Kalsa
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Kalsa or Mandamento Tribunali is a historical
Names
The common name of the quarter, Kalsa, derives from the district's historic
History
Ancient history
In ancient times, most of the area now known as the Kalsa was underwater.
Middle Ages
Built in the ninth century, Al-Khalesa was one of the first planned Arab settlements in Europe. It was the administrative center of the city of Balarm (Palermo), which was under Arab rule until it was conquered by the Normans in 1072.[1] Around 937, the Arabs moved their base from Al-Kasr (today the Cassaro, or castle district) to Al-Khalesa and built a fortified palace near the port.[2]
In the 970s, Palermo expanded into a major Muslim city comparable to Cairo or Córdoba. In addition to housing the emir and his court, Al-Khalesa contained the arsenal and prison, baths, a mosque, and government offices. There were no shops or markets in the area. It was surrounded by a stone wall with four gates, the best known being the Bab al-bahr or Marine Gate, on the shore.[2]
The center of Al-Khalesa was located near what is now Piazza Kalsa. Much of the square's current "
After the Normans captured Palermo, they preferred to move their headquarters to higher ground, back to the Cassaro. The Kalsa became an Arab neighborhood with markets and mosques,[3] but eventually, just as in the rest of Sicily, Islam would disappear from the island by the early 13th century.[4]
World War II and later
The Kalsa district was heavily bombed during World War II, and was abandoned for decades. It attracted poor
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Geography
Kalsa is delimited by:
- Via Maqueda to the west
- Via Lincoln to the south
- Foro Italico to the east
- Via Vittorio Emanuele or Cassaro to the north
Culture
On summer evenings, Kals'art, an arts festival, is held in the streets of Kalsa.
Sights
Monuments
Churches
City gates Palaces |
Theatres Public squares
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Fountains Oratories
Other sights
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Notable people
- Dodici Azpadu, New-York born American novelist. Her family emigrated from Kalsa.
- Paolo Borsellino, anti-Mafia judge.
- Tommaso Buscetta, Mafia boss and pentito.
- Giovanni Falcone, anti-Mafia judge.
- Leandro Rinaudo, football player and manager.
References
- ^ a b c d e Trabia, Carlo. "Discovering the Kalsa". Best of Sicily. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
- ^ ISBN 9780857737168.
- ^ Dummett (2015), p. 41.
- ISBN 0-7139-9004-X.
- ISBN 9780393609554.
- ^ "Dodici Azpadu Biography". Smashwords. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
- ^ Dummett (2015), p. 128.