Fontana Pretoria--In the heart of Palermo's loveliest square, Piazza Pretoria, stands this magnificent fountain, the work of Francesco Camilliani, the Florentine sculptor, in 1554 and 1555. The fountain overlooks the facades of the two churches on the square, S. Caterina and S. Giuseppe dei Teatini. Surely if Camilliani had seen a lily growing in the field, he would have put gilt on it. This fountain is hardly subtle. It's adorned with depictions of allegories, the heads of animals, water, nymphs, monsters, ornamental staircases and balustrades and, of course, gods and goddesses comprising an encyclopedia of Mount Olympus. One of the statuettes guarding the ramps is the classical patroness of Sicily, Ceres, depicted with a horn of plenty. The fountain is floodlit at night, a 24-hour sight.

Quattro Canti--At the intersection of Via Vittorio Emanuele and Via Maqueda, the "Four Corners" of Palermo converge at a quartet of baroque palaces left over from the heyday of Spanish rule. The actual name of the square is Piazza Vigliena, although locals refer to it as Quattro Canti. Via Maqueda dates from the 1580s, when it converged with the ancient Via Càssaro, now called Vittorio Emanuele. The viceroy Vigliene ordered the construction of the four palaces at this crossroads, the buildings inspired by Rome's Quattro Fontane.

Each of the corners is decorated with a niche in three tiers. The first tier of each niche contains a fountain and a statue representing one of the four seasons. The second tier of each niche displays a statue of one of the Spanish viceroys: Carlos V; Felipe II, III, and IV. The third tier of each niche is dedicated to a statue of one of the patron saints of the city, Christina, Ninfa, Olivia, and Agata.

Four Corners is no longer the meeting place of Palermitani as it was in the old days. Instead of creamy white buildings, think soot-blackened gray. And be careful when admiring the former beauty of the place, or else you might be run down by a king of the road on a speeding Vespa.