What to see in Palermo in one day
Palermo Cathedral
Built in 1184, the Palermo Cathedral is one of the most imposing monuments and, despite some alterations over the centuries, has maintained the original structure, made up of spire towers and a surprising play of biforas, intertwined arches, and ogival arches. Inside, in addition to the Cagini sculptures, the tombs of Henry I, Frederick II of Swabia, and Constance of Aragon, the silver urn with the relics of Saint Rosalia, patron saint of the city, is preserved.
Palace of the Normans
Continuing along the Vittorio Emanuele course, you quickly reach the Palace of the Normans, built in the 11th century, symbol of the highest Swabian splendor, during the reign of Frederick II. Today, it can only be admired from the outside, while the Palatine Chapel, very sumptuous, with interiors covered in golden mosaics, is visitable.
In front of the palace and connected to it, there is the Porta Nuova, built to celebrate the entry into the city of Charles V, victorious over the Turkish armies at Tunis. A few blocks from the Palace of the Normans, there is the church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti (1130-1148), famous for the red domes, typical of Arab-Norman architecture. It is also adorned by a small cloister which, in the beautiful season, smells of jasmine, orange trees, and pomegranates.
Arab Quarter of Palermo
Heading east, towards the Kalsa, the ancient Arab and partly Baroque quarter, you can admire the beautiful church of Santa Teresa alla Kalsa and the 15th-century Palazzo Abatellis, home of the Sicilian Regional Gallery, which, among many masterpieces, also preserves the famous Madonna by Antonello da Messina.
Between the Kalsa and the Vucciria, in a tangle of very narrow streets, also lies Palazzo Gangi, where the ball scene was shot in the film The Leopard by Luchino Visconti.
Teatro Massimo
Heading to the northwest area, you arrive in 19th-century Palermo, one of whose symbols is the Teatro Massimo, inaugurated in 1897, twenty-two years after the laying of the first stone.
