THE FULCRUM OF THE MEDITERRANEAN
Situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, the city of Palermo has always been a strategic place for transit and a popular port for commercial and merchant traffic.
Teatro Massimo in Palermo
The Cathedral of Cefalù (Foto Regione Sicilia)
The coast of Palermo
History
The city has preserved all cultural aspects of its various rulers, from the Romans to the Byzantines, the Arabs to the Normans, the Svevi to the French and from the Spanish to the Austrians. The history of Palermo begins with its foundation by the Phoenicians and subsequent Roman and Saracen rules. It became the capital of the Kingdom of Sicily and continued to grow both culturally and economically. The “Vespers” revolt broke out in Palermo in 1282 and determined the Angioines expulsion from Sicily, with the consequent loss of the title of capital of the Kingdom, which went to Naples, and also helped to encourage new construction and urban plans. Subsequently, during the period in which the Spanish ruled Palermo, vast amounts of Ecclesiastic money were invested in the embellishments of its churches. Today’s city is the part that managed to recover from the Second World War bombings and the devastating 1968 earthquake.
The city and its monuments
There are numerous monuments, works of art, museums, churches and buildings to be visited in Palermo. A tour can begin from Piazza della Rivoluzione, a memorial to the anti-bourbon revolt that started here in 1848. There is also the thirteenth century church of San Francesco d’Assisi, Palazzo Mirto, the International Museum of Puppets, the church of Santa Maria alla Catena, the Rosario di Santa Cita Oratory and the church of Sant’Agostino built in the 1200’s. In addition there is: Palazzo Sclafani built in 1330, the Cathedral built towards the end of the twelfth century, Piazza Pretoria, with its spectacular central fountain, the baroque church of San Giuseppe ai Teatini with bell tower, the Kalsa, a quarter that was built under Islamic rule, The Sicilian Regional Gallery which houses medieval sculptures and paintings, the Palazzo dei Normanni, found in the city’s oldest part, Palazzo Orleans is where Louis- Philippe d’Orleans, future king of France, lived in exile and today the hosts the Headquarters of the Sicilian Region, and finally the church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti, one of the most famous Arabian-Norman monuments in Palermo.
The geographical area
In the area around Palermo you should first visit the seventeenth century Santuario di Santa Rosalia, built around the cave where legend has it the Saint appeared. Mondello is an elegant village which houses the Addaura caves, with its carvings of animals and human figures with arched bodies that give the impression that they are dancing. There are many other important tourist localities in this area: Cefalù is a well-known seaside resort and an important marine and fishing town; it is full of monuments that document its ancient origins. During the Roman times it had an important political role and then became the foundation of Islam in Sicily. Terrasini is a small village situated on a slight slope and is another well-known seaside resort, characterised by the alternation of sandy and rocky coastlines. Finally, Ustica is worth mentioning. It began life about one million years ago, from an enormous volcanic eruption in the Gulf of Palermo. With the passing years the lava cooled and an island began to take shape in the sea, made up of jagged and uneven coastlines and housing fantastic volcanic caves. However, time has not managed to change the characteristic colour of the island, a dark colour from which its name, Ustica from “ustum” (burnt) derives.
Other cities nearby Palermo
Finale di Pollina · Caccamo · Castelbuono · Collesano · Monreale · Carini · Cefalù · Palermo · Terrasini · Trabia ·
