Quattro Canti

This baroque crossroads marks the symbolic centre of old Palermo, where the two principal streets of the historic city meet at right angles. Each of the four concave corners bears a tiered facade of fountains, statues and columns representing the seasons, Spanish kings and the city's patron saints. Laid out in the early 17th century under Spanish rule, the ensemble was arranged so the sun lights one corner in turn through the day, earning it the nickname of the theatre of the sun.