a detailed picture of a city undergoing significant change. The opening of the work establishes its author's intent to document the societal landscape of Palermo as it existed before it began to transform drastically. Pitrè outlines the political and economic state of Sicily during the latter half of the 1700s, described with vivid details about the hierarchical structure, cultural dynamics, and the tension between the nobility and the emerging middle class. He indicates that the changes brought by the French Revolution and local reforms in government and society have created an environment ripe for exploration, emphasizing the importance of capturing the essence of life at that time through references to archives, travelers' accounts, and local tradition. His approach combines both historical narrative and personal observation, setting the stage for an in-depth exploration of Palermo's rich past. (This is an automatically generated summary.)