Palermo

Palermo is the vibrant, cosmopolitan capital of Sicily. It is a buzzing Mediterranean city whose one million inhabitants are a fascinating mix of different cultures.

Palermo passed from one dominating power to another due to its strategic position in the middle of the Mediterranean:the Phoenicians, the Carthaginians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Saracen Arabs, the Normans, the Swabians, the French and the Spanish Bourbons all had control of the city at one point or another. The result of this history is evident in the vast range of architectural styles, the local dishes, and in many place names which are not of Italian origin.

Some parts of the old town centre have remained untouched since they were bombed during the second world war.

The grandeur of many of Palermo’s wonderful palaces and churches in the centre gives way to the areas where the ordinary people live. These parts of the city have their own way of life. There are the markets, whose Arabic origins are still evident today thanks to their noise, smells, colours, narrow labyrinthine streets, food and other goods on display and very unique ‘souk’ atmosphere. The Ballarò is probably the oldest of Palermo’s Arabic markets.

The Norman Palace has long been the seat of Kings and rulers and today it plays host to the Sicilian Regional Parlament. Inside the Royal Palace, you can visit the spectacular mosaics in the Palatine Chapel. It is in this building that we see the Siculo-Norman political miracle given visual expression, a fusion of the Latin, Byzantine and Islamic traditions into a single masterpiece.

The Cathedral. Its remarkable exterior is a must-see.

The Quattro Canti is the meeting/central point of the four areas of the old town centre with its sculptures which were commissioned by the Spanish Viceroy in 1611.

Piazza Pretoria which is home to a splendid fountain, known as the “Fountain of Shame”, it was built in 1555 by the Florentine sculpture Francesco Camiliani.

Two of Palermo’s most interesting churches are the Church of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio (more commonly known as La Martorana) and the Church of San Cataldo, instantly recognizable thanks to its three red domes.

The Casa Professa or Chiesa del Gesù is a Baroque church built by the Jesuits between 1564 and 1578.

The Piazza Marina's area in general is known as La Kalsa and was originally an Arabic quarter. It is home to numerous aristocratic palaces, churches, restaurants, maze of streets and fascinating piazzas.

Teatro Massimo is the second largest opera house in Europe after L’Opera in Paris. It was commissioned in 1875 to the Palermitan architect Giovan Battista Basile. When in 1891 Basile died without ever seeing his great masterpiece completed, his son, Ernesto, was called upon to finish the works. Finally, in 1897, Teatro Massimo opened its doors to the public with a performance of Verdi’s Falstaff.

Teatro Politeama is the second teather in Palermo.