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Palermo's handsome Piazza Vigliena (much more commonly known as Quattro Canti) marks the intersection of Corso Vittorio Emmanuele and Via Maqueda. Geographically the centre of the city when it was built, even in today's sprawling metropolis, it is still regarded as the heart of the city. The piazza was laid out in 1608 in an ambitious and very successful piece of early city planning.
Every Italian city has a major street named after Victor Emanuel ll, the first king of unified Italy who reigned from 1861-1878. When Sicily's 17th century Spanish Viceroy took up town planning, the street was known as the Cassaro and was an ancient thoroughfare that ran from the harbour to the Norman Palace. The Viceroy's planners had a new street constructed, crossing the Cassaro right in the middle, dividing the city very neatly into four distinct quarters. Of course the street was named for the most important man in town - the Viceroy himself, the Duke of Marqueda.
Fountains, statues, columns and coats of arms adorn the curved facades of the palazzos that stand at each corner in a splendid symmetry. Each corner has three tiers of decoration - at ground level there are fountains representing the four seasons. Above the fountains stand statues of the four Spanish kings (Charles V, Philip II, Philip III, and Philip IV), and above them stand four saints - Santa Ninfa, Santa Cristina, Sant’Oliva, and Sant’Agata - all of whom were reputedly born in Palermo.
The crossroads divided the city into four distinct quarters - Capo, in the north-west quadrant, Vucciria in the north-east, Kalsa in the south-east and Albergheria in the south-west. Leave a Comment
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 Quattro Canti by kedi+
The four rounded fronts of the buildings are decorated in the following way: at the bottom there are four fountains surmounted by statues, each of one of the four seasons; above them, the statues of the Spanish monarchs Charles I, Philip II, Philip III and Philip IV; at the top, the four saints protecting the four quarters: St.Cristina, St.Oliva, St.Ninfa and St.Agata.
With this square the city is divided in four. Leave a Comment
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 Palermo - Quattro Canti by marco2005
Many of Palermo's monuments, artistic churches and other sights of historical and touristic interest are located within walking distance of the Quattro Canti. Although almost everyone in Palermo calls the Four Corners "Quattro Canti", the intersection's official name is actually "Piazza Vigilena," named for the Spanish Viceroy who had the sculptures built on the Four Corners back in 1611.
Each of the four buildings that comprise the Quattro Canti, has three levels covered with Baroque sculptures that were designed by the architect Giulio Lasso. The sculptures on the facades of the four buildings illustrate various themes: the Four Seasons, Spanish kings and various patron saints of Palermo's four old quarters. The fountains at ground level are typically Baroque. These sculptures were actually executed by a collective of talented local sculptors of that era, among whom d'Aprile, La Mattina and Tedeschi.
Thanks to years of exposure to smog and soot, the once pearl colored sculptures have been transformed into a grimy gray that has obscured some of their definition but none of their magnificence.
(from: www.bestofsicily.com)
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 One of the Canti by mikey_eLeave a Comment Address: Piazza ViglienaDirections: At the crossroads of Via Maqueda and Cassaro
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 NW Corner of Quattro Canti by hquittnerLeave a Comment Directions: Intersection of Corso V. Emanuele and via Maqueda
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While walking back from Piazza Indipendenzia (returned there by bus from Cappuccini) to the port we came to Piazza Vigliena which is the heart of the old city center of Palermo and is also known as Quattro Canti , but also as “Teatro del Sole” as one can always see the sun from this spot, from dawn to dusk. On the crossroads between two main streets: Via Vittorio Emanuele and Via Maqueda . In the four corners of the square there are four 17th century palaces and four basins with statues that represent the four seasons. Leave a Comment
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