The Oratorio di Santa Cita

The sculptor Giacomo Serpotta was born in Palermo in 1652, and died there as well, eighty years later. Though he never left Sicily, he achieved a great deal of fame throughout the world for his incredible Rococo stucco pieces. The Oratory of Santa Cita, which he worked on for nearly half his life, is his masterpiece.

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First Impressions of Palermo

Palermo, at least the port-side Vucciria where we lived, is loud. There were times I couldn't believe the noise. Music was played at incredible volumes by our neighbors, including the 6-year-old below us who danced every night on his balcony in his underwear. People, standing close enough to kiss, shout at each other, because that's just the way they talk. Perhaps they're going deaf. That's it, first impression #1: People in Palermo are going deaf.

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