We had big plans for our third day in Palermo. The first was to visit San Domenico church, where the tomb of Giovanni Falcone, whom I mentioned earlier is located. We went to San Domenico square to the church. However, there were two problems. First the facade of the church was under restoration. The second issue was that the church was closed. Fortunately shortly after, the main entrance door opened and we went inside.
The interior was very beautiful. The only issue is that after the visit, one does not really feel like having fun. It is a very tragic place and the atmosphere suits it. Then according to our plan, there was the museum or rather the art gallery. Here among other masterpieces, is the wonderful work of Antonello da Messina. You have probably seen reproductions of it. The Annunciation or by its Italian name L'Annunziata. To be honest I was having a bit of trouble controlling my emotions after the San Domenico visit.
Google was taking us through non touristic paths and we entered a very unusual neighborhood. So we decided to walk along the sea. We walked along the promenade and then went back into the city toward the art gallery. In fact you cannot really tell that you are walking by the seaside because on one side there are very tightly parked yachts and on the other side there is heavy traffic. Therefore there is not much of that salty sea water smell in the air. There is a wide promenade, everything is open, there is a lot of space and light. But I cannot say it was a fully enjoyable seaside walk. The city gates opening to the harbor are also here.
We reached the art gallery and went inside. This place is called Palazzo Abatellis. As luck would have it, admission was free for everyone. People everywhere in Palermo are very friendly. At the box office, in restaurants, everywhere they explain and tell you everything. A pleasant taste always remains after communicating with the locals. We saw the inner courtyard and then went inside the gallery.
A absolutely wonderful fresco by an unknown author from the fifteenth century, who was probably not even Italian, was on display.Triumph of Death or Trionfo della Morte. It must be said that the subject resembles one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The only thing known for certain about this fresco is that it was made for Palermo's first city hospital, removed from the wall there and moved to the museum in the postwar period.
Then we went upstairs and saw the exhibition of medieval works. We toured Abatellis Palace and saw which works of art were on display. Antonello da Messina always strikes a person right in the heart. I never wanted to leave ther, but time was ticking away. We had plans for that day and the following days. Therefore we then went to one of Palermo's oldest places selling traditional sandwiches, Pani ca meusa or Panino con la milza.
We entered a venue named Antica Focacceria San Francesco. This place has been serving in San Francesco Square since eighteen thirtyfour. Then we set off to see the sweets made by the nuns and to go up to the roof of the Santa Caterina monastery.
We arrived at the church. This place is part of the monastery complex dedicated to the same saint. The interior of the church is quite richly decorated. All the decoration is done in the baroque style and created with the inlay of different colored marbles and semiprecious stones. This monastery was a women's monastery where cloistered nuns, monache di clausura lived. The daughters of wealthy families were sent here. That is why the monastery was so rich.
Despite such bright and flashy decoration of the church, it feels like a very sad place to me. Because the girls dedicated to the nunhood here would pass from the church walls into the monastery and never go outside again until they died. They could only comunicate with the outside world from behind the bars on the walls and balconies. The monastery remained active from the fifteenth century until two thousand fourteen. When the last nuns were transferred to other structures, this complex was converted into a museum and opened to the public. The entrance fee varies depending on what you want to see. We bought the most comprehensive ticket, which included the terraces, for ten euros. You can reach the pastry workshop through the cloisters of the monastery completely free of charge.
If the nuns saw this tourist hustle and bustle inside, they would probably be very surprised. We watched a cross section of the nun's daily life. Each had a separate room, a cell, with a small balcony and a sink. The nuns would wash outside in all weather, regardless of the season.
Then we moved to the balcony where the nuns listened to the services held in the church below. One side of the legs of the chairs and stools was made long and the other side short, so that when they sat on the step, they could kneel. There is also one regular chair, probably for an elderly nun. In the display case, we see a doll dressed in a wedding dress. Young girls usually came here at such a young age that they would bring their favorite toys with them.
We went downstairs and our bakery visit began. In the garden it is written that food can be eaten and that silence should be respected. But of course, nobody respects the silence. There is a huge line, so we decided not to wait in line and not to buy anything because I like atmospheric places. But this place has turned into a completely mass, fast and popular tourist spot. Perhaps if you came early in the morning when nobody was around, you could feel that calm and serene atmosphere of the monastery and then I might have wanted to eat something. But in a crowd like a train station, I did not feel like having anything.
And so we concluded our third day. I will continue to tell you about our Palermo adventures. See you soon
