Tourist information on Palermo, Italy

Palermo is the capital of Sicily, situated in the northwest of the island on the Gulf of Palermo in the Tyrrhenian Sea. An ancient city, it is renowned for its culture, architecture and cuisine, all of which are strongly influenced by North Africa, Italy and Spain. Palermo's cultural diversity is most evident in its historic buildings, which show a distinctive mix of European and Arabic styles.

Palermo was founded by the Phoenicians, but it was the Ancient Greeks who gave it its name, Panormus, meaning Port of All. After being absorbed into the Roman Empire, it came under the control of various Germanic tribes in the 5th century, before becoming part of the Byzantine Empire. Between the 9th and 11th centuries, under Arab domination, Palermo was one of the most prosperous cities on the Mediterranean. Following the Norman invasion of the 11th century, Palermo was chosen as the capital of the newly established Kingdom of Sicily, which would endure until 1816. Over this period, it became one of the wealthiest states in Europe, although ownership of the island passed between many hands, including the Holy Roman Empire, the Angevins, the Spanish and the Houses of Savoy and Bourbon. Shortly after it was joined with the Kingdom of Naples to form the Two Sicilies, Sicily became part of a united Italy in 1861. During World War II, Palermo was heavily bombed by the Allies, and parts of the city still remain in ruins. Today, Palermo is a thriving centre of trade, education and tourism.

The main attraction of Palermo is its old city centre, which shows a remarkably diverse range of architectural styles, some of which are unique to Sicily. A good place to start a tour of the city is the Quattro Canti (Piazza Vigliena), the small octagonal square at the heart of the Old Quarter. This lies at the crossing point of two ancient roads (now named Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Via Maqueda) which divide the city centre into four quarters. Around the square there are many impressive landmarks, including several fountains and Baroque buildings. Adjacent to this is the Piazza Pretoria, Palermo's most elegant square, at the centre of which is the Fontana Pretoria, a beautifully sculptured fountain designed by Francesco Camilliani in 1554. Also nearby is San Giuseppe dei Teatini, one of the more grandiose examples of Baroque architecture in Palermo. Heading westwards down the Corso Vittorio Emanuele from the Quattro Canti, we come to Palermo's most visible landmark, Palermo Cathedral (Duomo di Palermo), which dates to the 12th century. The city's largest sacred building, it flaunts several architectural styles, including Arab-Norman, Gothic and Renaissance. One of the cathedral's more interesting features is its 17th century heliometer (solar observatory), an instrument that was devised to standardise the calendar.

The area of the Old Quarter with the most eye-catching architecture is the Kalsa district, which is distinguished by its fusion of European and Arabic styles. The narrow winding streets are evocative of Morocco, yet the buildings show a curious mix of Gothic, Baroque and Arabic traditions. Among the more interesting historical monuments in this area are: the 12th century Magione Church, a fine example of Norman workmanship; Santa Teresa alla Kalsa, a stunning 16th century Baroque church; and the Greek Gate (situated on the east side of the Piazza Kalsa). One of the more interesting sacred buildings in the Kalsa district is the Church of St. Francis of Assisi (Chiesa di San Francesco d'Assisi). This was built in the 13th century on the site of two previous churches, and has been renovated many times in its history. Its most striking features are its beautiful rose window and decorated portal. When the church was restored after being bombed in WWII, its more recent neoclassical additions were discarded in favour of its older medieval features. The interior has both Baroque and Renaissance characteristics and houses several treasures, including sculptures by Giacomo Gagini and Francesco Laurana. An order of Franciscan monks still lives in the adjoining monastery

The Palazzo dei Normanni (Royal Palace of Palermo) is one of Palermo's grandest buildings, the historic seat of the Kings of Sicily which, since 1946, has housed the Sicilian Regional Assembly. Built between the 9th and 12th centuries, this contains one of Palermo's most visited attraction, the Palatine Chapel (Cappella Palatina), the best example of Arab-Norman-Byzantine architecture on the island. The chapel interior is exquisitely furnished with a wooden roof, Saracen arches and elaborate Byzantine mosaics. Near to this is San Giovanni degli Eremiti (St John of the Hermits), a 12th century church whose bright red dome makes a striking contrast with its Gothic bell tower. Chiesa della Martorana, also known as Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio (Saint Mary of the Admiral) is on the Piazza Bellini in the city centre. The campanile, ornately decorated with three orders of arches and lodges, serves as the main entrance to the church. The handsome Baroque façade visible from the square is a later addition. Santa Maria della Catena dates from the 15th century and owes its name to the fact that there is a chain on one of its walls which closed the port of Cala. Chiesa del Gesù (the Church of the Jesus) is a Jesuit church of the 16th century which exhibits both Baroque and Renaissance styles. Although it was bombed in 1943, much of the church remains intact, its interior including some particularly fine marble decorations.

The Palazzo Chiaramonte-Steri dates from the 14th century and served as the residence of the powerful Sicilian lord Manfredi III Chiaramonte. In the 17th and 18th centuries, this accommodated the tribunal of the Holy Inquisition. It now serves as a museum, its exhibits including Renato Guttuso's Vucciria. Zisa Castle (Castello della Zisa) was built in the 12th century and shows the influence of Moorish architecture. The residence of several kings of Palermo, it now houses an Islamic art museum. Another important castle of the same period is La Cuba, a huge cube-shaped edifice of Arab-Norman design that is to be found on the Corso Calatafimi. Originally a royal palace, La Cuba later served as a leper colony and military barracks. Palazzo Abatellis is a huge palace that dates from the 15th century, predominantly Catalan-Gothic in style. It is now the home of the Regional Gallery (Galleria Regionale della Sicilia), which houses a bust of Eleonora of Aragon by Francesco Laurana.

The Museo Archeologico Regionale is one of Italy's most important archaeological museums, with a large collection of artefacts from Etruscan, Carthaginian, Roman and Greek eras. The Civica Galleria d'Arte Moderna Empedocle Restivo is a museum of art with a collection of paintings (mostly landscapes by local artists) of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Teatro Massimo, the largest theatre in Italy, was opened in 1897 to celebrate Italy's unification. Famously used as a location for the film The Godfather III, this has recently been restored to its former glory.

The Catacombs of the Capuchin (Catacombe dei Cappuccini) lie beneath the Capuchins Monastery, just west of the city centre. From the 16th to the 19th century, this was the preferred place of burial for Sicilians of all classes and is known to contain the mummified remains of over 8,000 men, women and children. Some of the bodies are so well-preserved that you might think they are merely asleep. This is one of Sicily's more macabre tourist attractions. On a more fragrant note, the Orto botanico di Palermo is the largest botanical garden in Italy. Created in 1785, it covers an area of 10 hectares and has over 12,000 species of plant. It includes a herbarium, several greenhouses containing plants from hot-arid zones, an aquarium and several exquisitely arranged flowerbeds. If you feel the need to escape from the city, head for Monreale, a village 8 km to the west of the city. This is situated on a hill that offers some fantastic views of Palermo and the surrounding landscape.

Palermo International Airport is 35 km northwest of the city centre at Punta Raisi and is operated by a number of low cost and full service airlines, with flights to several Italian cities and other European destinations, including Naples, Milan, Brussels, London, Madrid, Moscow and Paris. A shuttle bus runs regularly from the airport to the city centre. There is also a ferry service from Palermo to several Italian ports, including Genoa, Naples and Cagliari. Palermo has a 2-line metro system called the Metropolitana di Palermo and an efficient bus network.