Piazza Pretoria - Palermo

The Piazza Pretoria was built in the sixteenth century to accommodate the Mannerist Fontana Pretoria. It is popularly called Fontana della Vergogna (Fountain of Shame), because of the fountain's many naked statues.

The residents of Palermo were of the opinion that the money could have been better spent than on such a prestige project. They suspected the directors of corruption and cronyism. The square, the Piazza Pretorio, is still called the Piazza della Vergogna by many Palermitans, a lasting reproach to the deep-rooted corruption that characterized local politics in Palermo until the late twentieth century.

Willem Vandenameele