In September 2019, Wally and I spent a week or so in Sicily. A friend decided to have a thirtieth birthday weekend there, and given we’ve never been to Sicily before, we decided to make the most of it and fly out a few days in advance and explore the island.
We hired a car, and found an airbnb in Palermo as our base for the trip, and from there, we were able to explore both Palermo and have a couple of day trips to nearby places.
In this post, we’ve put together some of our recommendations and highlights from Palermo- from museums to restaurants- and some hints we hope will be helpful if you are planning a trip here. To read more about some of our day trips outside Palermo, click here.
Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele
Overall, we found Palermo to be very busy and bustling, however there are some nice little alleyways and hidden gems dotted around, beautiful buildings and architecture, and delicious food (especially arancini!). One word of warning- driving in Sicily is not for the faint hearted. We found parking to be particularly difficult, so we’d recommend walking as much as possible rather than driving into the center.
In terms of the city itself, one of the most prominent and striking areas is around the Quattro Canti (the four corners)- which is a crossing with four Baroque buildings on each corner, each with a fountain and representing one of the four seasons. This is a very lively and busy square, as each of the roads leads to a landmark- either the Masimo Theatre, one of the roads to the Palazzo dei Normanni (Norman Palace), to the Porta Felice (former city gates) or the central station of Palermo.
Quattro Canti
A very short walk away from the Quattro Canti is the Fontana Pretoria– a stunning fountain from the 16th century. Interestingly, the fountain was originally built in Florence but was moved to Palermo. As you walk around the fountain, you can see the various nymphs, animals and other figures dotted around the basin.
To one side of the fountain you can see the Santa Caterina church, and to another side the town hall- Palazzo delle Aquile. We managed to visit both, and would recommend a quick visit to both of these, especially as they are located very close by.
Porta Felice
Santa Caterina
The Santa Caterina church is incredibly imposing and impessive, with a stunning Baroque interior, and right next to it you can see what used to be a monastery (the monastery was in place from 1311 to 2014).
We bought a ticket to visit the both church and the roof- and we could see the monastery, nun cells (no longer used), the church itself and also go up onto the terrace- which offers an stunning 360 degree view of Palermo- as you can see from our photos! To find out more about visiting the church and entrance fees, see here. There is also on site a bakery- with biscuits, buns, cakes (using old nun’s recipes)- and it is certainly worth stopping by!
The courtyard and former nuns’ cells in the Chiesa di Santa Caterina d’Alessandria
Inside the Chiesa di Santa Caterina d’Alessandria
Views from the Chiesa di Santa Caterina d’Alessandria
Meeting rooms inside Palazzo delle Aquile
Palazzo delle Aquile
We came across the Palazzo delle Aquile by complete chance- and we were very glad we did! This is an important political building- it houses both the mayor and the offices of the municipality of the city.
Whilst quite small, this palace has incredible decor, stunning rooms and incredible art throughout. Also- the entrance was free- so we would recommend a quick visit here!
Decor inside Palazzo delle Aquile
Palazzo delle Aquile
The Cattedrale and Palazzo dei Normanni
We would say these are some of the must-visit places in Palermo. First- the Cattedrale. The construction of the cathedral began in 1185, however various sections of the cathedral were added over time. Interestingly, the church was turned into a mosque after the city was conquered in the 9th century. The impressive dome was only added was only added at the start of the 19th century. All of this combined creates for a very interesting architectural visit, and unsurprisingly the church has been designated as a UNESCO world Heritage site. As well as the cathedral itself, you can visit the Royal Tombs and the Crypt- both very impressive. To find out more about the cathedral and visiting, see here.
Located a short walk away from the cathedral is the Palazzo dei Normanni. Whilst this was called the Norman Palace, it was actually build by the Arab rulers in the 9th century, but the facade that you can see today is mostly Spanish, added in the 17th century. The only Norman remains you can see is the stunning Capella Palatina (Palatine Chapel)- an incredibly impressive and elaborate chapel. You can see mosaics covering every ceiling and wall, and it is worth just standing there for a while and taking in all of the decor and the the atmosphere.
The Norman Palace is definitely worth a visit- and you can buy tickets and see more here. As well as visiting the chapel, you can visit royal apartments, with stunning portraits and art work. One of the most interesting rooms was the Chinese Hall- as you can see from the photos- containing beautiful paintings and decor.
