Via Maqueda
Via Maqueda, facade of Santa Ninfa dei Crociferi.
Former name(s)Strada Nuova
Length1.5 km (0.93 mi)
LocationPalermo, Sicily, Italy
CoordinatesQuattro Canti: 38°06′57″N 13°21′41″E / 38.11583°N 13.36139°E / 38.11583; 13.36139

Via Maqueda, also known as "Strada Nuova" (New Street), is an important street of Palermo. Together with the Cassaro, it represents the main axis of the historic centre and provides access to a number of important sights, including Teatro Massimo and Fontana Pretoria. The street is named after the Viceroy of Sicily Bernardino de Cárdenas y Portugal, Duque de Maqueda.

History

In the late sixteenth century the opening of the street was decided. It was conceived as an axis destined to cross the most ancient road of Palermo, the millennial Cassaro. The creation of the street addressed the need of a more sliding traffic and the requests of the nobility, eager to have new spaces for its buildings.

The work was designed in 1577 and completed in 1599, during the period of the Viceroy Maqueda. On 24 July 1600 the street was inaugurated.[1]

Structure

The street is perfectly straight from Piazza Verdi, near Teatro Massimo, to Porta di Vicari, near the Palermo Centrale railway station. With the Cassaro, Via Maqueda forms the famous Baroque intersection known as Quattro Canti (Piazza Villena). The two streets are also called "Croce Barocca" (Baroque Cross).

Transport

During daylight hours, the street is pedestrian in the stretch from Piazza Verdi to Quattro Canti.

Places of interest

Right sideNumberNumberLeft side
Piazza Verdi
Teatro Massimo
Palazzo Majorana di Leonvago
Palazzo Sartorio GrasselliniChurch of Santa Maria del Soccorso
Palazzo Scordia Mazzarino
Palazzo Maurigi
Palazzo Napoli
Galleria delle Vittorie
Church of Santa Ninfa dei CrociferiPalazzo Judica
Oratorio della Carità di San PietroPalazzo Di Maggio Gramignani
Palazzo Costantino
Palazzo Starabba di Rudinì
CassaroQuattro CantiCassaro
Church of San Giuseppe dei TeatiniPalazzo Bordonaro
Piazza Pretoria
(Fontana Pretoria)
Palazzo Pretorio
Casa dei Padri Teatini
(Faculty of Jurisprudence)
Piazza Bellini
(Church of San Cataldo and Martorana)
Casa Martorana
Church of San Nicola da Tolentino
(Communal archive)
Palazzo Busacca
Church of Sant'Orsola
Palazzo Gravina di ComitiniPalazzo Balsamo
Palazzo Filangieri di Santa FlaviaPalazzo Sant'Elia
Palazzo Chiarandà
Church of Maria Santissima Assunta delle Carmelitane Scalze
Palazzo Filangieri di Cutò
Porta di Vicari

See also

References

  1. Ricciardelli, Fabrizio (2008), I luoghi del sacro: il sacro e la città fra Medioevo ed età moderna: atti del convegno, Georgetown University, Center for the study of Italian history and culture, Fiesole, 12-13 giugno 2006. David Brown Book Company (2008). p. 233.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.