Abandoned Baroque palace in Piazza Bologni in Palermo

by Silva Wischeropp

This architectural baroque photograph was taken with a NIKON D800 camera (lens: NIKKOR 50.0 mm f/1.4) on 21 April 2022 in the late afternoon hours in the historic old town of Palermo on the island of Sicily.

Piazza Bologni is an important square in the historic centre of Palermo, more precisely in the Albergheria district. It is located directly on Corso Vittorio Emanuele, one of the city's main thoroughfares, between the Norman Palace and the famous Qattro Canti. The square was built around 1566 and is surrounded by magnificent Baroque palaces.

This dilapidated, late Baroque palace façade is a reminder of the splendour of bygone times.
The image captivates with its mystical, dilapidated and fairy-tale charm.
For lovers of lost places and crumbling, fascinating architectural structures, this is a real eye-catcher for the office, study or even for hanging in entrance areas. Behind the decaying walls of the old palace lies a long and mysterious history.

The square was built around 1566. The name Piazza Bologna soon became established, named after the palace of the Bologna family, which was built in 1573 by Aloisio Bologna, Baron of Montefranco. The square has a rectangular shape measuring approximately 30 × 80 m. It extends roughly in a north-south direction (more precisely: north-northwest to south-southeast) and its narrow north-western side borders Corso Vittorio Emanuele.

It is surrounded by three palaces: Palazzo Alliata di Villafranca, Palazzo Ventimiglia-Riso and Palazzo Ugo. Palazzo Alliata di Villafranca is located on the south-western side of the square. It was built on the site of the former Palazzo Bologna after the latter was destroyed in an earthquake in Palermo in 1751.