Location: Palazzo Reale
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Things to do in Palermo, Sicily: The Best Sights & Landmarks
Palermo is an urban melting pot characterized by history and culture so diverse that it often feels conflicted. Discover an intriguing range of architectural styles, from Arabian domes to baroque buildings, and enjoy delicious cuisine that spans a variety of origins. Be sure to visit the Palace of the Normans, the Palatine Chapel and the church of St. John of the Hermits. Art and music lovers won’t want to miss the Galleria d’Arte Moderna (the “GAM”), the Salinas or an opera or ballet at the Teatro Massimo.
Restaurants in Palermo
1. Quattro Canti
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,725 reviews
The traditional center of Palermo called "Quattro Canti" (Four Corners) is located at the intersection of Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Via Maqueda, making it the heart of this city's old historic district.
Reviewed By Mairwen1
This central square was a really good starting point for exploring Palermo. We started our day here at the crossroads of Palermo’s two main roads, Via Maqueda and Corso Vittorio Emanuele. It is a striking and unusual square. On each corner there are 4 matching concave Baroque buildings, all facing inwards towards the centre. If you stand in the middle and tilt your head right back to look up, they create a circular frame for a blue sky and almost seem to be curving in on you. It’s quite a strange effect. The facades are highly ornate, with curves and flourishes, columns, cherubs and fountains. There is a heavy dose of Baroque theatricality. Why have one cherub, when you can have 20 or more? Each facade has corresponding symbolic features that form a theme. Starting at the ground level, each one has a fountain. Together these represent Palermo's 4 rivers. Above that, is a figure representing one of the 4 seasons. Higher again on the second tier, is one of the Spanish kings. Finally, if you cast your eyes to the top level, each façade has one of Palermo's 4 patron saints (Sant'Oliva, Sant'Agata, Santa Christina, and Santa Ninfa). Read together, the symbolic meaning is to do with hierachy and power. The kings have power over nature but the divine power of God and the saints is the most powerful of all. There are all sorts of interesting detail if you look closely. After a while, we noticed that Spring is a young woman with a bouquet of flowers, whilst winter is an elderly person, nearing the end of their life and carrying an urn. Later in the day, when we came back this way, the square looked different again. The sun had shifted so that it was shining on a different facade giving quite a different effect. Grime and soot from traffic have blackened the buildings over time but it doesn’t take a lot of imagination to consider how stunning they would have looked when new and the stone was gleaming . NEARBY: From the Quattro Canti, we walked 2 minutes around to Pretoria Square, Santa Caterina church and the wonderfully named ‘fountain of shame’.
2. Piazza Pretoria
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,016 reviews
This grand square features a splendid fountain, erected during the heyday of the Spanish Inquisition, which features sixteen statues that are nudes of nymphs, humans, mermaids and satyrs; truly a surprise that this type of art was permitted during that dark time in history.
Reviewed By Mairwen1
The star attraction of the piazza is the wonderfully named, Fountain of Shame. Built in the 1500s as an extravagant feature for a nobleman’s garden in Florence, it features racy marble sculptures of naked gods and goddesses, mermen, sirens and tritons. After the nobleman’s death, it was brought to Palermo in 644 pieces and re-assembled here. Remarkably, someone decided that the best spot for the newly acquired fountain was right outside the windows of the Santa Caterina Church and Convent. This was always going to cause problems (surely, they could have predicted that). The nuns were appalled but rather than cower behind their windows, they took matters into their own hands and went out to throw clothing over the statues. They weren’t alone in the outrage. The general population was also dismayed and regarded the fountain as scandalous and immoral, hence the nickname. The fountain is fenced off and we couldn't see any signs for opening hours but the gate was open when we passed by in the morning and we could walk around both tiers of the fountain. It’s free to enter. The piazza is ringed by several significant buildings. These are: i) the Town Hall – It’s the one with the flags and the marble eagle just below the central balcony. It was built in the mid-1400s and has had several additions and changes over the centuries. ii) Palazzo Bonocore – a 16th century building with 3 large arched doorways and open to the public iii) Palazzo Bordonaro – this has sadly fallen into disrepair and is quite derelict iv) Church of San Giuseppe dei Teatini with the colourful yellow & green dome v) Church of Santa Caterina - Dominican nuns lived and worked here from 1311 to 2014. The bakery is still there. NEARBY – From the fountain, we went along the narrow passageway beside the town hall to Piazza Bellini to look at the 3 churches of Santa Caterina, Martorana and San Cataldo. In the other direction, it is only 2 minutes away from Quattro Canti.
