History
Palermo, fifth in Italy by population, is the capital of the Sicilian Region.
Photo of Palermo, by Jack Krier on Unsplash
The site has been inhabited since prehistoric times: its long history and the succession of numerous peoples and civilizations have given the city a remarkable artistic and architectural heritage. The Arab-Norman Palermo serial site and the cathedrals of Cefalù and Monreale, which include several monumental assets, were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2015.
Several buildings, including churches and palaces, are recognized as national monuments. For the numerous Art Nouveau architectural testimonies, the city is part of the Réseau Art Nouveau Network.
Photo of a replica of the cave of Addaura's paleolithical drawings, by Bjs on Wikipedia
In Palermo, inside the Palazzo dei Normanni, is the seat of the Sicilian Regional Assembly, the oldest active parliamentary assembly in the world.
Photo of Palazzo dei Normanni, by Lasterketak on Wikipedia
The city maintained the role of capital of the Kingdom of Sicily from 1130 to 1816. From 8 December 1816 in the early stages of life of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies for about a year Palermo was its capital, then moved to Naples. However, Palermo maintained the status of the capital city of the Sicilian island. It was the protagonist city of the outbreak of the Vespro insurrection in 1282 and of the Sicilian revolution of 1848. It is part of the Eurocities network of the largest European cities.
The city of Palermo was called Zyz (the flower) by the Phoenicians. The current name derives from the ancient Greek πᾶς, pâs, «all» and ὅρμος, hórmos, «port», «large port», due to the presence of the two rivers Kemonia and Papireto which created an enormous natural landing place, and became Panormus with the Romans. The Arabs pronounced the name of the city Balarm, a diction which was partially adopted in the official form Balermus of the Norman period. Palermo is definitively acquired in the modern age.
The area preserves remains of human presence since the Paleolithic. In the Addaura caves there are some inhabited cavities, which present among other findings, engravings and drawings datable between the final Epigravettian and the Mesolithic, depicting anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figures.
The city was founded by the Phoenicians between the 7th and 6th centuries BC. Previously the area had been a commercial and logistic center for northwestern Sicily.
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Photo of the necropolis, by Jean-Pierre Dalbéra on Wikipedia
The Greeks, settled in eastern Sicily and only minimally in western Sicily, rarely approached Palermo: in 409 BC. the Syracusan general Hermocrates carried out a raid during which the territory was looted and 500 of its inhabitants were killed in front of the walls, which, however, were not attacked. In 397 BC. the tyrant of Syracuse Dionysius I, during the war against the island of Mozia, a Carthaginian colony, attacked and sacked Palermo, which remained faithful to Carthage. Finally, according to Polybius, Pyrrhus, in the war against Carthage, conquered Palermo, the main Punic stronghold in Sicily after the destruction of Mozia.
In 254 BC. the city was conquered by the Romans who managed to subtract it from the Carthaginians of Amilcare Barca, forced to take refuge at the foot of Mount Pellegrino during the first Punic war, in the battle of Palermo. Attempts to reconquer the Carthaginians were in vain and the city became a Roman conquest with the name of Panormus. Under the government of Rome Palermo continued to play the role of strategic port in the Mediterranean, experiencing a period of tranquility and prosperity, so much so that the city grew and equipped itself with splendid buildings for shows known from epigraphs and ancient texts and in part still identifiable. Palermo was a Roman city until the barbarian invasions caused the looting and devastation of the city.
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Sicily was largely devastated in 535 with the arrival of the Vandals in the west of the island. The reconstruction of Palermo took place thanks to the Byzantines, who held Palermo for three centuries.
With the conquest of the city, commanded by Belisarius, Sicily became a peripheral province of the Eastern Empire.
Photo of the Dormition of the Virgin, by Jastrow on Wikipedia
In the 9th century, the Muslims from North Africa invaded Sicily: the conquest was begun in 827 and Palermo was taken in 831. Muslim governors moved the capital of Sicily from Syracuse to Palermo and the city was provided with all the bureaucratic structures and services necessary for a capital. The Arabs introduced the first citrus groves, forming the Conca d'Oro and thus opening up a new possibility of economic development. In 948 the city had over two hundred thousand inhabitants, making it one of the most populous cities in the world. The city became the prosperous capital of the new Kalbite emirate in 948, but autonomy encouraged Christian struggles for independence, eventually paving the way for the Norman conquest. In 1071/1072, after four years of siege, Roger I of Altavilla, the first Norman count, conquered Palermo.
