Palermo Historic Centre
Centro Storico di Palermo
The capital of Sicily, with its Arab-Norman cathedral, the Norman Palace, and the Ballarò and Vucciria markets. A paradise for street food.
Palermo is the capital of Sicily. The Arab-Norman architectural ensemble in its old town was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015. The highlights include:
Palermo Cathedral (begun in 1185, blending Norman, Arab, Gothic and Baroque elements). You can climb to the roof for city views for about €7. Inside is the tomb of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II.
The Norman Palace and Palatine Chapel (12th-century gold mosaics and an Arab wooden ceiling with muqarnas, about €19). Some areas close Tuesday to Thursday when the regional parliament is in session.
Quattro Canti, the Baroque crossroads.
The Pretoria Fountain, known as the 'Fountain of Shame'.
The red dome of the church of San Cataldo.
The markets are the soul of Palermo. At Ballarò Market and the Vucciria night market, try panelle (chickpea fritters), arancina (fried rice balls), pani ca meusa (veal spleen sandwich) and sfincione (thick Sicilian pizza). You can also visit the Capuchin Catacombs to see thousands of mummies (about €5), or Teatro Massimo, where the final scene of The Godfather Part III was filmed.
The old town is walkable. From the airport, a train or bus takes about 50 minutes to Palermo Centrale station. The markets are crowded, so watch your belongings, and some streets in the old town are dim at night.
The coordinates above point to the cathedral.
Opening hours
Cathedral 7:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.; Norman Palace 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; markets early morning to afternoon
Nearby sights
- Mercato del Capo
- Palazzo dei Normanni & Cappella Palatina
- San Giovanni degli Eremiti
- Quattro Canti
- Chiesa del Gesù (Casa Professa)
- Teatro Massimo
- Fontana Pretoria
- Ballarò Market