PALERMO, an ancient and beautiful city of Sicily, the capital of the island, is situated on the north-west coast, in the vale of Mazara. It stands on the western shore of a bay, near the extremity of a kind of natural amphitheatre formed by romantic rocks and mountains. Its situation is happy and picturesque in the highest degree : the sea, the hills, and lofty mountains, present on every side beautiful and striking prospects. The country between the town and the mountains is one of the most delightful spots imagina ble, presenting the appearance of one extensive garden, filled with all kinds of fruit trees, and watered by nume rous rivulets. Palermo is nearly of a circular form. It was formerly surrounded with a strong wall ; but its for tifications are now quite neglected, except on the side towards the sea, and even on this side they are far from being strong. The interior of the town has a splendid and imposing appearance, being filled with public monuments, palaces, churches, monasteries, fountains, and statues. The principal streets are the Cassaro and Strada Nuova, which traverse the city, intersecting each other at right angles in the centre. These streets are broad and regular, consist ing of lofty and uniform edifices, many of which have bal conies, and fountains and statues in front. Most of the other streets are narrow, winding, and dirty, and paved only in the centre, where every one walks. The Cassaro and Strado Nuova form at their point of intersection art elegant square, called from its figure Piazza Ottangolare. Each of the sides of this space is composed of handsome buildings, and each has in front a number of statues, to gether with a large and elegant fountain. From this spot there is a beautiful view of these streets, and of the prin cipal gates of the city by which they are terminated. The gates are at the distance of half a mile, the town being not more than a mile in diameter, and are fine pieces of architecture richly adorned. There are several other squares which would have a handsome appearance but for their not being paved.
Palermo is crowded with religious establishments, there being above forty monasteries, fifty convents, and an im mense number of churches. The finest of these is the cathedral, or Madre Chiesa, as it is commonly termed, an old Gothic edifice erected in the twelfth century. Its ex terior is magnificent and simple ; the interior is supported by eighty pillars of oriental granite, and is divided into a number of chapels, some of which are very rich, particu larly that of St. Rosolia, the patroness of Palermo. It contains some superb monuments of the Norman kings of the island, of the finest porphyry. The Chiesa del Pa
lazzo is entirely encrusted over with ancient Mosaic, and the vaulted roof is all of the same. The church of St. Giuseppe is a handsome edifice, richly ornamented, and containing some beautiful columns of grey Sicilian marble, nearly sixty feet nigh. The palace of the viceroy is an immense mass of discordant parts, built at different pe riods; but the apartments are of a noble size, and richly adorned. In a square in front of the palace there is a statue of Philip IV. of Sicily, surrounded with four other statues representing the cardinal virtues, all of them of fine white marble. Many of the palaces of the nobility are much admired for their architecture ; but there is com monly a great want of taste in their interior decorations. The buildings of the university are extensive, and contain an observatory, and cabinets of natural history and medals. There are professors in various branches of science, but the number of students is small. The charitable institu tions of Palermo are numerous ; the principal of them are the great hospital, the hospital of St. Bartholomew, and the Albergo de Poveri, or poors-house. The principal public walk is the Marina, a terrace about eighty paces in breadth, extending above a mile along the shore in front of a range of fine palaces. in the centre of this walk there is an elegant kind of temple, which in summer is used as an orchestra. Adjoining to it are the public gardens, which are tastefully arranged, and interspersed with statues and fountains. There is also a botanical garden, contain ing a valuable collection of plants. The harbour is well fortified and capacious, being capable of containing thirty sail of the line and several hundred merchantmen. At its entrance there are a lighthouse and two citadels. It is, however, dangerously open to the swell of the sea from the north-east, and even at the anchoring place ships do not lie secure whenever a westerly wind blows. The trade of Palermo is not very extensive, consisting chiefly of silk, in which there are above 900 looms employed. The silk manufactures, and the method of rearing the worms, were introduced into the island in the 11th century, by Roger, king of Sicily. Gloves and stockings, of great beauty and fineness, are manufactured of the silk thread obtained from the Pinna Marina, a species of fish which is caught on the north coast of the island. The principal articles of export are silk and satins ; and the produce of the ad jacent country, viz. wine, oil, and brandy, together with large quantities of fish, chiefly tunnies, the curing of which affords employment to a considerable number of persons.