Palermo and Western Sicily
- Will Gerson
- Feb 18
- 4 min read
Historical Context
In its nearly three millennia of history, Palermo has been ruled by many of the great civilizations of early Europe: the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, Romans, and Arabs have all counted it among their vast territories. But the city truly flourished under the rule of the Normans, who conquered Sicily from the Arabs at the behest of both the Lombards and the Byzantines, finally proclaiming their own sovereign state, the Kingdom of Sicily, in the 12th century, after nearly 150 years of fighting. The Norman kingdom was a true melting pot, bringing together Western European, Islamic, and Byzantine cultures to create a new social and cultural aesthetic, evident in the grand buildings of medieval Palermo. Although its grandeur began to dull in the following centuries, as the kingdom was passed around between various European royal houses, the golden age of Arab-Norman Palermo can still be seen today in a visit to Sicily’s vibrant capital.
Points of Interest
Palazzo dei Normanni
After passing through the 16th-century Porta Nuova, you are in the heart of the old city, and the first building you will encounter is the Norman Palace. The palace, which was the seat of the King of Sicily, is a testament to the various rulers who resided here: the original building was a Norman castle, but it was significantly reconstructed by the Spanish Bourbon kings in the 16th century, with further modernizations in the 20th century by the region of Sicily and the Italian army. The palace’s main attraction is without a doubt the Cappella Palatina, the royal chapel built by Roger II of Sicily in 1132. The chapel is a prime example of the unique syncretism of the medieval kingdom: the space has a typical Norman-Romanesque layout, but with fabulous shimmering Byzantine mosaics and intricate muqarna ceilings throughout.
Cattedrale di Palermo
Continue a little farther along Via Vittorio Emanuele and you will reach Palermo’s magnificent cathedral. Similar to the Norman Palace, the cathedral has an array of architectural styles. The site was originally a Byzantine basilica that was later converted to a Mosque under Arab rule before being restored as a cathedral by the Normans. The 14th and 15th centuries saw the additions of Gothic bell towers and porticos, while in the late 18th century the great neoclassical dome was added.
Continue along the road to the Quattro Canti (Piazza Vigliena), where the four original quarters of the city intersected, and make a right to see the Fontana Pretoria, a beautiful fountain built in Florence in 1544 but transported and reassembled in front of Palermo’s Senate.
Chiesa di San Cataldo and Chiesa di Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio
Continue past the fountain and you will reach two of the oldest churches in Sicily. The Chiesa di San Cataldo, with its iconic red domes and bell tower, is an archetypal example of the Arab-Norman style; next door, the church popularly known as the Martorana is home to a large congregation of Italo-Albanians, the descendants of Albanians who in the 15th century fled persecution by the Ottomans and settled in Sicily, that preserves its Eastern Christian traditions and heritage.
Markets
Part of Palermo’s essence is captured by the energy of its street markets, which wind along the alleys filled with vendors plying the products of the land. There are three main historic markets in Palermo, and each is deserving of a visit in its own right. Close to the Chiesa del Gesù di Casa Professa is the Mercato di Ballarò, the oldest and arguably the busiest of the three, which is a great place to have a bite to eat of fried seafood or a Sicilian street food like arancini (fried balls of rice filled with meat ragù or cheese) or panelle (fritters made of chickpea flour). A few blocks west of the Teatro Massimo is the Mercato del Capo, the fish market in the old Muslim quarter known as the Schiavoni. But the most famous of the three is La Vucciria, in Castellammare, which is known for its food by day but for its nightlife after sunset.
Beaches
In the city, your best bet for a beach is definitely Spiaggia di Mondello, about a twenty minute drive north of the historic center.
I highly recommend taking the train to the medieval town of Cefalù, 43 miles (70 km) east of Palermo, for its beaches as well as its fabulous cathedral, which is one of the finest Arab-Norman gems on the island.
Legend has it that the cathedral was built by Roger II of Sicily after he survived a storm at sea and miraculously managed to land unharmed on the town’s beach. Be sure to see the beautiful mosaics inside before you head to the beach for the rest of the afternoon––if you want some food to take with you, grab a sandwich from Foodda or a gelato at Squagghio.
