Mattresses everywhere you look.
Everywhere you walk in historic Palermo, there are mattresses in the street. They can be taken away by the city for free by simply calling a toll-free number, but I think either the Palermitani don't know about this service, or they leave the mattresses for homeless people to sleep on. Some are thoughtfully kept dry by being "stored" under arches or eaves. Maybe the reason is a little bit of both, ignorance and compassion.