Difference between satipatthana and vipassana Is satipatthana a synonym for vipassana? If not, what is the difference between both?
Vipassana is a compound of two words: vi - and passana. Vi means various, i.e. the three characteristics (transiency, unsatisfactoriness, non self). Passana means right understanding or realization by means of mindfulness of mentality and physicality. Vipassana therefore means the direct realisation of the three characteristics of mentality and physicality.

Vipassana or the right understanding requires the right awareness(Satipattana).

In other words, 'Satipattana' is the meditation you do to gain Vipassana. 
It is of 4 kinds:


Kayanupassana(awareness of the body): the movements and postures.
Vedananupassana(awareness of feelings): bodily and mental sensations of pain, happiness, calm, etc.
Cittanupassana(awareness of the mind): thoughts that arise in the mind – of the past or future, good or bad;
Dhammanupassana(awareness of phenomena): groups of mental and physical phenomena that are of specific interest to the meditator, including the mental states that cloud one’s awareness, the six senses by which one experiences reality, and many others


More at http://www.sirimangalo.org/text/how-to-meditate/chapter-one-what-is-meditation/