3. Norman Palace
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6,972 reviews
Reviewed By Sunshine631869
I didn't bother with the full visit. Just focused on the Capella Palatina which is enough, to be honest, because every inch is covered in lavish Byzantine mosaics illustrating biblical scenes. There's also plenty of Arabic influence, particularly in the geometric patterning of floor and wall tiles. You could study it for hours and you wouldn't begin to take it all in. Absolutely glorious! There's also an exhibition about the history of the Kingdom of Sicily and the Norman Palace on the ground floor. It's a bit haphazard and the English translations on the interpretation boards are absolutely shocking. It's almost impossible to follow them. You'd think they'd get native speakers to approve them but no, they just print up nonsense. Get what you can out of it but go for the mosaics. They are the real deal.
4. Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio (La Martorana)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,631 reviews
This chapel is known for its superb gold Byzantium mosaics.
Reviewed By Jazzumbo - Campulung, Romania
Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio (Church of the Admiral) was built about 900 years ago by Muslim constructors for an Orthodox Christian admiral – George of Antioch, who paid mosaic crafters from Constantinople to come to Palermo and decorate it with stunning Byzantine mosaics. One of the mosaics depicts George of Antioch praying to Virgin Mary, while another one shows the Norman King Roger of Sicily receiving the power and crown directly from Jesus. After the death of the admiral, the church became Catholic and starting from XVI century went under several transformations and restorations. Currently, some of the Byzantine mosaics, displaying messages in Greek language, are still visible near the Catholic frescoes painted in XVIII century, while the high altar is Baroque. Since George of Antioch was fluently speaking Arabic, there are also some Arabic inscriptions on two of the columns, so the mixture of styles and influences in this church is really mind-blowing.
5. Chiesa del Gesu
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,250 reviews
Reviewed By edinburgher2 - Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Tucked away in a side street in old Palermo and in close proximity to Chiesa di Santa Caterina d'Alessandria and Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio (La Martorana) so very easy to visit all three. We didn’t visit the crypt or the museum, only paid the E2 to visit the church interior. Entering inside, expect one of these “jaw -dropping moments” as the interior is almost overwhelming. The more you look at individual carvings, the more detail you see and the skill of the carvers is obvious. Hours could be spent here. Cannot recommend this enough. The high ratings are totally justified.
6. Palazzo Comitini
7. Chiesa di Santa Chiara
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 74 reviews
the monumental complex of Saint Chiara, a baroque church (1678), a keystone for the activity of the Salesian Fathers. Inside the complex of the “Santa Chiara”, the association founded in 1995 by the Salesians and members of the Santa Chiara charity, carries out its activities. Built as a cloistered monastery in the XIV century, it has been re-adapted through the centuries, but it still maintains fascinating historical and artistic traces, such as a large piece of Phoenician wall, dating back to the V and VI century B.C., inside the Salesian theatre. These traces are another sign of the multi-layered structure of the ancient Panormus. During the itinerary you may meet the Santa Chiara children, the real protagonists of the journey, and volunteers; you will discover a taste of unrivaled beauty and the uniqueness of the historical and artistic heritage, and, most importantly, values of humanity and the conservation of monuments, walking from place to place.
8. Chiesa di San Francesco Saverio
9. Monte Pellegrino
10. Chiesa del Carmine Maggiore
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 26 reviews
The origins of the church date back to the arrival of the Carmelite friars in Palermo, from Mount Carmel, in Palestine, in the year 1235. Inside you can admire the valuable works Serpotta of Gaginis, Novelli. From the church leads to the sixteenth century cloister where you can admire the beautiful dome.
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