Piazza Giovanni Verga

Square in shape, it is crossed by Corso Italia which divides it into two equal parts. The north side is bounded by the Palace of Justice, the south by Hotel Excelsior. At the center, there is the monumental Malavoglia's Fountain, one of the last works of the sculptor Carmelo Mendola. In the early years of the twentieth century, the area was chosen for the important "Sicilian Agricultural Exhibition of 1907" ("Exhibition Square") on design by Luciano Franco in the spirit of Art Nouveau. The "Royal Pavilion" was created by Salvatore De Gregorio, while Alessandro Abate took charge of decorating the Vestibule, at which loomed the dome of the Great Octagon, with decorations depicting scenes of rural work with the goddess Ceres. The garden was decorated with several kiosks, including the Inserra by Tommaso Malerba, a masterpiece destroyed.