Photo of a dome of Martorana, by Giuseppe Tumbiolo on Unsplash
In 1098 the Normans completed the conquest of the rest of the island: the capital, first of the Gran Contea di Sicilia, then of the Kingdom of Sicily, remained in Palermo, but the inhabitants dropped drastically (60,000), finally falling to 51,000 in 1330. The arrival of the Normans in Palermo led to the construction of a considerable number of Christian buildings and the city reached its maximum splendor under the government of Roger II. After the Norman reign in Sicily, the Hohenstaufen ascended the throne (from 1194 to 1266), and made Palermo an imperial administrative center. Upon the death of Frederick II (1250), Palermo and Sicily lost importance in the political landscape: power moved to Naples, with Charles of Anjou and the Angevins (from 1266 to 1282). The War of the Vespers against the French began in Palermo in 1282. At the end of the war, the crown of Sicily was offered to the cadet branch of the Aragonese, and Palermo became its capital.
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Photo of the Porta Nuova, by Allie_Caulfield on Wikipedia
The domination of the Kingdom of Spain, which placed the seat of the Viceroy in Palermo, placing a political, cultural, and religious border against the Islamic world, resulted in the isolation and impoverishment of Sicily. The agriculture of the island was pushed towards the cultivation of durum wheat, necessary for the Spanish fleet to sustain the crews, and therefore, in addition to producing less income, it generated famines from excess exports. Many revolts broke out, which, however, had more as a target the body, in charge of the distribution and collection of taxes and fees and made up of Sicilian nobles, than the king of Spain. The two centuries of Spanish rule in Palermo ended in 1713 with the Treaty of Utrecht, which marked the end of the War of the Spanish Succession.
In 1734 the city became the domain of the Bourbons, who kept the Kingdom of Sicily and Naples separate. In 1816 the kingdoms were united in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies: Palermo lost the status of capital, becoming the second administrative center after Naples. However, Palermo continued to possess the title of capital of the island part of the kingdom.
The Primavera dei popoli, also known as the revolution of 1848, or riots of 1848, began precisely in Palermo on January 12 of that year and represented the first fuse of the European explosion. The Sicilian insurrection led to the declaration of independence and the restoration of the Kingdom of Sicily. A revolution followed in Naples on the 27th, which forced Ferdinand II two days later to promise a constitution, promulgated on the 11th February. Reconquered Sicily with the army, the sovereign restored absolutism, and anti-Bourbon hostility was consolidated on the island.
In 1860, after the revolt of the Gancia had occurred in Palermo, which was bloodily repressed by the Bourbons, the Garibaldi disembarkation took place in Marsala, who reached Palermo on 27 May, entering the city through the Termini gate. On that occasion, the city was bombarded by the Bourbon army with losses among civilians and destruction. In 1866 the city was the protagonist of the seven-and-a-half revolt against the new Kingdom of Italy by disillusioned former Garibaldians, pro-Bourbons, republicans, and starving people, with consequent bombardment by the fleet, which destroyed many architectural structures. However, the fiscal policy of the Savoy government did not change, leading to the regicide of Umberto I.
In the first twenty years of the 20th century, Palermo went through a flourishing era, with a brief but intense Art Nouveau period, mainly characterized by architectures of eclectic taste. The protagonists of this season were the Florios, a family with an industrial tradition, which made the city a protagonist on an international level in the so-called Belle Époque. Not affected by the First World War, Palermo suffered considerable destruction due to bombing during the Second World War, until it was occupied in July 1943 by the allied troops of US General George Patton.
In October 1944, the city was the scene of the Bread Massacre, an episode that effectively kicked off the EVIS season, which ended with the granting of the status of Region with special statute to Sicily, which made Palermo, once again vault, the center of bureaucracy and regional policy.
Starting from the end of the 50s, the main Sicilian criminal organization, Cosa Nostra, thanks to the economic boom and the process of urbanization of the peasant population, experienced a phase of growth, managing to infiltrate public spending, post-war reconstruction building works and city expansion. It was the era of the sack of Palermo, the uncontrolled expansion of the city towards the north, even at the cost of demolishing liberty villas. From the 60s to the 80s, there were 3 mafia wars with many deaths among the members of the mafia. At that time and later, entrepreneurs, journalists, doctors, magistrates such as Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, policemen, and the Italian cultural heritage were also affected, which led to a strong response from the state and civil society and a consequent retreat of power mobster.
