PALERMO NELLO SGUARDO DEI VIAGGIATORI (XVI-XVII SECOLO) : la città e l’architettura

The leading thread of the present volume is the theme of the voyage to Sicily, Palermo, but the text is not only concerned about voyagers and their journals. The core is the city and the architecture through the written account of external personalities, who between the XVIth and XVIIth centuries, arrive in the Capital and the way( not neutral at all nor objective) by which they got information and transmitted impressions, observations. Testimonies are limited, due to the selection, which has been made in a preceding period of time (compared to the phenomenon, which is going to explode in XVIIIth and XIXth centuries). To modern travelers, who before the so-called season of Grand tour, visit Europe and Italy, the adventure in the Far south of the peninsula and docking in the island, constitute an unusual endeavour. Sicily is generally excluded as destination of the voyage. The boldest ones go beyond Rome, but only few ones cross Naples. This experience is considered an additional step, an extension imposed by other aims, starting point to travel to Malta, Middle East, Holy Land or simply a fortunate opportunity for an excursion to a place, which holds an exotic and mysterious appeal. Whoever comes to Palermo looks at the city without prejudices, which on the contrary will characterize the following Great voyage in Sicily. The aim is to analyze architectural appeal, right in the moment of the genesis and definition of a great modern city.