The Chinese Hall in the Palazzo dei Normanni
Cattedrale di Palermo
Inside the Palazzo dei Normanni
Art on display at the Palazzo dei Normanni
Ornate ceiling in the Cappella Palatina
Cappella Palatina
Many tiles at Stanze al Genio
More tiles at Stanze al Genio
One of the rooms at Stanze al Genio
The courtyard in the Regional Archaerological Museum Antonino Salinas
Stanze al Genio-i.e-the Museum of tiles
This was perhaps the highlight of our visit- we stumbled across this gem by chance online, and were very glad to have done so. This is a private collection, located on the first floor of a palace- Stanze al Genio. You need to pre-book your visit in advance (see more details here) and you will get a guided tour for an hour of eight or so rooms. It was during a renovation/refurbishment which resulted in the discovery of original decorations.
Walking around the various rooms, visitors can see around 5000 pieces on display- as you can see from our photos- tiles are everywhere! This is in fact one of the largest private collections open to the pubic in Europe. As well as tiles, visitors can see some antique toys and other vintage items. The guided tour was held in English and was very easy to follow and informative- giving a lot of background to the history of the collection, as well as the Sicily as well.
Antique toys at Stanze al Genio
Regional Archaerological Museum Anotono
Located near the Teatro Massimo, this museum is not to be missed for any archaeological fan as it has one of the biggest and most impressive collections of Greek art in Italy. Named after a famous archaelogist, Antonino Salinas, who served as the director of the museum until 1914 (his death), after which, his entire private collection was left to the museum. The building itself is rather impressive, perfect for displaying the grand statues and archaeological finds.
The museum also has a stunning couryard, cute little shop and a cafe with delicious coffee for visitors. Apparently the museum is currently closed for renovation- but hopefully will reopen soon!
Artefacts on display at the Regional Archaerological Museum Antonino Salinas
Some of the market stalls at the Mercato di Ballaro
Mercato di Ballarò – The Ballarò Market
Being very into food, this was one of the first places we visited in our trip- and for anyone with a passion for food- should be quite high up on the list! This market meanders through the streets of Palermo, and has tons of meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, as well as clothing etc. We bought a fair few things here for some of our meals, as well as tried lots of dishes, bought some souvenirs to bring back, and just took in all the delicious aromas, bright colours, the crowds and the business of the place. We’d suggest walking through and trying out some of the various dishes from the cafes and restaurants.
There are various other street markets around Palermo- including Vucciria and Capo- but we found Ballaro Market to have a good variety of everything, and offer a great experience overall.
Mercato di Ballaro
Mercato di Ballaro
Exploring Palermo on foot
To explore Palermo on foot, and in particular the historical center, we would suggest walking from the Massimo Theatre to the Quattro Canti along Via Maqueda, then turning onto the Corso Vittorio and making your way past the Cathedral towards the Palazzo dei Normanni.
Do stop by some of the stalls/restaurants selling arancini, or for a more substantial meal… and Corso Vittorio has many tourist shops and boutiques you can pop into to!
Mercato di Ballaro
Chiesa di San Cataldo
Our Favourite Food in Palermo
We were very lucky to try a number of delicious meals- both in restaurants and from street stalls. Below we’ve listed just some of our favourites that we’d recommend any visitor to Palermo to try!
Cannoli siciliani
An Italian pastry, cannolis are tube-shaped fried dough pastries, usually filled with cream cheese or ricotta. The topings vary- we saw pistachios, cheries and chocolate chips- all delicious!
Sicilian Pistachio Gelato
Arancini
If you haven’t come across arancini before- this is the thing to definitely try (at least once!) in Palermo. Arancini are ball of rice (usually leftover risotto if home-made), stuffed with meat, cheese, mushrooms or other ingredients, then covered in breadcrumbs and deep fried. Very delicious! Sometimes we had small arancini as a starter, and on one occasions we found some very large arancini and just had this as our lunch!
Seafood
Seafood in Palermo was outstanding! Our favourite was octopus from the Mercato di Ballarò (see photo below), and also fried seafood from random stalls (unfortunately ate these too quickly to get a photo!)
Osteria Ballarò
Located not too far from the Quattro Canti, Osteria Ballarò offers a variety of Sicilian and Italian dishes, using seasonal products. The end result- delicious dishes, served in a great atmosphere. We met a few friends here for dinner, an have a lovely evening- from the starters to the dessert, all accompanied by very tasty wines. Highly recommend this place- whether for an intimate date or a group gathering!
Suggested itineraries
Overall, Palermo offers something for everyone- whether you’re into archaeology or food… below are a few ideas. Do let us know if you have any suggestions or anything we’ve missed in the comments below!
A Weekend Trip
If you are in Palermo just for a weekend, we’d suggest spending some time walking around the Quattro Canti, visiting the Cathedral and Norman Palace and trying out some of the Sicilian dishes from food stalls you’ll find dotted around.
A longer Trip
If you’re visiting Palermo for longer, you’ll have time to also do a few day trips- check out our blog post here for more ideas. In Palermo itself, we’d also suggest visiting Mercato di Ballarò, and the museum of titles as well.
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