There was, therefore, talk of the "spring of Palermo", both for the considerable activity carried out, not without controversy and controversial choices, by the then mayor Leoluca Orlando aimed at promoting and recovering the image of the city in Italy and in the world, mortified by the long series of murders and mafia crimes, both for the promotion of a culture of legality also in the cultural and educational fields with the birth of citizens' associations and committees.
In March 2015 some jurists, human rights activists, public administrators, and non-governmental organizations signed the Carta di Palermo to urge the world community to review the legislation on residence permits and policies related to migration phenomena, supporting international human mobility as an inalienable right of the person.
In November 2015 Palermo became part of the Safer Cities program launched in 1996 by the UN-Habitat agency of the United Nations, assuming its global co-presidency.
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Attractions
To visit Palermo at its best it is necessary to follow an orderly itinerary, so as not to waste time, which is useful for visiting as many places as possible.
Palazzo dei Normanni
The starting point is the Palazzo dei Normanni. Also known as the Royal Palace, it is located in Palermo and is currently the seat of the Sicilian regional assembly. The palace is the oldest royal residence in Europe, the residence of the sovereigns of the Kingdom of Sicily, the imperial seat with Federico II and Corrado IV, and of the historic Sicilian Parliament. On the first floor of the building stands the Palatine Chapel. The west wing is assigned to the Italian Army.
Photo of the Palazzo dei Normanni, by Holger Uwe Schmitt on Wikipedia
It is one of the most visited monuments on the island. The additional tourist services are managed by the Federico II Foundation; the main entrances (the parliamentary one and the tourist one) are on Piazza del Parlamento, and the driveway entrance is on the side of Piazza Indipendenza. Since 3 July 2015, it has been part of the World Heritage Site (UNESCO) as part of the serial site "Arab-Norman Palermo and the cathedrals of Cefalù and Monreale”.
The royal imperial Cappella Palatina is a Sicilian-Norman style basilica, consecrated in 1140 by King Roger II of Sicily, and which is located within the architectural complex of Palazzo dei Normanni in Palermo. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015.
Cattedrale di Palermo
Following Via Vittorio Emanuele in a northerly direction, the next stop is the Cathedral of Palermo.
The Basilica Cattedrale Metropolitana Primaziale della Beata Vergine Maria Assunta, known simply as the Duomo or Cathedral of Palermo, is the main place of Catholic worship in the city of Palermo and the archbishop's seat of the metropolitan archdiocese of the same name. Since 3 July 2015, it has been part of the World Heritage Site within the Arab-Norman Palermo serial site and the cathedrals of Cefalù and Monreale.
Located in a corner of the Cathedral, to the left of the entrance to the southern portico, we find the royal tombs: the sepulchers of the Sicilian monarchs are one of the major attractions for those visiting the Cathedral. In the first compartment we find the tomb of Emperor Henry VI of Hohenstaufen; then the tomb of his wife, the Empress Constance of Altavilla. In the second compartment is the sepulchral monument of the great Frederick II, all in red porphyry resting on a base formed by two pairs of lions that support the urn in the curve of their backs. The sarcophagus contains two other bodies, that of Peter III of Aragon and that of a young woman whose identity is still shrouded in mystery (perhaps her niece Beatrice, daughter of Manfredi). Behind Federico's tomb is the sarcophagus of Roger II, the first king of Sicily; on the left wall that borders the chapel with the tomb of Frederick, we find the sarcophagus of William of Aragon, Duke of Athens and son of Frederick III of Aragon.
Photo of the grave of Frederick II, by José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro on Wikipedia
Among the most evocative experiences, is that of the Roofs of the Cathedral. It is possible to visit the roofs, by paying an entrance ticket, and admire the city of Palermo from the Cathedral.
Photo from the roofs of the Cattedrale, by Michele Bitetto on Unsplash
Quattro Canti
Continuing on Via Vittorio Emanuele, about 300 meters ahead, there is the Quattro Canti.
The Quattro Canti, or piazza Villena, or Ottagono del Sole, or Teatro del Sole, is the name of an octagonal square at the crossroads of the two main roads of Palermo: via Maqueda and the Cassaro, today Via Vittorio Emanuele (ancient via of Phoenician origin, connecting the acropolis and the Palazzo dei Normanni to the sea), about halfway along their length.
