Palermo
A feast of geometric patterns, ziggurat crenellations, maiolica cupolas and blind arches, Palermo's cathedral has suffered aesthetically from multiple…
Must-see attractions in Palermo
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…
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…
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…
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…
Palermo
Elegant 18th-century Villa Zito houses a sharply curated collection of mainly Sicilian-themed art spanning the 17th to 20th centuries. You'll find a…
Palermo
On the southern side of Piazza Bellini, this luminously beautiful 12th-century church was endowed by King Roger's Syrian emir, George of Antioch, and was…
Palermo
Fringed by imposing churches and buildings, Piazza Pretoria is dominated by the over-the-top Fontana Pretoria, one of Palermo's major landmarks. The…
Museo Archeologico Regionale Antonio Salinas
Palermo
Situated in a Renaissance monastery, this splendid, wheelchair-accessible museum houses some of Sicily's most valuable Greek and Roman artefacts,…
Palermo
Housed in the lower floors and basements of 14th-century Palazzo Chiaromonte Steri, this fascinating museum explores the legacy of the Inquisition in…
Palermo
Laid out by Léon Dufourny and Venanzio Marvuglia, this raffish, subtropical paradise shelters massive fig trees, tall palms and dazzling hibiscus bushes,…
![[UNVERIFIED CONTENT] If you go to Sicily you can't miss the capuchin catacombs of Palermo, something that confirms the ghoulish side of this city. A cemetery that contains 8000 mummies, lined upon walls, lying or standing, skeletons, and perfectly preserved bodies. It was active until 1920, when the last body was interred.](https://lp-cms-production.imgix.net/2019-06/GettyImages-159818983_master.jpg?fit=crop&ar=1%3A1&w=1200&auto=format&q=75)
Palermo
These catacombs house the mummified bodies and skeletons of some 8000 Palermitans who died between the 17th and 19th centuries. Earthly power, gender,…
Palermo
Officially titled Piazza Vigliena, the elegant intersection of Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Via Maqueda is better known as the Quattro Canti. Marking the…
Palermo
This lovely, wheelchair-accessible museum is housed in a 15th-century palazzo, which metamorphosed into a convent in the 17th century. Divided over three…
Palermo
The current Chiesa di San Domenico was built in 1640 following the design of architect Andrea Cirrincione; the facade was added in 1726 after the…
Palermo
Palermo's Diocesan Museum is home to an important collection of artworks. The basement hosts a medley of sculptures from the 15th to 18th centuries,…
Palermo
Just off Piazza Marina, this palazzo is one of the few in Palermo open to the public. Dating back to the 17th century, the building served as the Palermo…
Palermo
This 17th-century chapel showcases the breathtaking stuccowork of Giacomo Serpotta, who famously introduced rococo to Sicilian churches. Note the…
Museo Internazionale delle Marionette
Palermo
This whimsical museum houses around 4000 marionettes, puppets, glove puppets and shadow figures from Sicily and Naples, as well as from further-flung…
Palermo
One of Palermo's grandest aristocratic palaces is now an impressive, multi-faceted cultural centre. One-hour guided tours (email ahead for English…
Palermo
A showcase of Liberty architecture, set in a 9-hectare (22-acre) formal garden planted with rare and exotic species, this villa is most notable for its…
Palermo
Also known as Casa Professa, this is one of Palermo's most breathtaking churches. The Jesuits first built a church on this site between 1564 and 1578…
Palermo
The disparate architectural styles and eras of the buildings adorning this magnificent piazza should by rights be visually discordant, but in fact…
Palermo
The 16th-century 'Oratory of the Whites' obtained its nickname from the white ceremonial gowns worn by its religious guild, whose members comforted…
Chiesa Capitolare di San Cataldo
Palermo
This 12th-century church in Arab-Norman style is one of Palermo's most striking buildings. With its dusky-pink bijou domes, solid square shape, blind…
Palermo
What was once a row of dull apartment blocks is now a veritable open-air gallery, its trio of outstanding murals part of the Pangrel urban-renewal…
Chiesa di San Giorgio dei Genovesi
Palermo
Sporting an elegant Renaissance-style facade, this church was built between 1575 and 1591 to a design by Piedmontese architect Giorgio di Faccio. A simple…
Palermo
The centrepiece of the Capo quarter is the Chiesa di Sant'Agostino and its adjoining Augustinian monastery, which ran the region in medieval times. A…
Chiesa di San Francesco d'Assisi
Palermo
On a picture-perfect piazza, the much-amended Chiesa di San Francesco d'Assisi dates back to the 13th century. Remnants from its early history include the…
Palermo
Dominating this small chapel is Anthony Van Dyck's fantastic blue-and-red altarpiece, The Virgin of the Rosary with St Dominic and the Patronesses of…
Palermo
The late-16th-century Oratory of St Lawrence features glorious stuccowork by master rococo sculptor Giacomo Serpotta. Capturing scenes from the lives of…
Palermo
Featuring sculptures by Antonio Gagini, this 14th-century church is named after the patron saint of domestic servants. The Dominican priests who acquired…
Palermo
Lovers of hand-painted Italian maiolica should make a beeline for this unique museum, which contains a superlative private collection of almost 6000 tiles…
Chiesa di San Giuseppe dei Teatini
Palermo
In the southwestern corner of the Quattro Canti is this 17th-century church, topped by an elegant cupola designed by Giuseppe Mariani and flanked by the…
Chiesa di San Giovanni degli Eremiti
Palermo
One of Palermo's finest examples of Arab-Norman architecture, this five-domed, 12th-century church is named for Sicilian hermit-monk and miraculous wolf…
Museo Regionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea della Sicilia (Riso)
Palermo
In a restored 18th-century neoclassical palazzo, this two-level bastion of modern and contemporary art includes an extraordinary installation by Greek…
Chiesa di Santa Maria di Valverde
Palermo
In 1633 this 14th-century Carmelite church underwent a lavish transformation designed by architect Mariano Smiriglio and driven by wealthy Genovese…