Palermo

Understand

It's the capital city of the autonomous region of Sicily and of its own province. The city's economy is based on local government institutions, port, shipbuilding industry and the mechanical industry. It is also seat to some important Sicilian wine-making companies (like Tasca d'Almerita, Duca di Salaparuta, Corvo, and Planeta) whose popularity in the world is growing.

Climate

History Capital of Sicily, founded by Phoenicians under the name of Ziz (= Flower, but the meaning is still doubtful), later renamed by Greeks Panormos, which means "all port". It reached its golden age during the Arab domination (from 9th to 11th centuries AD) when it became one of the most prosperous cities in the Mediterranean and Europe, known as "city of delights" for its marvellous and lavish gardens, as well as for magnificent mosques and palaces. After being conquered by the Normans (1060-1080 AD), most of palaces and mosques were destroyed, but the new rulers exploited the cosmopolitan environment of Palermo and the artists, architects and masters from different cultural roots giving the birth to a unique architectural style, the so-called "Arab-Norman Style of Sicily", which is an original mixture of arabesque decorations, Romanesque architecture and Byzantine mosaics. After being home to one of the most famous Emperors of the Middle Ages, Frederick II of Swabia, named "Stupor Mundi" by contemporaries, Palermo began its decadence under the influence of several dominations (French, Aragonese, Spanish and Bourbons from Naples. In the middle of 19th century, during the so-called "Italian Risorgimento" Palermo was one of the leading revolutionary cities in Italy, strongly contributing to the success of the Thousand patriots' expedition led by the famous Italian national hero Giuseppe Garibaldi, which ended with the reunification of Italy under the Savoy dynasty from Turin (1860). Nowadays Palermo faces several problems affecting its economic development, mainly because of the presence of the very powerful criminal organization known worldwide as "Mafia" or "Cosa Nostra".

Tourist information Palermo Tourism website

Getting there

By plane 1 Palermo Airport (PMO IATA Falcone–Borsellino Airport) (32 km west of the city at Punta Raisi), ☏ +39 0917020273. Has flights incoming from other Italian centres and major European cities on a regular basis. Half hourly shuttle buses, on the :00 and :30, (operated by Prestia e Comandè) provide inexpensive transport into the city centre train station (€6.30, as of 2018). Purchase bus ticket from the ticket office next to the bus at the airport. From city centre to the airport, purchase ticket from the driver. There are 1-2 buses per hour, 50 minutes, €6.30 one way (€10 return if bought online). The usual taxi and car rental services are also available at the airport. Trenitalia also offers regular service at the airport at the Punta Raisi station located in the basement of the terminal. Cost to take the train to Palermo Centrale is €6.50 (March 2023). A trip to Palermo Centrale takes just under an hour, whether by bus or by train. (updated Aug 2018)

By ferry Ferries steam between the port of Palermo and the following several Italian ports on a regular basis: Genoa, Civitavecchia, Naples and Cagliari (Sardinia). International routes are available from Valletta (Malta) and Tunis (Tunisia). You can view and compare schedules and prices for ferries to Palermo on Ferryhopper.

By train There are overnight through trains from Rome, Naples and even Milan via the train ferry across the Strait of Messina. The main railway station, 2 Palermo Centrale, is located at Piazza Giulio Cesare.

Getting around

On foot Although Palermo is a fair-sized city, most of the interesting sites around the centre can easily be reached on foot.

By bicycle There are a large number of bicycles and e-scooters for hire across the city. These include Lime, RideMovi and others. Prices vary.

By bus Get a 24-hour ticket for €4. Many buses run on Via Roma. You can take the "Free Centro Storico" bus to move around the old town; it covers all the main touristic areas. To go to Piazzale Indipendenza, take bus 109 from the station. If you want to go to Mondello, take the bus 806. You can also use the mobile app Moovit to browse all the urban lines and plan your trips around the city.

See

Because of its variety of monuments, attesting to its long and rich history, and the number of other cultural and naturalistic attractions, Palermo can offer a very interesting experience to the visitor interested in exploring it. The Cathedral of Monreale, the Royal Palace and Palatine Chapel, the Church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti, the Church of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio, the Church of San Cataldo, the Palermo Cathedral, the Zisa Palace and the Admiral’s Bridge, comprise together with the cathedral in Cefalù the world heritage site “Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalù and Monreale”.

1 Palermo Cathedral, Corso Vittorio Emanuele, ☏ +39 091 334373. Honey-coloured and Catalan influenced. Frederick II, Barbarossa's grandson, died in 1250 and is buried here, far from his ancestral home above Hohenstaufen, Germany. Frederick's sarcophagus is of porphyry dyed with imperial purple.

