Palermo

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Baroque building on Quattro Canti intersection.

Andrew Montgomery

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Overview

Having been the crossroads of civilisations for millennia, Palermo delivers a heady, heavily spiced mix of Byzantine mosaics, Arabesque domes and frescoed cupolas. This is a city at the edge of Europe and at the centre of the ancient world, a place where souk-like markets rub up against baroque churches, where date palms frame Gothic palaces and where the blue-eyed and fair have bronze-skinned cousins.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Cattedrale di Palermo

Palermo

A feast of geometric patterns, ziggurat crenellations, maiolica cupolas and blind arches, Palermo's cathedral has suffered aesthetically from multiple…

Cappella Palatina

Palermo

Designed by Roger II in 1130, this extraordinary chapel is Palermo's top tourist attraction. Located on the middle level of Palazzo dei Normanni's three…

Galleria Regionale della Sicilia

Palermo

Housed in the stately 15th-century Palazzo Abatellis, this art museum – widely regarded as Palermo's best – showcases works by Sicilian artists dating…

Chiesa e Monastero di Santa Caterina d'Alessandria

Palermo

Built as a hospice in the early 14th century and transformed into a Dominican convent the following century, this monastic complex wows with its…

Palazzo dei Normanni

Palermo

Home to Sicily's regional parliament, this venerable palace dates back to the 9th century. However, it owes its current look (and name) to a major Norman…

Teatro Massimo

Palermo

Taking over 20 years to complete, Palermo's neoclassical opera house is the largest in Italy and the second-largest in Europe. The closing scene of The…

Small snail-like creatures for sale at Ballaro market.

Mercato di Ballarò

Palermo

Snaking for several city blocks southeast of Palazzo dei Normanni is Palermo's busiest street market, which throbs with activity well into the early…

Palazzina Cinese & Parco della Favorita

Palermo

Once a retreat for King Ferdinand IV and his wife Maria Carolina, this pagoda-inspired pavilion exemplifies the popularity of 'Oriental exotica' in 18th…

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