What to See in Palermo, the Birthplace of Baroque

Palermo, Capital of Culture 2018, is undoubtedly a beautiful city. There are many beauties to admire: that is why we created this guide, to help you organize your trip in the best way, advising you what to see in Palermo and what to do.

What to visit in Palermo: places of interest

The places to visit in Palermo are many, but we want to suggest some attractions in particular that you simply cannot miss. And if you love cycling, there is a itinerary in Palermo for that too.

1 Martorana Church

The interiors of this church will leave you speechless. Byzantine mosaics, considered the oldest in Sicily, frescoes, and domes make it truly unique.

2 Palermo Cathedral

This is a Gothic-style Cathedral, inside which are the tombs of the kings of Sicily and those of Saint Rosalia, Patron Saint of Palermo. To be included in the list “Palermo: what to see.”

3 Palazzo dei Normanni

It is one of the most famous monuments in Palermo, with its magnificent Byzantine mosaics. Just a few meters away you will also find the Archbishop’s Palace and the Church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti.

4 Quattro Canti

A square closed by four facades on which dedications to four rulers, four patron saints and four seasons are reported. Nearby you will find another important square in Palermo, Piazza Pretoria, recognizable by the naked statues. Because of this characteristic, it is also called Piazza della vergogna (Square of Shame). These are the main meeting points of the inhabitants of Palermo.

5 Chiaramonte Palace

Majestic and imposing, more like a real castle. It currently houses the University of Palermo, but you can still visit it and admire the famous painting La Vucciria by Renato Gattuso kept inside.

6 Church of the Gesù

The Church of the Gesù is one of the most important Baroque churches in all of Sicily. A visit to this sacred place should be included in your ” Things to do in Palermo” list.

Among the other important churches in Palermo, we remind you of the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Church of Santa Maria della Catena, and the Church of San Cataldo.

7 Teatro Massimo

The Teatro Massimo is the largest opera house in Italy and the third largest in Europe.

In the list “Things to do in Palermo” you should not miss:

• a visit to the botanical garden, which is among the most interesting in all of Europe;
• a visit to the Puppet Museum, an international museum dedicated to puppets and marionettes that tells the Palermo tradition;
• a visit to the Archaeological Museum, where you will find many artifacts preserved over the centuries.

8 Capuchin Catacombs, Palermo

The Capuchin Convent of Palermo is known worldwide for the presence of a vast cemetery in its underground tunnels. The galleries were excavated at the end of the 16th century and form a large rectangular cemetery. The bodies present have never been inventoried, but it is estimated that there are up to 8,000. The mummies, standing or lying down, dressed to the nines, are divided by gender and social category, although most belong to the upper classes, as the embalming process was expensive. In the various sections, one can recognize: prelates; merchants and bourgeois in their “Sunday” clothes; army officers in dress uniform; young virgin women who died before they could marry, dressed in their wedding gowns; family groups arranged standing on high shelves, bordered by thin railings similar to balconies; children. From the end of October to the end of March, the catacombs are not open to visitors on Sunday afternoons.

9 Craft Market in Palermo: Artisans at the Palace

In the splendid location of Palazzo Asmundo in Palermo, the craft market takes place every first Sunday of the month. The building, constructed in 1615, is located in the very historic center of the Sicilian capital. The market is open all day, from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM, to give visitors the chance to fully discover the handcrafted works and collectible pieces offered at the stalls. Thanks to its prestige, the Palermo market welcomes thousands of enthusiasts each month eager to acquire rarities of all kinds.

10 Florio Villa and Garden

In the large park of the Princes of Butera, the Florio family wanted to build, in 1899, a villa in the style of the time and commissioned Ernesto Basile for it. From the large park, in which it was located, only a small garden remains, surrounded by an imposing fence. The building is notable for the imaginative, asymmetrical distribution of spaces and for the varied and irregular play of volumes, with the dynamic external double-flight staircase and the turrets, pediments, eaves, columns. A symbol of European fin de siècle taste, an expression of Italian modernism, during the belle époque the villa hosted the best society, the jet set of the time. The villa subsequently experienced periods of decline, as did the Florio family. There are three main levels: the ground floor called “recreation floor” with the billiard room and the game room; the first floor called “representation floor”, with the large hall, accessed directly from the external staircase, and the dining room; and finally the floor called “residence floor” whose access, from the main staircase, led to the living room and the bedroom.

Museums of Palermo

11 “Raffaello Piraino” Costume Museum, Palermo

The Museum exhibits a collection composed of more than three thousand pieces, ranging from clothing to accessories, whose main core is constituted by the collection of Raffaele Piraino, painter and professor of Costume History. Examples of ecclesiastical clothing, children’s wear, military and gala attire are displayed, as well as traditional costumes from Mediterranean countries and wedding trousseaus. The collection gathers material dating from the eighteenth century to the first half of the twentieth century, mostly of Sicilian origin.

12 Monumental Archaeological Area of Castello a Mare

The area formerly occupied by the Castellammare fortress today constitutes more than half of the Trapezoidal pier of the port of Palermo. Inside the fortress, you can visit two main areas: the so-called Torre Mastra, surrounded by a buffer zone, and a large archaeological area with a rather heterogeneous set of buildings. The Castello a Mare is located in the Archaeological Park of Castellammare, near the Cala, in the La Loggia district, north of the port of Palermo. It was the most important defensive stronghold of the port of Palermo until the 20th century. Until 1923, the fortress had a quadrangular city wall washed on two sides by the sea, enclosing a huge architectural complex inside. Originally, the castle consisted of a large keep from the Arab period, some Norman parts (such as the Cappella della Bagnara), bastions and 15th-century entrance area, a Renaissance palace, a 16th-century church (the Madonna of Piedigrotta, built on an ancient Arab mosque), two low hexagonal towers, and many other structures and buildings of more recent times. Parts of the ancient buildings that remain include the main tower, the cylindrical tower, and the entrance building.

Palermo in a nutshell: how to get there, how to get around, where to stay, what to eat

13 How to get to Palermo

You can easily reach Palermo by the Naples – Palermo ferry or by plane. The Palermo airport, the Palermo Airport Falcone e Borsellino, is about 35 km from the city center, and is well connected by the subway line, buses, shuttles, and taxis.

14 How to get around Palermo

Palermo, how to get around: the best way to get around Palermo is on foot. Alternatively, you can use the subway line, efficient and functional, or the urban bus lines.

15 Where to Eat in Palermo

Where to Eat in Palermo: one of the easiest things in Palermo is eating well. From street food to typical local places, you will truly have a wide choice. We definitely recommend trying the famous arancini, the baked cassatina, and the Sicilian cannoli.

16 Where to sleep in Palermo

Where to sleep in Palermo: for the search of your hotel in Palermo we suggest you focus on the central areas, so you can move around on foot to visit all the beauties that Palermo offers.