Something about Palermo

Palermo is the Capital of Sicily and the fith largest city in Italy. In the middle of the Mediterranean sea, Palermo (the cardle of ancient civilizations) has always been a crossroads of culture between East and West: A strategic transit place. a privileged port of call for commerce and trade, a landing place for people of various race, language and religion.

Palermo has always enchanted visitors from abroad with the charme of its location, the mildness of its climate and the splendour of its buildings. For all these reasons, pver the centuries, it has been dominated by a succession of different rulers.

Palermo is one of the few cities in the world that have preserved considerable traces of the culture of their successive conquerors: Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Swabians, French, Spanish, Austrians....they all have left unmistakable marks of their passing

Palermo is also characterized by fact that despite its mixture of different cultures, the city has succeeded in maintaining its identity as a capital city wich at all times has succeeded in combining the best of what other nations could offer with its own people's vocation for freedom.

Palermo Today : from the eyes of a real Palermitano

Palermo is a city of contrasts. It's a fantastic city to visit but it's very badly administrate so one of the worst cities to live in (In Europe) You can walk thru the narrow streets of the historical center and at any corner there is a wonderful palace, or a beautiful church...The problem is that most of its wonderful Palazzi are in very bad conditions. Billion euros come from Europe but actually thery are not well spent.

Walking thru the historical center you get the feeling to be in a huge Bazar...motobyke with 2/3 and even 4 people runing around...no helmets of course cause otherwise your hair won't be good for the date :o)

Palermo is the city of the No Rules on the street...(not just on the street)...The "rules" are just Advices...I mean...if there is a stop...it "should be better" if you stop....but anyway do what you want.

This is the result of the Sicilian history...In Sicily we had about 11 different conquerors and to keep our identity it was very hard...we had to invent our rules...now...after centuries of that...it's very hard to change ...especially because the Sicilian Economy is very poor and the Mafia is still very strong .

Mafia is not a problem for the tourists...100% not a problem....but it's a very big problem if you have a business. This is one of the biggest roblems of Sicily...but the Sicilian mentality (result of centuries of different dominations) helps the Mafia to be strong.

If you decide to visit Palermo....be ready to discover a city full of history but be also ready to the Caos....to the "beeping the horn" to the adventure to cross the streets but also...to the warm of the people, to its fantastic food...but also to the rabbish everywhere....but also to the beautiful nature around the city....yes...Be ready to see Palermo ... the City of the Contrasts

What to see in Palermo:

Quattro Canti (Four corners)in Piazza Vigilena (1620) the city's symbolic centre.

Piazza Bellini: At the side the church of Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglia also called Martorana, founded in 1143 and altered on different occasions untill the 18th century. On the right the Arab Norman church of San Cataldo (1160)

Piazza Pretoria : in the foreground the 16th Century fountain Fontana Pretoria ( Fontana della Vergogna that means Fountain of the shame), a work by Francesco Michelini (1555)

Palazzo delle Aquile: 15th century, now the official seat of the City Hall and on its left side the baroque church of San Giuseppe dei Teatini.

Porta Nuova, one of the city gates delimiting the Cassaro (now Corso Vittorio Emanuele). It was built in 1583

Cathedral, built in the Norman period (1185)

Royal Palace (or Norman Palace) (1100) now the seat of the Sicilian Parliament, Europe's oldest Parliament

Cappella Palatina, inside the Royal Palace, founded by King Roger in 1130

Remains of the Mosaics floor of a Roman house (2nd century B.C.) in the Villa Bonanno Garden

Palazzo Sclafani: (14th century)

Palazzo Chiaromonte Steri (1306) Residence of the most powerful medieval Sicilian Family, subsequently the seat of the Viceroys of the Tribunal of the Inquisition. Now the Rector's Office of Palermo University