t Palermo's bustling port surrounded by an impressive landscape
Vibrant, scruffy and very very noisy, Palermo sprawls chaotically around a sweeping natural harbour, dominated by the limestone bulk of Monte Pellegrino. The city was the seat of the Arab Emirate in the 10th century, and Middle Eastern influences can still be seen in the architecture of the churches and in the narrow streets and alleys of the old Arab quarter between Palazzo dei Normanni and the sea.
t Palermo's bustling port surrounded by an impressive landscape
Experience Sicily
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Tucked behind Quattro Canti, Piazza Bellini is home to three engaging churches. With its bulbous red domes, San Cataldo is a plain two-store cuboid perched on a bank overlooking the square. Santa Caterina is Palermitan Baroque at its most exuberant, every inch encrusted with coloured marble and stucco. Nearby La Martorana’s Baroque façade conceals an Arab-Norman core with a medieval mosaic. Adjoining Piazza Pretoria is dominated by the 16th-century Fontana della Vergogna (Fountain of Shame), named after the immodesty of its nudes.
" # 9:30am–12:30pm & 3:30–5:30pm Mon–Sat, 9:30am–1:30pm Sun & hols
# 9:30am–1:30pm & 3–7pm Mon–Sat, 9:30am–1:30pm Sun
# 9:30am–1pm & 3:30–5:30pm Mon–Sat, 9am–1pm Sun & hols
t Pretty Cappella Palatina in Palazzo dei Normanni
Dominating the high ground on the western edge of the old centre, the nucleus of the present palace was built by the Arabs and enlarged for the Norman court after they conquered the city in 1072. The jewel is the dazzling Cappella Palatina, a cocktail of Byzantine, Islamic and Norman influences built by Roger II (1132–40).
Nowhere better captures the spirit of Palermo than this fresh produce market, overlooked by the gorgeous majolica-tiled dome of Santa Maria del Carmine.
Now a busy traffic junction, Piazza Marina occupies land reclaimed from the sea in the 10th century. Nearby Palazzo Mirto gives a glimpse of 18th-century aristocratic life, and gives access to the old servants quarters and kitchens.
⌂ Via Merlo 2 # 9am–6pm Tue–Sat, 9am–1pm Sun
This 15th-century palazzo makes an atmospheric home for Sicily’s best collection of medieval and Renaissance art. Exhibits include a collection of works by 15th-century artist Antonello da Messina.
With its Islamic-style onion domes and filigreed windows, this deconsecrated Norman church (1132–48) was built in the grounds of a mosque.
Experience Sicily
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EAT I Cuochini A tiny frigittoria founded in 1826, I Cuochini produces traditional pastries and arancini. ⌂ Via Ruggero Settimo 68 § 091 58 11 58 \\\ Spinnato This pasticceria, with tables outside on a quiet street, is perfect for a lazy breakfast or an evening cocktail. ⌂ Via Principe di Belmonte 107–115 § 091 749 51 04 \\\ |
t Palermo's stately Duomo seen from across the square
Palermo's cathedral stands on the site of an Early Christian basilica, later a mosque. Despite frequent rebuildings and alterations, elements of the original Norman building have survived, notably the arched crenellations along the walls and the beautiful interlaced arches and small columns that decorate the exterior of the apse.
The Oratory of San Domenico was founded at the end of the 16th century by the Society of the Holy Rosary, whose members included the artist Pietro Novelli and sculptor Giacomo Serpotta. A tumult of figures of great ladies, knights and playful putti form a kind of frame for statues of Christian virtues by Giacomo Serpotta and paintings representing the mysteries of the Rosary by Pietro Novelli. The altarpiece was painted by Anthony Van Dyck in 1624–8.
Nowhere is Palermo’s Arabic past more apparent than in this medieval kasbah-style market, which burrows through the ruinous Loggia district below Via Roma. The alleys are named after their professions, such as silversmiths, dyers and key-makers. Immortalized by Renato Guttuso in his painting La Vucciria, this is an atmospheric place to wander in the early mornings, when the fishmongers set up shop.
Hidden Gem
Beyond the centre, this country retreat (Piazza Ziza) was built by Arab craftsmen for Norman kings William I and William II.
Founded in 1590, this was one of the city’s richest oratories, and it is sumptuously decorated by Giacomo Serpotta. The panel on the rear wall depicts the Battle of Lepante, and other reliefs show scenes from the New Testament. The neighbouring 16th-century church of Santa Zita, from which the oratory takes its name, is filled with sculptures (1517–27) by Antonello Gagini.
This fascinating museum has treasures from excavations across the west of the island, ranging from Phoenician sarcophagi (6th–5th centuries BC) to a fine 3rd-century-BC ram’s head. There are also marvellous pieces from the temples at Selinunte, including a leonine head from the Temple of Victory and reliefs of mythological scenes, for example one showing Actaeon being attacked by dogs and Athena slaying a giant.
In Palermo’s scruffy residential western suburbs are these fascinating – at least for the non-squeamish – catacombs. Over several hundred years monks here mummified the bodies of some 8,000 brothers and wealthy Palermitani.
t Corner buildings of Quattro Canti illuminated with festive lights
The busy intersection of Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Via Maqueda is marked by the Quattro Canti, or “Four Corners”, an elaborate Baroque crossroads shaped by the concave façades of the four corner buildings. It dates from 1600, when the new town plan that split the old city into four quadrants was put into effect. Each façade is decorated with a fountain and statues of saints, the seasons and Spanish kings.
Experience Sicily
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STAY Principe di Villafranca A lovely boutique art hotel full of intricate design details. ⌂ Via Giuseppina Turrisi Colonna 4 ∑ principedivillafranca.it \\\ Grand Hotel Wagner Glamorous and elegant hotel with bags of old-world charm. ⌂ Via Riccardo Wagner 2 ∑ grandhotelwagner.it \\\ Palazzo Brunaccini Gorgeous rooms in a converted palazzo near Ballarò market. ⌂ Piazzetta Lucrezia Brunaccini 9 ∑ palazzobrunaccini.it \\\ Grand Hotel Villa Igiea An opulent hotel in a restored 19th-century Art Nouveau villa with marina views. ⌂ Salita Belmonte 43 ∑ sofitel.com \\\ |