Palermo Walking Tour with Audio and Written Guide by a Local

The Church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti in Palermo is a monument of great charm, part of the UNESCO itinerary “Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedrals of Cefalù and Monreale.” The complex stands on a site with a long religious tradition, which first included a monastery dedicated to Saint Hermes and, during the Muslim domination, a mosque. The church was later entrusted to the Benedictines and became an important religious center. During this period the abbot also acted as the King’s confessor.

The Norman Palace, also known as the Royal Palace, is one of the most significant and historically relevant monuments in Palermo. It is the oldest royal palace in Europe. The Norman Palace stands on an older structure, dating back to the Punic-Roman period. In the underground areas that can still be visited, it is even possible to see the remains of the first Punic settlements.

Palermo Cathedral combines Byzantine, Islamic and Latin elements and has been recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The cathedral is an important site of Christian worship and houses the Diocesan Museum and the Chapel with the relics of Santa Rosalia, patron saint of the city, as well as the tombs of the Norman kings.

The Teatro Massimo in Palermo is the largest opera house in Italy and the third in Europe. Situated in a strategic position, on the border between the old city and the northern expansion, this imposing neoclassical building was designed by Giovanni Battista Filippo Basile.

Piazza Villena, known to the people of Palermo as Piazza dei Quattro Canti, was created in the Palermo of the seventeenth century where the new Via Maqueda, commissioned by the viceroy from whom it takes its name, met the already existing Via Vittorio Emanuele, also known as the Cassaro. This intersection determined the division of the city into four districts, called “Mandamenti”.

Piazza Pretoria is one of the most famous and fascinating squares in Palermo, located in the heart of the historic center of the city, also known as “Piazza della Vergogna” (Square of Shame) because of the fountain in the center of the square itself.

You can’t stay in Palermo without visiting at least once one of the city’s historic markets. The most important are La Vucciria, Capo and Ballarò. he Vucciria market is located in the historic Loggia district, between Via Roma, Piazza San Domenico and Via Vittorio Emanuele. In the past, this market was one of the liveliest and most chaotic in the city center, and its name derives from the French “boucherie” which means “butcher’s shop”, since meat was originally sold here.

Kalsa is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Palermo, dating back to the era of Islamic domination. The Kalsa still retains an oriental atmosphere today, accentuated by the presence of monuments in Arab-Norman style.

Palazzo Abatellis, located in Piazza Magione, is a prestigious example of Gothic and Renaissance architecture, built in the 15th century for Francesco Abatellis, a Sicilian nobleman. Designed by Matteo Carnilivari, the building combines Gothic elements with Renaissance influences.

If you like majolica, this private collection is just right for you. The collection, distributed in eight rooms, is divided by era and geographical origin. It includes tiles produced mainly in Campania and Sicily between the 15th and 19th centuries, used for floors in noble and bourgeois homes.