítola_, the _Râs el-Belât_ of the Moors, who in 827 began their victorious progress through the island, and the broad bay of _Selinunte_ (_Selinus_), where the grandest ruined temples in Europe are situated. Beyond _Cape San Marco_ we come to—

=Sciacca= (Nuova Italia; pop. 25,000), a seaport situated on a steep hill, 262 ft. above the sea, with its mouldering castles of mediæval nobility. The name was originally Arabic, _Shâkkah_. In ancient times it was called _Thermae Selinuntiae_, from the already famous vapour-baths in the caverns at the foot of _Monte San Calógero_ (1272 ft.) and the hot salt-springs (132° Fahr.).

The steamer next steers to the W.S.W. through the _Straits of Pantelleria_ (p. 396), at a little distance from the shallows where the volcanic _Isola Ferdinandea_, 4–5 M. in circumference, rose from the sea with a crater, on 18th July, 1831, but disappeared on 12th Jan., 1832.

On the margin of the shallower water, in a great submarine basin 3900 ft. deep, lies the island of =Pantelleria=, also belonging to Italy. Its chief town, off which the steamer anchors for some hours, is on the N.W. side. This volcanic island, 32 sq. M. in area, culminates in an extinct crater 2743 ft. in height, while numerous ‘fumaroli’, or smoking and steaming fissures, and hot mineral springs testify to a continuous volcanic activity. This was further indicated by a submarine eruption which occurred in 1891, within 3 M. of the island to the N.W.

The steamer afterwards rounds _Cape Bon_ (p. 153) and follows the same course to Tunis as the larger passenger steamers.

27. From Naples to Syracuse (_Malta_, _Tunis_, _Tripoli_) viâ Messina and Catania.

FROM NAPLES TO MESSINA (204 M.). =1.= Steamers of the _Ferrovie dello Stato_ (Line D), leave Naples Sun. evening, arr. at Messina Mon. morning (at Reggio at noon; returning from Reggio same afternoon and from Messina same evening); fares 22 fr. 85, 14 fr. 70 c.—=2.= _Società Nazionale_: =a.= Line XX (Linea Circolare, see pp. 134, 142), dep. from Naples Sat. aft., arr. at Messina Sun. morning (returning from Messina Wed. aft.); =b.= Line V (Genoa-Alexandria; p. 134), dep. from Naples Thurs. aft., arr. at Messina Frid. morning (returning from Messina Sun. evening); fares by these two lines 22 fr. 85, 14 fr. 70 c.; c. Lines X & XI, fortnightly from Naples viâ Palermo (comp. p. 146) to Messina (fares 50 fr. 10, 33 fr. 40 c.).

FROM NAPLES TO CATANIA (258 M.), the Linea Circolare (see below); also the _North German Lloyd_ (Mediterranean-Levant; RR. 23, 24) every second Mon. (from Catania Tues.) in 16 hrs.; fare 36 or 24 marks.

FROM MESSINA TO SYRACUSE (93 M.), only the Linea Circolare, dep. from Messina Sun. morning, arr. at Reggio same morning, at Catania Sun. afternoon, at Syracuse Mon. evening (returning from Syracuse Tues. forenoon, from Catania Tues. midnight, and leaving Messina for Naples on Wed. aft.). This steamer may be overtaken at Syracuse if we go by train from Messina to Syracuse (comp. p. 158), in which case there will be time to spend a night at Taormina and see the sunset and sunrise. At Syracuse a drive through the old town should not be omitted (comp. p. 162).

_Naples_, see p. 135. Steering across the bay towards the _Peninsula of Sorrento_, we enjoy a delightful retrospect of _Mt. Vesuvius_ and the hills around Naples. Farther on we admire the bold rocky N. coast of the island of _Capri_.

After 1¼ hr. we pass through the _Bocca Piccola_, a strait 3 M. in breadth, between the huge cliffs of _Lo Capo_, the N.E. point of Capri, and the _Punta di Campanella_ (154 ft.; lighthouse), the extremity of the peninsula of Sorrento.