2 Palatine Chapel (Cappella Palatina), Piazza Indipendenza, ☏ +39 091 705 4317. M-F 09:00-11:45, 15:00-16:45; Sa 09:00-11:45; Su 09:00-09:45, 12:00-12:45. It's one of the artistic gems of Palermo: a chapel with magnificent mosaics and Arabian-style decorations, among the most beautiful in the world. It is inside of Palazzo dei Normanni. included in the Normans palace tickets. 3 Palazzo dei Normanni (Palace of the Normans), Piazza del Parlamento, 1. The oldest royal residence in Europe, the home of the rulers of the Kingdom of Sicily and imperial seat of the Emperor Frederick II. The palace contains the Cappella Palatina, the best example of the Arab-Norman style of Sicily. Nowadays it is the seat of the Sicilian Parliament. €15.50. (updated Feb 2022)

4 San Giovanni degli Eremiti, Via dei Bernadetti, ☏ +39 091 651 5019. M-Sa 09:00-19:00. Church notable for its brilliant red domes, which show the persistence of the Arab influences in the 12th century, with its typical Arab-Norman style. The €6 admission ensures that the lovely garden is quiet and peaceful. 5 Museo Archeologico. 6 Catacombe dei Cappuccini, Piazza Cappuccini (just west of the city centre). 09:00-12:30 and 15:00-17:30. The catacombs of the Capuchin convent contain over 8,000 mummified ex-residents from Palermo and its surrounding villages, some merely clothed skeletons, other remarkably well-preserved and lifelike. Well worth a visit, interesting, if slightly morbid. Children may either find it exciting or terrifying, and it must be the responsibility of their parents to think carefully before taking them. You can arrive via the tram line and a 10- to 15-minute walk. Your visit will not ta

Do

Football: Palermo FC play soccer in Serie B, the second tier. Their home ground Stadio Renzo Barbera (capacity 36,300) is 5 km north of city centre.

Buy

The "Pizzo free" shops are a group of shopkeepers that refuse to pay the racket to the Mafia. The Palermitan consumers sustain them by going shopping in their stores. These shops are easily recognisable by a sticker in the shop/restaurant window.

Isola Saporita, ☏ +39 091 6527506. Corso Vittorio Emanuele 504 (opposite the cathedral). Good selection of wine, oil, marmalade, sauces, etc. Mercato di Ballarò, Via Ballarò, Piazze de Carmine. M Tu Th-Sa 07:00-20:00, W 07:00-13:00. Busy food market in Albergheria. La Coppola Storta, Via Bara all'Olivella 74, ☏ +39 091324428. This cap, first worn by Sicilian peasants and later by the Mafia, has become a stylish accessory.

Eat

Try specialties of Palermo like panino con la milza or panelle, in one of the many sandwich stands in the old city centre.

Budget

Around the Piazza Pretoria 1 Stuzzicandoci, Via Vittorio Emanuele, 251. Best place to eat a delicious arancina in Palermo downtown. The owner is really kind and friendly. Quality ingredients and courteous staff. (updated May 2022) 2 Timilia, Via Maqueda, 221. Very good pizzeria, a real delight. Also Vegan options. For those intolerant to gluten and lactose, the pizzas are gluten-free and the mozzarella is lactose-free. (updated May 2022) 3 Maqueda Bistrot, Via Maqueda, 253. Great place, very delicious pasta and the bruschetta with the mozarella is tasty. They serve both pasta and great burgers. (updated May 2022) 4 Vecchia Trattoria da Totò, Via Coltellieri, 6. The real Palermo cuisine. Informal trattoria with tables also outdoors. Good mixed fried food, excellent mussels. No English menu. (updated May 2022) 5 Bisso Bistrot, Via Maqueda, 172A. Bistro in the centre of Palermo with a wide choice of vegetarian and vegan dishes. Beautiful restaurant, with retro air, very unique old bookstore. Smiling waitress, very good food, decent waiting time. (updated May 2022) 6 Il Proverbio, ☏ +39 091 6173267. Discesa dei Giudici, 24. Close to station and Quattro Canti. Great Sicilian food, most dishes are €4-6. Bangla Fast Food, Via Maqueda, 142, ☏ +39 3271475976. 11:30-01:00. Delicious Indian/Bangladeshi food. Great veg curry, daal and rice for €4. A good selection of samosas and pakoras. Excellent chai for €1.

Around the marina 7 100 Montaditos, Piazza Tarzanà. Many types of sandwiches, all very good. You have to fill in the order sheet and go to the cashier to pay, then the dishes ordered on the sheet arrive. Each sandwich is €1. (updated May 2022) 8 Cala Pollo & Co., Via Cala, 128. In this deli you will find one of the best chicken that the city can offer. Yummy food. Best Italian style BBQ chicken. (updated May 2022) 9 Pani câ Meusa – Porta Carbone, Via Cala, 62. The best sandwiches. Excellent typical Palermo food. A dining experience to try these local Street food delicacies. (updated May 2022) 10 Le Tabarin, Via Chiavettieri, 7. Magical Palermo atmosphere with a background of 1990s/2000s music. One of the best apericena: tasty limoncello Spritz, tasty fresh food, big amount per person. (updated May 2022) 11 Voglia Di Pizza, Via Chiavettieri, 28. Very tasty and juicy pizza, the dough is just amazing. Inexpensive, plentiful and well stocked with quality ingredients, fast servers. (updated May 2022)

Mid-range 12 Osteria d

Drink & nightlife

Enoteca Picone, Via Marconi 36, ☏ +39 091331300. The Bar Brothers, Via Vittorio Emanuele 118, ☏ +39 3285672487. W-Su 18:00-00:00. Great little bar for beers and cocktails. A small number of seats out on the street. Beers from €2.50 to 3.50. dal Barone, Via Alessandro Paternostro 87, ☏ +39 3495084347. M-Sa 18:00-00:00. Nice wine bar with a good selection of wines. Good cheeseboards.

