What to see and do in Italy's most sensual city
Lee Marshall, our Sicily expert, offers a bite-sized guide to one of Italy's most enthralling cities.
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In autumn Palermo emerges reinvigorated from its summer torpor – still warm enough to make the dash to nearby beaches for a final dip, but balmily perfect for exploring this superb city. For the month up to Oct 29, 120 historic venues offer special openings and guided tours for Le Vie dei Tesori festival (leviedeitesori.com); from Oct 27-29, the city’s magnificent Unesco heritage sites keep doors open until midnight. You can fly from UK airports with BA (ba.com), Ryanair (ryanair.com) and easyJet (easyjet.com).
Stay here
The 17 elegant apartments in the centrally located Butera 28 (1) offer bargains at every level, from diminutive but more than acceptable rooms at €75 (£67) a night, to €200 per night.
Against the vibrant backdrop of the Ballarò market, Palazzo Brunaccini (2) is a four-star hotel with doubles from around €80.
Walk here
Piazza Marina (3), with a garden of giant ficus trees at its heart, is a peaceful place to begin a walk, before heading west along Via Vittorio Emanuele and plunging into the sensual overload of the extraordinary Vuccirìa market (4). Further along the road, Quattro Canti – a piazza-cum-crossroads – is where Palermo’s four historic quartieri meet. Head south through Piazza Pretoria with its vast 16th-century fountain to Piazza Bellini, home to two glorious 12th-century churches. San Cataldo (5), with its three red domes, is pared back and restful.
See this
Before the Normans swept into England, they had already conquered Sicily. The Palazzo dei Normanni (6) (turismo.comune.palermo.it, entry €12), Europe’s oldest royal palace, now houses the city council.
Try this
Scale the dome of the Santissimo Salvatore church (7) (amicimuseisiciliani.it) for a splendid panorama. Entry €2.50.
Shop here
Via Roma is not the retail heaven it used to be, but many of the streets leading off it will satisfy your cravings. Via Maqueda (8) is good for Sicilian ceramics and jewellery; pedestrianised Via Principe di Belmonte has stylish boutiques and cafés.
Drink here
The range of Sicilian wine on offer at Enoteca Picone (9) (enotecapicone.it) is nothing short of extraordinary. Wine-tasting deals begin at €20.
Eat here
In the studio of baroque sculptor Antonio Gagini, Gagini Social Restaurant (10) (gaginirestaurant.com) applies the “slow food” approach to deliciously fresh dishes that play with local tradition. Taster menus from €65 per person.
Off the map
Monreale’s cathedral is a marvel of Norman architecture. Bus 389 runs from Piazza Indipendenza to Monreale about once an hour; tickets cost €1.40. Palermo’s official taxis offer a round-trip, stopping at sites in Palermo and Monreale, for €120.