[Illustration: MESSINA]

The steamboat now proceeds to the S.S.E. towards the straits of Messina. We have a fine view, in passing, of the _Punta Tragara_, the S.E. headland of Capri, with the cliffs of the _Faraglioni_, and of the precipitous _Monte Soláro_ (1920 ft.), the highest hill in the island. On our left lies the broad _Gulf of Salerno_, with the bays of _Positano_ and _Amalfi_ on the S. side of the peninsula of Sorrento. Conspicuous among the Neapolitan Apennines are the spurs of _Monte Stella_ (3708 ft.) with the _Punta Licosa_, and of _Monte Bulgheria_ (4016 ft.) with _Cape Palinuro_ (lighthouse).

At length, far off the coast of _Calabria_, we sight to the S. the volcanic _Lipari_ or _Æolian Islands_, the ancient _Liparaeae_ or _Æoliae_. We pass close to _Strómboli_, the _Strongyle_ of the Greeks, which the ancients regarded as the seat of Æolus, god of the winds. This island culminates in a peak (3038 ft.) with a crater on its N. side, often shrouded in smoke, which is one of the few constantly active volcanoes in Europe. To the S.W. we descry in clear weather _Panária_ (1381 ft.), with its archipelago of smaller islands; _Lípari_, the largest of the group with _Monte Sant’Angelo_ (1955 ft.); and _Vulcano_ with its ever smoking crater (1638 ft.).

Off _Cape Vaticano_ (lighthouse), a spur of the Calabrian coast-hills between the bays of _Sant’Eufemia_ and _Gioia_, we sight the N. coast of Sicily, with the _Monti Peloritani_, the _Myconius Mons_ or _Mons Neptuni_ of the Romans, overtopped by _Mt. Ætna_ (p. 159). On the Calabrian coast, near the strait which was the chief scene of the earthquake of 1908 (p. 156), appear the ruins of the little town of _Palmi_, halfway up _Monte Elia_ (1900 ft.; a famous point of view), and those of _Bagnara_ and of _Scilla_ with its castle-rock.

The *Voyage through the _Straits of Messina_ (Faro or Stretto di Messina), the _Fretum Siculum_ of antiquity, is one of the most beautiful in the Mediterranean. Both banks are luxuriantly fertile, shaded with palms, and yielding oranges, pomegranates, and prickly pears. The Calabrian coast, thickly studded with villages, partly in ruins, culminates in _Montalto_ (5424 ft.), the highest peak of the wooded _Aspromonte_, the ancient _Sila_, while we survey the Sicilian coast as far as _Mt. Ætna_. The narrowest part of the straits, 2 M., is between the _Punta del Faro_ (p. 158) and the _Punta Pezzo_, where they are entered from the _Tyrrhenian Sea_; between Messina and Villa San Giovanni (p. 159) they are 4½ M., and between _Capo di Scaletta_ (p. 158) and the _Punta di Péllaro_ (p. 159) in the _Ionian Sea_ 8¾ M. wide. The currents which sweep past the headland of Scilla (see above) and cause strong eddies near the harbour of Messina, sometimes augmented by gales, gave rise at a very early period to the legend of Scylla and Charybdis, and Homer has described Scylla as a roaring, all-devouring sea-monster.

We pass the lighthouses of the Punta del Faro and the Punta di Pezzo. Nearing the _Harbour of Messina_, in a bay formed by a sickle-shaped peninsula, we survey the ruins of the city on the green slopes of the Monti Peloritani (p. 155), whose fissured peaks tower above the sea of houses, once so picturesque.

The central point of the earthquake of Messina (28th Dec., 1908), caused by dislocation or subsidence, was the strait and the W. slope of Aspromonte (p. 155). The first terrific shock at 5 a.m. was followed almost immediately by a great tidal wave caused by a submarine earthquake, and aggravating the calamity in the lower parts of the coast towns and villages. The effects of the earthquake were disastrous also in Calabria as far to the N. as Cosenza, and in Sicily as far to the S. as Pachino (near Cape Passero; p. 411). At Messina the sea-wave rose to a height of 8–9 ft., at Reggio 11½ ft., and at Giardini and Riposto 19½–20 ft. The area of the seismic disturbance extended to the N.E. to Pizzo on the bay of Sant’Eufemia (p. 155), to the E. to the mouth of the Amendolea, near Cape Spartivento and the small town of Ferruzzano, the scene of the earthquake of 1907, and to the S. to Riposto (p. 158). It was estimated that 96,000 persons lost their lives. The value of the buildings destroyed amounted to about 6,500,000_l._

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