Built between 1609 and 1620 and surmounted by the royal senatorial and viceroy coats of arms (in white marble), the four floors of the façade are decorated as follows: on the lower floor, fountains representing the rivers of the ancient city (Oreto, Kemonia, Pannaria, Papireto ); then, an order in the Doric style, containing the allegories of the four seasons (represented by Aeolus, Venus, Ceres, and Bacchus); the next order, in the Ionic style, houses the statues of Charles V, Philip II, Philip III, and Philip IV; finally, in the upper order, the four Palermo saints, Agata, Ninfa, Oliva, and Cristina, patrons of the city even before the advent of Santa Rosalia (1624) and of San Benedetto da San Fratello (1652).
Photo of the Quattro Canti, by Olya Velychenko on Unsplash
Piazza Pretoria
On the edge of the Kalsa district, near the corner of Cassaro via Maqueda, a few meters from the Quattro Canti, there is then Piazza Pretoria.
In 1573 the Palermitan Senate bought the fountain to place it in the center of the square. The elaborate Carrara marble artifact was initially intended for the Palazzo di San Clemente in Florence. To place the monumental construction conceived for an open place, several houses were demolished. The fountain was adapted to the site with the addition of new parts. To place the monumental construction conceived for an open place, several houses were demolished. The fountain was adapted to the site with the addition of new parts.
It is popularly known for the Fontana della Vergogna (Fountain of Shame); the nickname would arise from the presence of the cloistered monastery of the Dominican Order, whose nuns, annoyed by the great profusion of private parts exhibited by the statues, ordered acts of vandalism with the aim of defacing them, or from legends around the figure of Queen Giovanna d'Angiò.
Photo of Piazza Pretoria, by Cristina Gottardi on Unsplash
Photo of the fountain of Piazza Pretoria, by Maria Barsukova on Unsplash
Martorana
The Chiesa di Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio, the seat of the parish of San Nicolò dei Greci and known as Martorana, is located in the historic center of Palermo. Adjacent to the church of San Cataldo, it overlooks Piazza Bellini where it flanks the theater of the same name and faces the church of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria and the rear elevation of the Palazzo Pretorio.
The community is part of the Catholic Church but follows the rituals and spiritual traditions that largely unite it with the Orthodox Church.
Byzantine and Norman buildings of the Middle Ages with a tower facade, it is characterized by the multiplicity of styles that meet, as, with the succession of centuries, it was enriched by various other artistic, architectural, and cultural tastes. Today it presents itself as a church-historic monument, the result of multiple transformations and also subject to national protection.
Since 3 July 2015, it has been part of the World Heritage Site (UNESCO).
Photo of the Martorana, by Giovanni Lauricella on Unsplash
Orto Botanico
Following Via Roma in an easterly direction, you reach Via Lincoln. Going along the latter in the direction of the sea, on the right, there are the Orto Botanico and Villa Giulia.
The Orto Botanico of Palermo is a museum and didactic-scientific institution of the Service Center of the Museum System of the University of Palermo, which is located there.
The Garden houses over 12,000 different species of plants.
«In the public garden near the marina I spent hours of very sweet peace. It is the most beautiful place in the world. In spite of the regularity of its drawing, it has something fairylike about it; dates back to a few years ago, but transports us to remote times»
(Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Journey to Italy)
Photo of the Orto Botanico, by Giovanni Lauricella on Unsplash
Villa Giulia
Next to the vegetable garden is Villa Giulia.
The monumental entrance facing the Foro Italico is neoclassical, the Doric columns testify well to the already romantic taste of the late eighteenth century, this entrance is not used for access to the garden and remains constantly closed. The other entrance, located on via Lincoln, is less elaborate and is the one used regularly to access the garden.
At the center of the villa is the Dodecaedro clock, a marble dodecahedron where there is a sundial for each face, designed by the mathematician Lorenzo Federici. The sculpture is located in the center of a circular fountain and is supported by the statue of a crouching young man. Around the fountain, there is a railing decorated with metal sculptures.
Photo of Villa Giulia, by Giuseppe ME on Wikipedia
Photo of the Dodecaedro, by Cucchiara69 on Wikipedia
Inside the garden, there are numerous marble sculptures, of which the most significant is that of the Genio di Palermo by Ignazio Marabitti created in 1778.
