Overview
Landmarks
Teatro Massimo, opera house. Palermo has a large architectural heritage and is notable for its many Norman buildings. MUST SEE: Cathedral (“Nostra Signora dell’Assunzione”) It arises in the oldest sacred area of Palermo, where Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines and Arabs had built their places of worship. When Normans came to power, immediately replaced the Muslim mosque with the Christian church. In 1184 the archbishop of Palermo, Walter Offamilio, ordered the demolition of the building and the realization of a great cathedral, as a symbol of the religious power in the city. Inside, we find the royal and imperial tombs where rest Roger II, Henry VI of Swabia, Constance of Altavilla and Frederick II of Swabia, all of them bared in monumental sarcophagus made of porphyry. Among the chapels, there is the Chapel of Saint Rosalia, the patron saint of Palermo. Church of “Santa Maria Dell’Ammiraglio” or “Martorana” It was completed in 1143 thanks to a generous donation from George of Antioch. Unfortunately, today the church has nothing left of its original splendor, due to the many changes that spoiled its original nature. It still remains one of the most beautiful religious buildings in Palermo and Sicily. “Quattro Canti” of the City (Four Corners) This is the best-known name of the old “Piazza Vigliena”, center of the oldest part of town. It is also called "Theater of the Sun" because it is lighted up by the sun from sunrise to sunset. The square has long been the center of the city, a place to exchange news and gossip. It was also the symbol of the Spanish urban reform, that gave glory to the two main streets crossing the city – “Via Maqueda” and “Corso Vittorio Emanuele”. Massimo Theatre “One of the largest and most sumptuous theaters in Europe”, designed by G.B. Basile, under whose direction work began in 1.875, then completed by his son Ernesto in 1.897. It stands in Piazza Verdi, after the collapse of a large number of buildings of the area. The theater, noble architecture inspired by neoclassicism, covers an area of 7.730 sqm and fully meets the criteria of decoration and balance of the middle class from the past century. Churches- San Cataldo's Church.
- Chiesa della Martorana.
- Church of Saint Catherine.
- Church of San Francesco d'Assisi.
- Palermo Cathedral: Located at Corso Vittorio Emanuele, corner Via Matteo Bonello, its long history has led to an accumulation of different architectural styles, the latest being the 18th century.
- Cappella Palatina, the 12th century chapel of the Palazzo dei Normanni, has outstanding mosaics in both Western and the Eastern traditions and a roof by Saracen craftsmen.
- San Giovanni dei Lebbrosi
- San Giovanni degli Eremiti
- Chiesa della Martorana:
- San Cataldo: Church, on the central Piazza Bellini, which is a good example of Norman architecture.
- Santa Maria della Gancia
- Santa Caterina: This church is located behind Piazza Pretoria and built between 1566 and 1596 in the baroque style.
- Santa Maria della Catena: This church was built between 1490-1520.
- San Domenico: Located near Via Roma, it is known as the “Pantheon of illustrious Sicilians”.
- San Giuseppe dei Teatini: Located near the Quattro Canti, it is an example of Sicilian Baroque.
- Oratorio di San Lorenzo
- Oratorio del Rosario: Completed by Giacomo Serpotta in (1710–17)
- Santa Teresa alla Kalsa,
- Santa Maria dello Spasimo was built in 1506 and later turned into a hospital.
- Church of the Gesù (Church of Jesus):
- San Francesco di Assisi
- Church of the Magione
- Palazzo dei Normanni (the Norman Palace), a notable example of Norman architecture, this palace houses the Cappella Palatina.
- Zisa (1160) and Cuba, magnificent castles/houses historically used by the kings of Palermo for hunting. The Zisa today houses the Islamic museum. The Cuba was once encircled by water.
- Palazzo Natoli
- Palazzo Chiaramonte
- Palazzo Abatellis. Built at the end of the 15th century for the prefect of the city, Francesco Abatellis.
- The Regional Archeological Museum Antonio Salinas is one of the main museums of Italy
- Palazzina Cinese, royal residence of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and location of the Ethnographic Museum of Sicily.