General Info

The foundation of Palermo dates back to the 7th century BC when the Phoenicians named it Zyz which means "flower". A city with a strategic position on an island that dominates the Mediterranean, Palermo has been the object of numerous hegemonies that have given the city a cultural and historical richness and an amalgam of styles that over time have met and merged with each other, such as the Arab Norman style, the result of the peaceful coexistence of two successive dominations that gave birth to a style of rare complexity and beauty. Panormos in Greek and Panormus in Roman, "All Port" by virtue of the presence of two rivers whose flow into the sea creates a huge natural landing place, boasts all the dominations that have affected Sicily and its streets and its palaces draw a precise physical space, but above all a historical-temporal space that has left riches of which citizens and tourists can testify by walking along its streets. Capital of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, after the unification of Italy it experienced a period of strong expansion and growth, especially in the first decades of the twentieth century, although its contemporary history also returns a Palermo torn by the mafia phenomenon, which nevertheless never has stopped seeking redemption. Today the city, the regional capital, has 700,000 inhabitants and is an important hub for trade and business on the island, not only nationally but also internationally and in 2018 it was awarded the title of Italian City of Culture.

Top Things To See

CATHEDRAL OF PALERMO Symbol of the Arab-Norman city, today a place of Catholic worship, seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Palermo and UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Cathedral of Palermo was built starting in 1184 in honor of the Virgin Assumption. The area in which it stands was also the area of other places of worship to which the Cathedral was replaced, then merging the architectural styles predominant at the time of the different dominations and being profoundly modified in the 1700s. Starting from the consolidation works of the structure, a series of interventions were carried out that give the Cathedral a neoclassical style, with construction of the characteristic dome visible currently. Inside you can visit: 1) the tombs of the kings, on the right aisle inside two chapels, there are the tombs of kings and emperors of the city, including Frederick II and Roger II; 2) the chapel of St. Rosalia, patron saint of Palermo, inside which there are relics and a silver urn, as well as walls adorned with high-reliefs in marble narrating important episodes from the life of the saint; 3) the sundial, made of marble with decorations representing the twelve zodiac signs; 4) the treasure room, inside which are preserved monstrances and chalices dating back to the 16th century, as well as the golden tiara of Constance of Aragon, but we must also mention the XIII century mosaic which reproduces an effigy of the Madonna and a baptismal font that depicts the figures of Adam and Eve overwhelmed by pain. NORMAN PALACE AND THE PALATINE CHAPEL This UNESCO World Heritage Site, also known as Palazzo Reale, is today the seat of the Sicilian Regional Assembly, is the oldest royal residence in Europe, royal and imperial seat with Frederick II and seat of the historic Sicilian Parliament. Like almost all historic buildings, it incorporates the stratifications of the previous structures, in fact it was built in the 11th century on the ruins of a Roman fort, while in the 12th century it was converted into a royal residence by Roger II of the Norman dynasty. The current appearance is due to interventions carried out in the 16th and 17th centuries and inside is the beautiful and suggestive Palatine Chapel, the apogee of Arab-Norman art. LA ZISA From the Arabic Al-Aziza, the Beautiful, was originally a summer residence built outside the walls of Palermo, whose construction was started under the Norman domination at the behest of Guglielmo I. It is also a mixture, typical in the city of Palermo, between Norman and Arab art, of which domination remained still strong cultural influences. Between the architecture and the ornaments, the painting entitled "The Devils of the Zisa" is worthy of note, around which revolves the legend according to which there would be a hidden treasure, dating back to the true Arab origin of the palace, accessible only if the number of the devils depicted in the fresco, whose counts appear difficult to those who are forced to rotate their heads by standing up! SEAFRONT FORO ITALICO Also known as the Marina promenade, it derives its name from the anti-Bourbon movements of the nineteenth century and the definitive annexation of Sicily to the Kingdom of Italy. Palermo began to think about the use of the sea view for leisure reasons since the 16th century, when the Saracen danger had escaped and over the centuries expansion works were carried out, which consecrated the place as a favorite destination of Palermo for the walks. During the 20th century the Foro Italico was abandoned to decay, until in the early 2000s reclamation and redevelopment works were started, which gave the place its present appearance. The promenade has 40.000m2 of grassy surface, a varied floristic composition, tree-lined avenues, sculptures, a cycle path and a panoramic walk. THE CATACOMBS OF THE CAPUCHINS The famous catacombs are contained within the Capuchin convent dating back to the 16th century. Not a real catacomb, but a cemetery built in the basement of the building in which Gothic corridors were dug, where the embalmed corpses of Palermo existed between the 16th and 20th centuries; corpses divided by genus and class, displayed in a row and along the whole space in which the catacombs are distributed. A must in the Grand Tours of the young aristocrats of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the crypt was built to allow the living to maintain a bond with their dead, being able to continue to take care of them even after crossing the threshold of the afterlife.

How To Move

Palermo can be reached by plane, train, bus, taxi, ferry or car. The city center is easily accessible on foot and on-site it is possible to travel by public transport, such as the AMAT which provides several bus lines and the metropolitan train service of Palermo, managed by Trenitalia and which consists of three lines. For extra-urban movements it is possible to use the AST buses that connect Palermo to the neighboring municipalities and to other provincial capitals. Other services: car sharing "AMIGO CAR"; bikesharing BiciPA (winter time: 7.00 / 22.30; summer time: 7.00 / 24.00)

What To Eat

IRIS ALLA RICOTTA, fried donut stuffed with ricotta and chocolate chips. PANE CA MEUSA, translated sandwich with spleen, cooked in the so-called meusara, typical street food of Palermo, and seasoned with cheese, salt and lemon. BREAD, PANELLE AND CROCCHE’, where the panelle are frittelis of chickpea flour, water and parsley and the crocché are potato croquettes, also called cazzilli. ARANCINA, the most famous food of all and the most characteristic hot table product in the region. It is a mixture of rice, shaped like a ball or cone, breaded and fried, seasoned with ragu, peas and cheese, although today it is possible to find different flavors and variations. CANNOLO with ricotta, whose origins date back to the Saracens, is a rolled and fried dough wafer, 15 to 20 cm long, filled with ricotta cream. Sicilian CASSATA, cake made with sponge cake, ricotta cream, pasta and candied fruit. In all of Sicily there are different variants and with additional ingredients.