Photo of the Genio di Villa Giulia, by Giuseppe ME on Wikipedia
The Genius of Palermo (Genio di Palermo) is the tutelary deity of the city, or genius loci, complementary to Santa Rosalia, patroness of the city. It is also called Genio or Palermo.
He is depicted as a mature man with a divided beard, crowned and embraced by a snake that feeds on his chest.
Throughout the city, there are several representations of it, of which seven are sculptures (two of which are fountains), two fresco paintings (one of these by Vito D'Anna) and another is a mosaic placed at the entrance to the Chapel Palatine.
It is one of the emblems of Palermo.
Of the two oldest representations of the Genius of Palermo, the one in the Port and the one in Palazzo Pretorio, both sculptural, neither the date of creation nor the authors are known.
Eight known monumental representations remain:
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Genio del Porto, marble high relief of the cippus located at the entrance to the port of Palermo via Emerico Amari.
Photo of the Genio del Porto, by Fabrice de Nola on Wikipedia
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Genio di Palazzo Pretorio, called in Sicilian Palermu u nicu (Palermo the small). The statue is part of a sculptural group located on the staircase of the Palazzo Pretorio, the seat of the city's Town Hall.
Photo of the Genio di Palazzo Pretorio, by GJo on Wikipedia
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Genio del Garraffo, called in Sicilian Palermu lu granni (Palermo the Great) distinguishes it from the smaller one in Palazzo Pretorio. The sculpture was created by Pietro de Bonitate at the end of the 15th century. It is located in Vucciria, in the central niche of the aedicule built by Paolo Amato in the 17th century.
Photo of the Genio del Garraffo, by Fabrice de Nola on Wikipedia
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Genio di Piazza Rivoluzione. 16th-century sculpture, placed on the fountain in Piazza Revolution.
Photo of the Genio di Piazza Rivoluzione, by User Hszeee on Wikipedia
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Genio di Villagrazia, or di Villa Fernandez. Sculptural relief from the end of the 17th century, placed on the entrance of Villa Fernandez, via Crimi, in the Villagrazia district in Palermo. Even if it is not a copy, the work was evidently made on the model of the Genio del Porto.
Photo of the Genio di Villagrazia
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Genio dell’Apoteosi di Palermo, the central character of the fresco The Apotheosis of Palermo (1760), painted by Vito D'Anna in the ballroom of Palazzo Isnello. The fresco is considered one of the masterpieces of 18th-century Sicilian painting.
Photo of the Genio dell'Apoteosi di Palermo, by Vito D'Anna on Wikipedia
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Genio di Villa Giulia, marble sculpture (1778) located in the center of the fountain by Ignazio Marabitti at Villa Giulia.
Photo of the Genio di Villa Giulia, by Giuseppe ME on Wikipedia
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Genio del Mosaico, mosaic panel placed above the entrance door of the Palatine Chapel in Palazzo dei Normanni. The work was created by Pietro Casamassima in the early 19th century.
Photo of the Genio del Mosaico, by Memorato on Wikipedia
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Genius Panormi at the Botanical Garden, a sculpture in resin and marble powder, located inside the Tropical Greenhouse, was inaugurated in 2020 and created by Domenico Pellegrino.
Photo of the Genius Panormi, by ValentinaBrunoPa on Wikipedia
Foro Italico
Continuing on Via Lincoln you reach the city's seafront.
The Foro Italico Umberto I is a large green area that forms one of the seafronts of Palermo. It extends from the Cala to Villa Giulia, in the Kalsa district.
Until 1861 it was called Foro Borbonico or Foro Siciliano, while between the unification of Italy and the year 1900, its official name was Foro Italico, a name by which it is still referred to by the local inhabitants today.
Photo of the Foro Italico, by Dedda71 on Wikipedia
La Cala
Returning to the west, you come across La Cala, a sea arc between via Francesco Crispi and the Foro Italico and corresponds to the oldest port in the city of Palermo.
Photo of the Cala, by Kristaps Grundsteins on Unsplash
In 2017, near La Cala, a mural depicting Falcone and Borsellino was inaugurated. The large portrait of the two smiling and accomplice magistrates, inspired by the famous photographic shot by Tony Gentile, was created by the Sicilian street artists Rosk and Loste at work with spray, paint, and a crane.
Palazzo Butera
Palazzo Butera is a Baroque-style aristocratic palace located facing the Mediterranean in the ancient Kalsa district in the center of Palermo.
