Officially known as Piazza Vigliena, the square of the Quattro Canti or Ottagono del Sole is a unique Baroque structure. The characteristic of this square is that the piazza is octagonal, four sides being the streets; the remaining four sides are Baroque buildings, the near-identical facades of which contain fountains with statues that represent the four seasons, the four Spanish kings of Sicily, and of the patronesses of Palermo (Cristina, Ninfa, Olivia and Agata – this was before 1624 when Santa Rosalia performed her miracles and thus joined the roster of Patrons of Palermo). When the piazza was built, it was one of the first major examples of town planning in Europe. When visiting Quattro Canti also make a detour to Piazza Pretoria, dominated by its eponymous fountain and the Church of San Giuseppe dei Teatini, one of the most outstanding examples of the Sicilian Baroque in Palermo.