Sleep

Budget 1 B&B Novecento, Via Roma, 62, ☏ +39 0919761194, [email protected]. Original liberty style building in the historical centre, three-star B&B with rooms with AC, WiFi, private bathroom (external or also ensuite), central heating, LCD tv, mini bar, frigo, original furnishings of early 1900s. Villa Addaura, Lungomare C. Colombo 1931, ☏ +39 091 6849031, [email protected]. Villa Addaura, a bed and breakfast in Mondello, is in a beautiful location 10 metres from the sea. 2 B&B Teatro Massimo, Via Orologio 31, ☏ +39 3388323334, [email protected]. Check-in: 13:00, check-out: 11:00. Bed and breakfast Teatro Massimo is an elegant residence in the heart of Palermo, 50 m from the Teatro Massimo, in the pedestrian area of the historical centre. The historic building is completely restored and has an elevator. The B&B offers accommodation in rooms and elegantly furnished apartments. They are air-conditioned, equipped with TV and WiFi. (updated Mar 2016)

Mid-range B&B Palermo A Casa di Amici, Via Dante 57 - Palermo (on the Via Alloro 1 block from Piazza San Francesco), ☏ +39 091 7654650, +39 091 584884, [email protected]. In the historic centre of Palermo near Al Teatro Massimo. €35-45 per person. Al Giardino Dell'Alloro, Vicolo San Carlo 8 (on the Via Alloro 1 block from Piazza San Francesco), ☏ +39 091 6176904, [email protected]. On a quiet street. €35-45 per person. 3 B&B Il Giardino di Ballarò, Street: Via Porta di Castro 75/77 (centre, near Mercato Ballarò), ☏ +39 091212215, [email protected]. Check-in: after 12:00, check-out: until 10:00. €70 a day for a couple. Hotel Casa Giuditta, Via Savona 10 - Piazza Kalsa (in the historical city centre, opposite the sea). Offers rooms and self-catering apartments with 17th-century style decorations. Fully furnished with all mod cons: a/c, washing machines, kitchen with oven, freezer, dishwasher, satellite TV. Children welcome. Palermo Sea Holidays, Via Torretta 7, Sferracavallo, near Mondello (30 m from the sea and 2 km (1.24 miles) from Mondello), ☏ +39 349 610 3555. A group of 1- and 2-bedroom self-catering apartments, on Sferracavallo's seafront close to Palermo. Simple but comfortable studios have an outdoor yard, for relaxing during the day and romantic dinners by night. Sferracavallo has good public transport connections to Palermo, and is close to the Capo Gallo nature reserve. Florio Park Hotel, Contrada Magaggiari. First category hotel complex by the sea on a beautiful golden and sandy beach. Inside a 4-hectare park, the hotel h

Go next

Nearby Bagheria. A small town east of Palermo. There are a handful a beautiful villas there and a museum of renowned painter Renato Guttuso. (updated Mar 2017) 3 The Greek Ruins of Solunto, Via Collegio Romano, 90017 Solanto PA (Get a train from Palermo Central to Santa Flavia (S.Flavia on the TrenItalia system). The ride takes about 20 minutes. The ruins are a 20-30 minute walk up the hill outside the town.). Ruins of a Greek settlement on a hillside overlooking the sea and the current settlement of Santa Flavia. Very quiet and relatively unvisited. There are beautiful views out to see and of the distant hills from across the site. Although the ruins are not in great condition and have not been extensively restored, there are still a number of beautiful mosaic floors and columns standing. There is also a small museum containing finds from the site, entry to which is included in your ticket. 4 euro. 4 Villa Palagonia, Piazza Garibaldi, 3-90011 Bagheria (PA), ☏ +39 091 932 088, [email protected]. Nov-Mar: 09:00-13:00, 15:30-17:30; Apr-Oct: 09:00-13:00, 16:00-19.00. A splendid richly decorated 18th century villa. Perhaps it's most known for numerous grotesque statues that adorn the garden and its wall. Through them the villa earned its nickname Villa dei Mostri (the Villa of Monsters). (updated Mar 2017)

Further afield

Train Catania - ~ 3 hours Agrigento - 2h 4min Syracuse - ~ 4h 30min Other places easily reached by train are Cefalù, Milazzo (for the Aeolian Islands), Messina, Trapani and Enna.

Bus Taormina a beautiful hilltop town near Mount Etna with beautiful Greek ruins and beaches nearby.