Over the centuries, the building has welcomed illustrious guests, the most famous of whom was Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Even Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany was an enchanted guest of Palazzo Butera.
It was owned by the descendants of the Branciforte, princes of Butera until the end of 2015. In 2016 the palace was purchased by Massimo and Francesca Valsecchi. The new owners financed a complete structural and artistic restoration of the building to open the monumental asset to public use.
Photo of the Palazzo Butera, by Stendhal55 on Wikipedia
Today it is possible to visit it.
Piazza Marina
Behind the Palazzo Butera, there is Piazza Marina. Until the Middle Ages, the square was a swamp connected with the city port of Cala. In the fourteenth century, during the Angevin domination, reclamation work was carried out. This led to the creation of free land used by the Holy Inquisition for the execution of heretics from the nearby prisons of the Steri.
Palazzo Chiaramonte (also known as Steri) was the Palermo seat of the Sicilian Inquisition and since the 1950s has been the seat of the rectorate of the University of Palermo.
Photo of Piazza Marina, by Cristina Gottardi on Unsplash
Photo of the Palazzo Steri, by Bjs on Wikipedia
Chiesa di Santa Maria dello Spasimo
Between Piazza Marina and Villa Giulia, there is a church that would be a waste not to visit.
We are talking about the Chiesa di Santa Maria dello Spasimo, whose work began in 1509, approved with a papal bull from Pope Julius II.
Photo of the church, by Matthias Süßen on Wikipedia
In 1518 the imposing building was enriched, among others, with a priceless masterpiece called Andata al Calvario universally known as Spasimo di Sicilia, a name that would influence the title and denomination of the church. The work of Raffaello Sanzio precisely depicts Mary's dismay before Christ fell under the weight of the cross. This work was later sold and is now kept in Madrid.
Over time, the church was used for various purposes: from religious services to public performances, to a poorhouse, and even a landfill.
Photo of the church, by Alessio Rinella on Unsplash
Basilica di San Francesco d'Assisi
Moving from Spasimo to the north-east, it is possible to find the Basilica di San Francesco d'Assisi.
Construction began in 1254, on the remains of a previous church destroyed in 1240 by Emperor Frederick II, and ended around 1277.
Photo of the Basilica, by Fabio P. on Wikipedia
Chiesa Basilica Pantheon di San Domenico
Moving from Spasimo to the north-east, it is possible to find the Basilica di San Francesco d'Assisi. Construction began in 1254, on the remains of a previous church destroyed in 1240 by Emperor Frederick II, and ended around 1277.
Photo of the church, by Giuseppe Buccola on Unsplash
Vucciria
Between the latter and the Basilica of S. Francesco, there is a market well-known to those who know the city of Palermo: the Vucciria market.
It is a well-known historical market in Palermo, together with others called Ballarò, Il Capo, Mercato delle Pulci, and Lattarini.
The name of this market derives from the word Bucceria, similar to the vulgar beccheria or the French boucherie, which means butcher's shop, from "beak", the goat which represented the slaughtered animal par excellence. The market was in fact initially intended for slaughter (and in the Angevin era there was one) and for the sale of meat. Later it became a market for the sale of fish, fruit, and vegetables. In ancient times it was called "la Bucciria grande" to distinguish it from smaller markets. "Vuccirìa" in Palermitan means "Confusion". Today, the confusion of overlapping voices and the cries of the sellers (the abbanniati) is one of the elements that most characterizes this Palermo market.
Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel on Unsplash
Photo of the sign at the entrance of Vucciria, by Pmk58 on Wikipedia
Ballarò
Another market, already mentioned, is that of Ballarò. This market is famous for the sale of the first fruits that come from the Palermo countryside. Ballarò is the oldest of the city's markets, attended daily by hundreds of people, enlivened by the abbanniate, that is, by the boisterous calls of the sellers who, with their characteristic and colorful local accent, try to attract the interest of passers-by.
Ballarò is mainly a food market, mainly used for the sale of fruit, vegetables, spices, meat, and fish, but there are also household items for cooking and cleaning the house, as in the markets of Capo and Vucciria.
Photo of Ballarò, by Cristina Gottardi on Unsplash
Photo of Ballarò, by Jan Gemerle on Unsplash
Il Capo
Another market to mention is Il Capo, which takes its name from the ancient and well-known district of the historic center of Palermo.
