Genius of Palermo
The genius of Palermo is the symbol and patron saint of the city of Palermo . He is depicted as an old man with a crown and a parted beard, sitting on a throne with a large snake in his arms that bites or sucks on his chest.
Origin and meaning
The genius of Palermo is one of the oldest mythological representations of the city and is closely linked to popular belief . There are numerous interpretations of this figure.
The genius of Palermo probably dates back to the pre-Romanesque period and was invoked as the patron saint before Saint Rosalia was named as a Christian complement to the city's patron saint in 1664 .
After the uprisings at the beginning of the 19th century and after the revolution of 1848 , the genius increasingly assumed the importance of freedom and self-sufficiency for the city of Palermo from the Bourbons . This applies particularly to the genius of Piazza Rivoluzione .
Artistic representations
Apart from numerous small representations in the city, there are some of outstanding artistic importance, mostly sculptures :
- The genius of the port: It is a high relief by an unknown artist at the old port, at the entrance of via Emerico Amari. It is the oldest representation.
- The genius of the Fontana Pretoria on the column in the middle of the fountain, an original Bacchus statue by Francesco Camilliani , which was reinterpreted by the Palermo clients and installed at the new location around 1574 as the city's genius.
- Genius of the Palazzo Pretorio , also called Palermu u nicu - Palermo, the little one. The sculpture is part of a group of figures at the entrance to Palazzo Pretorio, where the town hall is located.
- Genio del Garaffo or Palermo lu grandi - also called di Palermo , the Great, is located on the Piazetta Garaffo in the Vucciria . The sculpture is located in the middle of three wall niches of a marble tablet, with figures of saints in the two adjacent niches. It was made by Pietro Bonitate at the end of the 15th century . Above it is a plaque with an inscription.
- Genius of the Piazza Rivoluzione
- Genius from Villagrazia or Villa Fernandez. At the entrance to Villa Fernandez there is a sculptural relief from the 17th century, which follows the model of the Genio del porto .
- Genius of Villa Giulia . In the middle of the garden is a fountain with a sculpture carved from Carrara marble , which was made by Ignazio Marabitti in 1778 .
- Genius of apotheosis in the ballroom of Palazzo Isnello. It is a fresco made by Vito d'Anna .
- A mosaic of the Genius by Pietro Casamassima at the beginning of the 19th century is above the entrance to the Capella Palatina .
proof
- ^ MC Ruggieri Tricoli: Le fontane di Palermo (nei secoli XVI-XVII-XVIII). Linee d'arte Giada, Palermo 1984, p. 81; F. Jonietz, The Semantics of Recycling. Cosimo Bartoli's invenzioni for the Garden of Giovan Battista Ricasoli. In: Francesco Paolo Fiore, Daniela Lamberini (eds.): Cosimo Bartoli (1503–1572). Leo S. Olschki, Florence 2011, ISBN 978-88-222-6082-6 , pp. 297-325.
