Palermo: places, stories and flavours
What to see, what people did here for a living, what ends up on the table — and the people born here.
What to see
cappella Palatina (Palatine Chapel)
The Palatine Chapel /ˈpælətaɪn ˈtʃæpəl/ is the royal chapel of the Norman Palace in Palermo, Sicily. This building is a mixture of Byzantine, Norman, and Fatimi…
cattedrale di Palermo (Palermo Cathedral)
Palermo Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Palermo, located in Palermo, Sicily, southern Italy. It is dedicated to the Assum…
chiesa della Martorana (Church of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio)
The Church of St. Mary of the Admiral, also called Martorana, is the seat of the Parish of San Nicolò dei Greci, overlooking the Piazza Bellini, next to the Nor…
Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele
The Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele is an opera house and opera company located on the Piazza Verdi in Palermo, Sicily. It was dedicated to King Victor Emanuel…
La Zisa (Zisa Palace)
The Zisa is a grand 12th-century Norman hunting lodge and summer palace in the western area of Palermo, in the region of Sicily, Italy. The edifice was started …
chiesa di San Giovanni degli Eremiti (Church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti)
San Giovanni degli Eremiti is an ancient former monastic church located on Via Benedettini #19 in the ancient quarter of Albergaria of the city of Palermo, regi…
Palazzo dei Normanni
The Palazzo dei Normanni, also called Royal Palace of Palermo, is a palace in Palermo, Sicily, Italy. It was the seat of the Kings of Sicily with the Hauteville…
chiesa di San Nicolò da Tolentino (San Nicolò da Tolentino)
San Nicola da Tolentino, or more in non-dialect known as the church Saint Niccolò da Tolentino, is a Roman Catholic church located on via Maqueda #157, between …
Teatro al Massimo
Il Teatro al Massimo notò in origine come Cineteatro Massimo è un teatro di Palermo situato nel centro storico nel quartiere Seralcadio.
chiesa di Santa Caterina (Santa Caterina, Palermo)
Santa Caterina d'Alessandria or Saint Catherine of Alexandria is a Roman Catholic church with a main facade on Piazza Bellini, and a lateral Western facade faci…
chiesa della Madonna del Soccorso
La chiesa della Madonna del Soccorso è un edificio di culto situato nel centro storico di Palermo. È ubicata nelle immediate adiacenze di Via Maqueda.
Museo diocesano di Palermo (Museo Diocesano of Palermo)
The Diocesan Museum of Palermo is a museum of religious art in Palermo on Sicily, housed in a number of rooms in the Palazzo Arcivescovile opposite Palermo Cath…
⛔ This town has a ZTL: check the hours before driving in
On the table
Gelo di melone
Gelo di melone, also known as gelo d'anguria, is a Sicilian jelly dessert consisting of a watermelon pudding served throughout summer. Traditionally prepared on…
Cassata siciliana
Cassata or cassata siciliana is an Italian cake originating in the Sicily region. It is typically composed of a round sponge cake moistened with fruit juices or…
Frutti di Martorana
Frutta martorana is a Sicilian marzipan sweet in the form of fruits and vegetables from the provinces of Palermo and Trapani.
Buccellato
A buccellato is a Sicilian circular cake filled with figs and nuts. In Sicily, it is traditionally associated with Christmas. It is not to be confused with the …
marzapane (marzipan)
Marzipan is a confection consisting primarily of sugar and almond meal, sometimes augmented with almond oil or extract. Variants can be made from other nuts, or…
Cuccìa
Cuccìa is a primarily Sicilian dish containing boiled wheatberries and sugar, which is eaten on December 13, the feast day of Saint Lucy, the patron saint of Sy…
Biscotto regina
Biscotti regina, also known as reginelle, are small Sicilian biscuits coated with sesame seeds. They are typical of the province of Palermo but are also widespr…
Sfoglio
Lo sfoglio è un dolce tipico dell'area delle Madonie, nella Città metropolitana di Palermo. È una torta costituita da un involucro di pasta frolla, che racchiud…
iris (Iris (pastry))
Iris is a Sicilian pastry consisting of a brioscia that is filled with a sweet and creamy filling containing ricotta cheese, coated with breadcrumbs and deep fr…
Old trades
Il puparo (Opera dei Pupi)
The Opera dei Pupi is a marionette theatrical representation of Frankish romantic poems traditionally performed in Sicily, Italy.
L'arte dei dolci conventuali (Cassata siciliana PAT)
Cassata or cassata siciliana is an Italian cake originating in the Sicily region. It is typically composed of a round sponge cake moistened with fruit juices or…
Le monache pasticcere (Frutti di Martorana PAT)
Frutta martorana is a Sicilian marzipan sweet in the form of fruits and vegetables from the provinces of Palermo and Trapani.
Il cantastorie (cantastorie)
Cantastoria comes from Italian for "story-singer" and is known by many other names around the world. It is a theatrical form where a performer tells or sings a …
Il carrettiere e il pittore di carretti (Sicilian cart)
The Sicilian cart or carretto is an ornate, colorful style of horse-drawn cart native to the island of Sicily, Italy, which has become a cultural emblem for the…
L'acquaiolo
L'acquaiolo era in passato un venditore ambulante di acqua da bere. Attualmente il mestiere non è più praticato, con qualche eccezione in alcuni luoghi.
Born here
Giovanni Falcone
Giovanni Falcone was an Italian judge and prosecuting magistrate. From his office in the Palace of Justice in Palermo, Sicily, he spent most of his professional…
Ciccio Ingrassia
Francesco "Ciccio" Ingrassia was an Italian actor, comedian and film director.
Alessandro Scarlatti
Pietro Alessandro Gaspare Scarlatti was an Italian Baroque composer, known especially for his operas and chamber cantatas. He is considered the most important r…
Paolo Borsellino
Paolo Emanuele Borsellino was an Italian judge and prosecuting magistrate. From his office in the Palace of Justice in Palermo, Sicily, he spent most of his pro…
Ernesto Basile
Ernesto Basile was an Italian architect and an exponent of modernisme and Liberty style, the Italian variant of Art Nouveau. His style was known for its eclecti…
Giuni Russo
Giuseppa Romeo, known professionally as Giuni Russo, was an Italian singer who specialised in experimental music after a short successful stint as an art-pop si…
Franco Franchi
Francesco Benenato, known as Franco Franchi, was an Italian actor, comedian and singer.
Giacomo Serpotta
Giacomo Serpotta was an Italian sculptor, active in a Rococo style and mainly working in stucco.
Giuseppe Pitrè
Giuseppe Pitrè was an Italian folklorist, medical doctor, professor, and senator for Sicily. As a folklorist he is credited with extending the concept of folklo…
Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Texts and photos: Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA. Map tiles: OpenStreetMap.