The Cassaro (; ) is the most ancient street of Palermo. From the late 16th century the street also had the name Via Toledo. Following the unification of Italy, it was officially renamed Via Vittorio Emanuele II (or Corso Vittorio Emanuele II), but the old and distinctive name is still in use. The street is rooted in the age of the foundation of Palermo by the Phoenicians. It provides access to a number of important sights, including the Royal Palace (also known as Palazzo dei Normanni) and the Cathedral, two UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Toponymy The name Cassaro comes from the Arabic word (, ).Di Giovanni, Vincenzo (1890), La topografia antica di Palermo dal secolo X al XV. p. 83, 127. In fact, during the era of the Islamic Sicily, Panormus, called Balarm by the Saracens, became the island's capital and a large portion of the ancient city was widely fortified. In the Middle Ages, especially during the Islamic and Norman periods, the street was also called al-Balāṭ (Arabic)Di Giovanni, Vincenzo (1890), La topografia antica di Palermo dal secolo X al XV. p. 294. and Via (Platea) Marmorea (Latin) because it was paved with slabs of marble.Morso, Salvatore (1827), Descrizione di Palermo antico. p. 219. Even now, the word , from Arabic , is used in Sicily to indicate the marble.

In the late sixteenth century, during the age of the personal union between the crowns of Spain and Sicily, the street assumed the name of Via Toledo in honor of the Viceroy García de Toledo Osorio, the main architect of its rectification.Palermo, Gaspare (1816), Guida istruttiva per potersi conoscere con facilità tanto dal Siciliano che dal forestiere tutte le magnificenze, e gli oggetti degni di osservazione della città di Palermo. Giornate I e II. p. 93. This denomination lasted until the unification of Italy, when the street was officially dedicated to the King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy. However, the ancient name Cassaro was never abandoned by the people.

History

The road was created at the time of the foundation of Palermo by the Phoenicians, cutting into two parts the city and connecting the ancient port to the Punic necropolis located in the area of the current Piazza Indipendenza and Corso Calatafimi.

During the Islamic era the street confirmed its role of main axis of the city, from which various branch detached as secondary roads called darbi, perpendicular to the main branch, inserting in the territory and ending in (), blind alleys distinctive of Palermo.Gabrieli F., Scerrato U., Balog P. (1979), Gli Arabi in Italia: cultura, contatti e tradizioni. Scheiwiller Editori. p. 579. During the Siculo-Norman age the Cassaro was richly described by the Muslim geographer Al-Idrisi in his famous Book of Roger.Dummett, Jeremy (2015), Palermo, City of Kings: The Heart of Sicily. I.B.Tauris. p. 42.

The most important innovation to the layout of the Cassaro occurred in the second half of the sixteenth century, during the Spaniard age. The project, maybe defined from the outset but accomplished in various stages, provided for the rectification and enlargement of the street up to the Church of Santa Maria di Porto Salvo, near Palazzo Chiaramonte (at that time headquarters of the Viceroy).

The works, with the permission of the Viceroy Garcia de Toledo, began in 1567. It started with the adjustment of the southern area till Porta dei Patitelli (current Via Roma), then with massive demolitions to reach Piazza Marina. The development of this work was actively supported by the city nobility, that contributed to the opening of Piazza Bologni and Piazza Pretoria. In 1581 The Viceroy Marcantonio Colonna prolonged the street up to the city walls by opening the sea with the monumental Porta Felice.

Structure The street is perfectly straight from Porta Nuova, near Piazza Indipendenza, to Porta Felice, near the Foro Italico. It has a slight downhill sloping towards the sea. Throughout its path there are many streets leading into it but only two crossing: Via Maqueda (also known as Strada Nuova), with which it forms the famous Baroque intersection known as Quattro Canti (Piazza Villena), and Via Roma, created in the late nineteenth century.

Transport Since 2015 the street is pedestrian in the stretch from the Cathedral to Quattro Canti. A free shuttle bus, called Free Centro Storico or Arancione ('Orange'), crosses the historic centre from Piazza Indipendenza to Porta Felice. News about the service - Official site of AMAT

Places of interest

Right side Number Number Left side Piazza Indipendenza Royal Palace of Palermo(also known as "Palazzo dei Normanni") Porta Nuova Military Quarter of San Giacomo Piazza del Parlamento 475 Piazza della Vittoria(Villa Bonanno) 467 Theological Faculty of Sicily 463 Seminary of Palermo Palazzo del Castillo Entrance from Piazza della Vittoria. Entrance from Via Matteo Bonello. Archbishop's Palace Palazzo Asmundo 492 Palermo Cathedral Palazzo Imperatore 484 Palazzo Filangieri di Cutò 474 Palazzo La Grua di Carini 462 Palazzo Castrone-Santa Ninfa 452 Entrance from Via delle Scuole. Palazzo Mango di Casalgerardo 429 Central Library of Sicily Church of Santissimo Salvatore 417 Palazzo Cesarò Colonna Palazzo Natoli Entrance from Via SS. Salvatore. Palazzo Airoldi 382 Palazzo Algaria Entrance from Piazza Bologni. Piazza Bologni(Monument to Charles V) 365 Palazzo Riso(Contemporary Art Museum of Sicily) Palazzo Pilo di Marineo 316 327 Palazzo Tarallo della Miraglia Church of San Giuseppe dei Teatini Via Maqueda Quattro Canti Via Maqueda Palazzo Bordonaro Entrance from piazza Pretoria. Palazzo Bonocore Church of San Matteo al Cassaro Via Roma 225 Palazzo Tramontana Roccaforte Palazzo Termine d'Isnello 204 187 Palazzo Vannucci di Balchino Palazzo Ventimiglia di Prades 188 157 Palazzo Santa Margherita 137 Palazzo Roccella 111 Palazzo Amari di Sant'Adriano Palazzo Sitano 114 93 Palazzo Cammarata Testa Piazza Marina(Fontana del Garraffo) Palazzo delle Finanze Palazzo della Gran Guardia Entrance from Piazza Marina. Church of Santa Maria di Porto Salvo Church of San Giovanni dei Napoletani 39 Palazzo Vassallo Piazza Marina Church of Santa Maria della Catena Palazzo della Zecca 31 State Archives of Palermo Piazza Santo Spirito(Fontana del Cavallo Marino) Passeggiata delle Cattive Loggiato San Bartolomeo Porta Felice Foro Italico

Feast of Saint Rosalia The Cassaro is the scenery of the long procession of the Chariot of Saint Rosalia during the "Festino", the night between the 14th and 15 July of each year. The feast dedicated to the patron saint of Palermo involves every year tens of thousands of people.

See also Porta Nuova Via Maqueda Via Roma

References

External links

Monumental itinerary of the Cassaro at Sicilytourist.com