Tourist InformationPalermo Tourism Piazza Castelnuovo 34
Tel: (091) 605 8351.
Website:
www.palermotourism.com Other offices can be found at the airport (tel: (091) 591 698) and at Stazione Centrale (main train station) (tel: (091) 616 5914).
There is also a toll-free phone line with English speaking operators for tourist information on the city (tel: 800 234 169).
PassesPalermo underwent many successive invasions throughout the centuries (most notably by the
Normans and Arabs) and remnants of these are still visible all over the city today, making it a fascinating place to visit for anyone interested in history.
There are Norman relics aplenty, most notably the Norman Palace and the beautiful Palatine Chapel, but there are many other interesting buildings, including the Cattedrale and a number of churches, the most famous of which are St John of the Hermits and La Martorana.
When you get tired of all this amazing architecture, head for the labyrinthine streets of the Vucciria market, or take refuge in one of several excellent museums… unless you prefer something a bit spookier, in which case you should head for the catacombs.
Key Attractions:Palazzo dei Normanni e Cappella Palatina (Norman Palace and Palatine Chapel) The
Palazzo, which used to be the royal residence in Norman times, is now the seat of the Regional Parliament. Founded by King Roger II in 1130, the
Cappella Palatina is a jewel of Norman art with splendid Arab honeycomb wooden ceiling and exquisite Byzantine mosaics in shades of gold and blue.
Piazza Indipendenza
Tel: (091) 696 1111.
Palatine Chapel Tel: (091) 705 4732/4317.
Website:
www.palermoweb.com/cittadelsole/monumenti/cappella_palatina.htm Norman Palace Tel: (091) 705 1111.
Website:
www.palermoweb.com/cittadelsole/monumenti/palazzo_normanni.htm San Giovanni degli Eremiti (St John of the Hermits) Built in 1132, this is the most obviously Arabic of the city’s Norman relics, with five ochre domes topping a little church built on the remains of an earlier mosque. There is a beautiful cloister and luxuriant garden, making this a peaceful haven in the Albergheria.
Via dei Benedettini
Tel: (091) 651 5019.
La Cattedrale (The Cathedral) Built in the 12th century by the Normans, the cathedral was altered in later centuries, which explains its not altogether graceful exterior. Its imposing bulk, however, demands a visit.
Via Vittorio Emanuele
Tel: (091) 334 376.
Mercato della Vucciria (Vucciria Market) A very atmospheric place, this is the oldest market in the city, selling fish (the local specialty is salted anchovies in a jar), herbs, fruit and veg, and other local produce. The
Vucciria, which spreads in a maze of side streets around Piazza San Domenico, is where the Mafia traditionally recruited its hitmen, and although the place is a lot safer than it used to be, keep your wits about and don’t flash jewelry or money, as pickpockets still operate in the area. Early morning is when the market is at its busiest, and most colorful.
Piazza Caracciolo, Piazza Garraffello
Chiesa Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio o Martorana (La Martorana) One of Palermo’s most beautiful churches, dating back to the 12th century,
La Martorana boasts plendid mosaics, Baroque frescoes and an interesting campanile.
Piazza Bellini 3
Tel: (091) 616 1692.
Catacombe dei Cappuccini (Capuchin Catacombs) The catacombs contain the bodies of some 8,000 ecclesiastics and distinguished citizens embalmed by Capuchin friars.
Via Cappuccini 1
Tel: (091) 212 117.
Orto Botanico (Botanical Gardens) The lush
Orto Botanico is an oasis in the city. It houses an enormous variety of exotic plants, and the excellent
Archaeological Museum (see
Further Distractions).
Via Abramo Lincoln 25
Tel: (091) 623 8234
or 800 903 631, in Italy only.
Website:
www.ortobotanico.palermo.it Galleria Regionale della Sicilia (Sicilian Regional Gallery) Housed in the beautiful Abatellis Palazzo, this is a pictorial testimony to the island from the 11th to the 17th centuries. There is no shortage of sculptures and paintings to admire here, many by Sicilian artists, but don’t miss the
Triumph of Death (15th-century), an amazing fresco by an unknown artist, and the
Annunciation by Antonello da Messina.
Via Alloro 4
Tel: (091) 623 0011.
Further Distractions:Museo Archeologico Regionale (Regional Archaeological Museum) This museum, housed in a former convent, gathers in one place artifacts found at all the major Neolithic, Carthaginian, Greek and Roman settlements on the island in a magnificent collection.
Piazza Olivella 24
Tel: (091) 611 6805.
Museo Internazionale delle Marionette (International Puppet Museum) Over 3,000 exhibits, including Sicilian and foreign puppets and marionettes, are displayed here. The collection of puppets from Palermo, Catania and Naples is the widest and most complete in existence today.
Piazzetta Nisceni
Tel: (091) 328 060.
Museo Etnografico Giuseppe Pitre (Ethnographic Museum Giuseppe Pitre) The place to go for Sicilian handicrafts such as lace and pottery; tools for hunting, fishing and agriculture; and ornaments related to important festivals and popular devotion are all on show here.
Palazzina Cinese, Via Duca degli Abuzzi 1
Tel: (091) 740 4893.
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