n This guide divides Palermo into three sightseeing areas: the two shown on this map and a chapter for sights beyond the centre. Find out more about each area on the following pages.
As audacious and flamboyant as it is courtly and formal, Sicily’s capital is an exaggeration of riches and glimpses of its former aristocratic splendour. Built along the bay at the foot of Monte Pellegrino, Palermo is compact and easy to navigate, with its loveliest treasures fairly close to one another.
n This guide divides Palermo into three sightseeing areas: the two shown on this map and a chapter for sights beyond the centre. Find out more about each area on the following pages.
EXPERIENCE Palermo
Palermo’s international flavour becomes most apparent upon entering the hip La Kalsa district, the site of the old Arab citadel. Artisans tinker at their venerable trades, Vucciria market vendors sell their wares and true believers pray to the mysteries of the Rosary at Oratorio del Rosario di Santa Zita – a triumph in white plaster and gold. Take it all in at the centerpiece of this corner of the city and the largest square in the capital, the leafy Piazza Marina.
Best for Art museums, markets and artisan workshops
Home to Palazzo Abatellis
Experience Marvelling at edgy street art as you wander the streets
EXPERIENCE Palermo
t Picking up fresh produce at Vucciria market
EXPERIENCE Palermo
The west side of Palermo is the oldest and busiest in the city. At Quattro Canti, streets intersect and point the way to Palazzo dei Normanni and the Cappella Palatina, a masterpiece of Byzantine mosaics. Look across the piazza to the domed Cathedral – a shining example of east-meets-west architecture. Once you’ve browsed the throbbing Ballarò open-air market in the Albergheria quarter, head to the Teatro Massimo to watch a world-class performance at the biggest opera house in Italy.
Best for Arab-Norman architecture, opera and traditional puppet theatre
Home to Cattedrale di Palermo, Cappella Palatina
Experience Tucking into classic and delicious Sicilian street food
EXPERIENCE Palermo
t Astonishing mosaics in the Cappella Palatina
EXPERIENCE Palermo
So compact is Palermo that few places require much effort to get to. On the periphery of the historic centre where city apartment blocks give way to summerhouses you’ll find Mondello beach – a wide, sandy cove between two mountains, with rows of bathing and eating establishments. Further to the west you can delight in a show of royal wealth and divine power at the Duomo di Monreale, with a cloister of Arab archways and a million golden tiles glittering within.
Best for Beaches and cathedrals
Home to Duomo di Monreale
Experience Creeping out at Catacombs of the Capuchins
EXPERIENCE Palermo
t Sun loungers on Mondello Beach