It is a very lively and characteristic food market: the colors, the shouts (the vuci) of the vendors, and the animation of the stalls make it an essential element of the character of the city of Palermo. It is a market that is active every day, including Sunday mornings, giving the opportunity to buy both food and other merchandise at a good price: fruit, vegetables, spices, meat, fish, etc., as well as taverns and meeting places. It extends along via Carini and via Beati Paoli, via di Sant'Agostino, and via Cappuccinelle. The main access to the market is Porta Carini and via the same name, which leads to Piazza Capo. Traditionally, it is in the basement of this area that the Beati Paoli would have had their secret court, as also indicated in the novels by Luigi Natoli.
Photo of the Capo, by Pmk58 on Wikipedia
Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele
Right near the market, there is the famous Teatro Massimo.
The Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele in Palermo is the largest opera house in Italy, and one of the largest in Europe (third in order of architectural magnitude after the Opéra National in Paris and the Staatsoper in Vienna). When it opened, due to its monumentality and size (over 7,730 square meters), it aroused the envy of many, as can be easily verified by reading the Italian newspapers of the time.
Photo of the Teatro Massimo, by Vitoparisi92 on Wikipedia
In 1990 the theater was the setting for some filming of the film The Godfather - Part III by Francis Ford Coppola, with Al Pacino, Andy García, and Sofia Coppola, in which the godfather Michael Corleone travels to Palermo to attend the debut of his son in Cavalleria rusticana, by Pietro Mascagni.
The theater is in operation and it is possible to follow the programming of the performances, buy tickets, and watch the shows.
Zisa
Moving towards the interior of the city, outside the historic center, behind Palazzo dei Normanni, there are two places not to be missed.
The first of these is the Palazzo della Zisa (from the Arabic al-ʿAzīza, or "the splendid") stood outside the walls of the city of Palermo, inside the Norman royal park, the Genoardo (from the Arabic Jannat al-arḍ or "garden" or "paradise on earth"), which extended with splendid pavilions, luxuriant gardens and water basins from Altofonte to the walls of the royal palace.
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Photo of the Zisa, by Matthias Süßen on Wikipedia
1165 seems to be the starting date for the construction of the Zisa, under the reign of William I (known as "Il Malo"). The work was then completed by his successor William II (known as "The Good").
From an inscription in Kufic characters and other sources, most of the scholars agree in setting 1175 as the date of completion of the works on the royal solatium.
Since 1991 the Zisa has housed the Museum of Islamic Art. Since 3 July 2015, it has been part of the World Heritage Site (UNESCO).
Catacombe dei Cappuccini
Another place of interest, not far from the Zisa, is the Catacombe dei Cappuccini.
In the Cuba district, the Convento dei Cappuccini in Palermo is annexed to the Santa Maria della Pace church. The church and convent date back to the 16th century, although built on previous structures. In the basement, there are the famous Gothic-style Capuchin catacombs, so-called but actually a cemetery and not a catacomb, that is, a place of worship and an early Christian meeting.
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Photo by Matthias Süßen on Wikipedia
«Walking does not come back to be polite and presentable like the citizens of Palermo, lined up in the underground corridors of the Capuchins at Porta Nuova. They are lined up there withered and enjoy the esteem of all»
(Thomas Mann, The Magic Mountain)
The Convent is known throughout the world for its presence in the basement of a vast cemetery, which attracts the curiosity of many tourists, since the past centuries an obligatory stop on the Grand Tour (it was also visited by Guy de Maupassant). The galleries were excavated at the end of the 16th century in the Gothic style with ribbed and ogival cross vault subtitles; these form a large rectangular cemetery. The bodies present there have never been inventoried, but it has been calculated that they must reach the figure of about 8,000.
«The place where the living meet the dead»
The mummies, standing or lying down, fully dressed, are divided by gender and social category, even if most of them belong to the upper classes since the embalming process was expensive. In the various sectors we recognize prelates; merchants and burghers in their "Sunday" clothes; army officers in dress uniform; young virgin women, deceased before being able to marry, dressed in their wedding dress; family groups arranged standing on high shelves, delimited by thin railings similar to balconies; children; etc.
However, numerous bodies belong to friars of the Capuchin order themselves: the first to be buried inside the catacombs were Friar Silvestro da Gubbio on 16 October 1599. His body is the first on the left immediately after the entrance.
