Palazzo d'Orleans, seat of the presidency of the Sicilian Region, is one of Palermo's most important historic buildings. Its imposing bulk dominates Independence Square, and its beauty has been celebrated by poets and artists of all ages.
In 2020, the area in front of the palace underwent a major restyling, resulting in new fountains made of pearl marble from Sicily.
The project to restyle the area in front of the Palazzo d'Orleans with the creation of the two marble fountains was carried out by architects from within the region's offices. The goal of the project was to create a more manicured and elegant area that would enhance the historic building and improve the quality of life for citizens.
In the designers' intentions, the lawn recalls the setting of the palace's interior garden, in the French style, while the marble fountains were placed in memory of the old Siren fountain, which was destroyed and dispersed during the 1848 revolutionary uprisings.
The new Sicilian pearl marble fountains are the centerpiece of the project. The fountains are made of Sicilian pearl marble and have 2 levels:
- Large fountain: this is a circular fountain, made in several segments, which collects the water falling from the small basin
- Small fountain: this is a circular fountain outwardly shaped and placed on a column also finely shaped that stands out from the large fountain rising 2 meters and producing a central jet of water that rises from the central basin and by fall overflows with a cascade of water flowing from the small basin into the large one.
Both marble fountains are made of Sicilian pearl marble, a prized stone that characterizes Sicilian architecture. Sicilian pear l marble has a milky white color with golden veins and characteristic dark brown pearls, giving the fountains a timeless elegance.
The flower beds in the area have been upgraded with new plants and flowers. The bright colors of the plants and flowers create a harmonious contrast with the pearl marble of the fountains.
We at CusenzaMarmi have taken care of and followed both the design and execution phases, making suggestions that are the result of our decades of experience in making fountains that will last!
After the design was established, we moved on to the actual construction using carefully chosen and selected blocks of pearl marble from Sicily, making the bottom and walls of the large basin using a complex interplay of joints that makes, together with a special high-performance adhesive, the fountain completely waterproof.
By early December 2020 we were ready for assembly: together with our team of skilled workers, we proceeded with the installation of the bottom, then the walls and finally the column and central basin, taking care, thanks to high-precision digital instruments, that the basin was perfectly level, so that the water could overflow evenly around the entire perimeter.
After waiting 36 hours to allow the adhesives to "mature," we began the testing stages with water while also having some fun with spraying in Geyser mode!
Eventually everything was up and running, much to our satisfaction and that of the president of the region, who had so strongly wanted them!
The project to restyle the area in front of the Palazzo d'Orleans has brought many benefits to the area:
- Increased decorum: marble fountains and upgraded flower beds have made the area more manicured and elegant, enhancing the historic building.
- Improved environment: fountains help create a cooler and more relaxing environment due to the refreshing effect of water.
- Tourist attraction: the fountains are a tourist attraction that entices visitors to linger for a selfie.
The Fountains of the president
