Palermo italy where is it

The theatre was started in by the architect Giovan Battista Filippo Basile and completed by his son Ernesto. Today you can plan a visit to the city and then attend a premiere of opera, ballet or symphonic music, still rediscovering the atmosphere of the glorious times of the Florio Family. Teatro Massimo. Throughout the island you can see representations of the Opera dei Pupi with good puppet artists who have made this tradition an icon of world art.

The theatrical venues in Palermo, together with the Antonio Pasqualino International Puppet Museum , are a truly unique attraction. Then we cross the axis of Via Roma to discover the former Railway Palace. Finally, we reach Via Lincoln to admire Palazzo Jung. They all say that, then they go to see them. There are 8, mummified bodies: from the Capuchins , to the representatives of noble families, from the bourgeoisie to the representatives of the clergy.

The state of preservation of the countless corpses on display, make the cemetery of the Convent of the Capuchin Friars, known as the Catacombs of the Capuchins of Palermo , one of the most impressive places to be visited in the world.

A macabre show that highlights the uses, customs and traditions of the city of Palermo, from who lived from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century. Here is preserved also the most beautiful mummy in the world: the young Rosalia.

Abatellis Palace. This residence of Francesco Abatellis, master Portulano of the Kingdom, dates back to the end of the fifteenth century and is a magnificent example of Gothic-Catalan architecture. The aim of the project was to create harmony between the structure and the works it kept inside. The exhibition was divided into sections: a collection, for the most part, of sculptural works was placed on the ground floor and the first floor was intended for paintings.

The arrangement of the works is innovative: the use of metal or wooden supports on coloured funds of panels in fabric, Venetian stucco or wood, enhances the beauty of the paintings. Palazzo Mirto — A noble residence full of history at the Kalsa, in the historical center of Palermo. The structure dates back to the thirteenth century but has undergone several changes over the time.

The interiors are furnished with great care with furniture and carpets ranging from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century: Murano chandeliers, Chinese lacquered panels, clocks, tapestries and porcelain. The sumptuous and regal rooms embrace a terrace decorated with a rocaille fountain.

The house-museum spreads over three floors: on the ground floor the kitchens and stables; the first floor was dedicated to official celebrations and ceremonies and, finally, the second floor was reserved for the small family circle and close friends. Villa Garibaldi, in Piazza Marina and in the historical center of the Kalsa district, is far from the chaos and has many corners of shade useful for the hottest hours.

It was built between and by architect Giovan Battista Filippo Basile and dedicated to the hero Giuseppe Garibaldi to celebrate the birth of the Italian nation. There are many exotic plants, including the majestic Ficus macrophylla subsp. Columnaris or Ficus magnolioide , typical tree from the pluvial forests.

With its Ficus macrophylla of Villa Garibaldi — ph. In the evening, Piazza Marina changes its looks : local to taste typical dishes and local wines, pubs for an aperitif with live music and folk songs, street food of all kinds.

On Sunday morning there is the colourful and characteristic antique market , full of objects, vintage clothes, books and much more at reasonable prices. Right in front of the garden, we visit the majestic Chiaramonte Palace , also called Steri , today venue of the University Rectorate. Originally the Chiaramonte family house, it became later Inquisition venue.

Inside the complex, we find the prisons become famous for the graffiti left by the prisoners, unique witnessess of the suffering suffered. Within walking distance is the splendid Church of Santa Maria della Catena, between the square and the ancient port of La Cala, built in the fifteenth century and a symbol par excellence of the Catalan Gothic tradition.

For the more romantic, equally exciting is the cab tour, enjoying and appreciating the beauty of the old town. The Palatine Chapel is what worthed to be seen in Palermo. Begun in , the year of the coronation of Roger II as first king of Sicily, it was completed in 13 years and consecrated, as attested by an inscription in the dome, in The Chapel has the shape of a western basilica with three naves, divided by granite columns with rich golden Corinthian capitals.

Always of western mould, even if influenced by the southern taste, the decorated floors and the inlays of the steps, the balustrades and the lower part of the walls and the gigantic ambo shelf for the homilies , set of gold, malachite and porphyry, and the Easter candlestick, a real marble bestiary, donated by Archbishop Hugh of Palermo on the occasion of the coronation of William, son of Roger II. The mosaics are the finest products of Byzantine art, unparalleled in any of the churches of Constantinople.

There are, among others, the Pantocrator Christ of the dome, the angels surrounding him and the Evangelists absorbed in their studies, the oldest mosaics in the chapel. It is in fact the classic ceiling that we would expect to find in the largest and most elegant mosques and not in a church.

Intricate decorations adorn the stalactites and, more unique than rare in the history of Islamic art, these decorations include human figures.

The Arab artists, in the tolerant atmosphere of the Norman Palermo, were convinced to venture this type of figuration and so, with the help of binoculars, we can distinguish realistic scenes of daily life of dignitaries and handmaidens busy. The ranking , written by the American network Virtual Tourist , puts Palermo at 5 place among the best producers of street food in the world.

An easy and quick way generally a morning or a tour by night to cross a couple of millennia of history, art, fragrances, flavours and different civilizations. In the tangle of the alleys you can find everything: among stalls full of colourful merchandise, Palermo people often use to eat cooked foods on the street to pluck with their hands.

As a young girl, I remember it being a noisy, car-congested place, but it has recently been pedestrianised, and makes the perfect place for a passeggiata any time of day. Take the time to walk and get lost along the narrow side streets. You will be amazed how many hidden palaces and churches lie among the remains of dilapidated buildings left to decay since being bombed in the second world war. Occasional liberty style Italian art nouveau shops are still standing.

Pasticceria Costa Via Maqueda , dating to , does delicious marzipan patisserie, and the walls are decorated with frescos by Ernesto Basile, the artist who painted the Teatro Massimo opera house see below. If you just want a snack, the smell of panelle chickpea fritters from street stalls fills the air. And you have to have a gelato at the seaside. After the unification of Italy in , Filippo and Ernesto Basile spent 20 years building this architectural masterpiece in classic style using local stone and marble.

Its location was chosen to mark the point where the ancient quarters and the new expanding city meet, symbolising the historical link between the two. Off Quattro Canti lies Via Vittorio Emanuele with stalls and a street market and a vibrant atmosphere. Her handmade terracotta cribs and nativity figures are exported all over the world. Turn left into the peaceful gardens of Villa Bonanno and on to Piazza Indipendenza and the th-century Palazzo dei Normanni — which, despite its name, was built by the Arabs well before the arrival of the Normans.

Its Cappella Palatina is the highest artistic expression of Latin, Byzantine, and Arabic style, with gold, mosaics and marble covering every inch of its interior. The Cala marina quarter of Palermo is seeing a slow food renaissance, pioneered by the Gagini Social Restaurant , in what was once the workshop of renowned 15th-century sculptor Antonio Gagini.

Guests share large designer tables and embark on a slow food dining journey in a candlelit setting. It feels like the soul of renaissance art is still here. I love his linguine gambero : delicate shrimp pasta, parsley pesto and a garnish of traditional breadcrumbs. Walls in the elegant grey and white rooms are hung with photography by acclaimed local artists such as Pucci Scafidi and Francesco Ferla.

When to go With summers that last from April to October and mild winters, Palermo is a year-round destination. Early spring and late summer are possibly the best for fewer visitors with warm, but not hot temperatures.