The embalming method involved first of all letting the body "drain" for about a year, after having removed the internal organs. Then the body, more or less dried up, was washed with vinegar, filled with straw, and covered with his clothes. Other methods, used especially in times of epidemics, involved a bath of arsenic or lime water.
When in the mid-nineteenth century the health provisions forbade burials in churches and in the basement, the Capuchin Cemetery was erected next to the church.
Palazzina Cinese
Another place not to be missed is the Palazzina Cinese, north of the city, far from the historic center.
The Casina Cinese of Palermo, commonly known as the Chinese Palazzina, is an ancient royal residence of the Bourbons of the Two Sicilies, located on the edge of the Favorita Park, on the edge of the Monte Pellegrino Reserve.
Photo of the Casina Cinese, by tato grasso on Wikipedia
An interesting curiosity about the building is in the dining room. There, there is a table that allows you to lift the courses from the lower floor and be served immediately. This table is called the Tavola Matematica.
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Photo of the Tavola Matematica, by Davide Mauro on Wikipedia
Food
Palermo is not only famous for its monuments but also for its food. Typical foods and places where to taste them will be listed below.
Arancina
First thing first, try the Arancina (some places where you can have it are: Pasticceria Oscar, Massaro, Spinnatu, and Pasticceria Cappello).
Photo of the Arancine, by Holger Peter Benedetti on Pexels
Pane panelle e crocché
Then, try the Pane Panelle e Crocché (some places where you can have it are: Nnì Franco ù Vastiddaru, Antica Friggitoria). Another name to call the crocché is Cazzilli.
Photo of the panelle e cazzilli, by Camillo on Wikipedia
Stigghiola
Try also the Stigghiola (some places where you can have it are located in various street markets like Vucciria, or Il Capo).
Photo of the stigghiole, by Pequod76 on Wikipedia
Pani câ meusa
You should also try the Pani câ meusa (Pane con milza), which is bread with spleen (some places where you can have it are: Antica Focacceria San Francesco, Rocky Basile, Nino U’ Ballerinu).
Photo of the panino câ meusa, by Popo le Chien on Wikipedia
Sfincione
Try the Sfincione (some places where you can have it are: Antica Focacceria San Francesco, Panificio Graziano, Spinnatu).
Photo of the sfincione, by Scott Weiner - Flickr on Wikipedia
Cannolo and Cassata
As far as sweet food is concerned, try the Cannolo and the Cassata (some places where you can have it are: Pasticceria Cappello, Pasticceria Oscar).
Photo of the cassatelle, by Valentina Locatelli on Unsplash
Photo of the cannolo, by Anna Guerrero on Pexels
Useful Tips
Anyone who has had the opportunity to see Roberto Benigni's film Johnny Stecchino (1991) is aware of the famous three plagues of Sicily. If the first two, namely Etna and drought, concern eastern Sicily and the entire island, especially inland, the third is indicated as a plague that especially affects the city of Palermo: traffic.
«It is in the third and most serious of these plagues, which truly defames Sicily and in particular Palermo in the eyes of the world... Eh, you have already understood, it is useless for me to tell you, I am ashamed to say it... it is traffic. Too many cars: it's a sprawling, swirling traffic that prevents us from living and makes us family enemies against family»
ZTL
The historic center of Palermo is delimited by a limited traffic zone (ZTL) with access reserved for residents. Entering its borders with your car is a risk you shouldn't take, as you would receive a fine.
Here, then, is the link to the Municipality of Palermo website, where you can find all the details regarding the ZTL.
It is also possible to request a day pass to access the ZTL, at the following link.
Parking
To avoid the problem of the limited traffic zone, it is recommended to leave the car in a car park and visit the center of Palermo on foot.
So, to make sure you won’t have any problem with your car, the best advice is to leave the car at Palermo’s Justice Palace (Palazzo di Giustizia). The address is: “Piazza Vittorio Emanuele Orlando, 1, 90138 Palermo PA”. There you will find a private parking (Parcheggio ORLANDO | APCOA) where you can leave the car.
Nightlife
As far as nightlife is concerned, a suitable place for an aperitif is Via dell'Orologio, in front of the Teatro Massimo.
If you want an aperitif that doubles as dinner, the place to go is undoubtedly Il Siciliano.
Photo by Siret K. on Unsplash
If, on the other hand, you are looking for a slightly wilder "street" evening, then go to Vucciria.
A place to drink cheap commercial beer and other drinks is La Taverna Azzurra.