A few words about Palermo

Palermo is the main city of the autonomous region of Sicily in Italy. It dates back to ancient times, founded by Phoenician merchants in the 8th c. B.C. on the island's north-western coast and named Ziz. The Greek called it Panormus, meaning "harbour". The Phonicians controlled it until the First Punic War (246-241 B.C.), then Sicily came under Roman rule. With the split of the Roman Empire, it became part of Byzantine territory. The Saracens arrived in the 9th century and made Palermo a leading commercial and cultural center. It is said to have had 300 mosques! The Arab rule was a period of peace and tolerance: Christians and Jews were not persecuted. The Normans conquered the island in 1091, and a century later it fell under the rule of the Holy Roman Empire. In the late 13th century Sicily came under the Aragonese kings, and in the late 15th c. became part of the Spanish Kingdom. In 1734 it unified with the kingdom of Naples and lost some of its significance. In 1860 Sicily was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy and Palermo flourished as the island's administrative center. World War II brought an Allied invasion and heavy damage, and the post-war years were marked by the power of the Mafia which continues to be an issue today. Palermo has a lot of illegal immigrants from Africa.

Palermo's archirecture is a reflection of its long and eventful history. Quattro Canti (the Four Corners) is a crossroad in the heart of Palermo's old district. The four corner buildings are adorned by Baroque sculptures and fountains. Most historical monuments, churches and other sites of interest are within a short walk from there.

Palazzo dei Normani (the Royal Palace) was the seat of the Kings of Sicily. First built by the Arab emir in the 9th c., it was extended by Roger II and other Norman kings. Inside is the Capela Pallatina, and in teresting mixture of Arab. Byzantine and Norman influence characteristic of 12th-century Sicily. The palace is the living memory of the time when the Norman Kingdom of Sicily was the most prosperous city of Europe. Today the Palazzo houses the Regional Assembly.

The Cathedral is eclectic in style. It was built in 1185 by Archbishop Walter Ophamil over an earlier Byzantine basilica transformed into a Saracene mosque. The façade is adorned by two towers and a Gothic portal. Arcades connect the Cathedral with the Archbishop's Palace.

San Cataldo is located in the central Piazza Bellini. Founded in 1160, it underwent major restoration in the 19th century. The original mosaic floors have been preserved. Santa Maria dell'Ammiragliato, widely known as La Martorana, stands next to San Cataldo. In the 15th c. it was assigned to a Benedictine convent whose nuns produced a famous marzipan in fruit shapes. Originally Romanesque, the church has been modified many times. The entrance is through a richly decorated belltower. A dome and a Baroque altar were added in the 17th century. The church's most remarkable feature are the 12th-century Byzantine mosaics.

Santa Teresa alla Kalsa is a 17th-century church, a beautiful example of Sicilian Baroque with fine stucco ornaments. The Church of the Jesus was built in 1564 by the Jesuits Its interior is richly decorated in marble and stucco but the frescoes were severely damaged during WWII. St. Francis of Assisi church has a fine 16th-century wooden choir. Another fine representative of the Sicilian Baroque is San Giuseppe dei Teatini. Its large dome is covered with yellow and blue majolica. Nearby is the Piazza Pretoria with its magnificent fountain with nude statues of nymphs, satyrs and mermaids.

Worth seeing are also the 12th-century Zisa palace which was once surrounded by the famous Genoard park, and a number of splendid villas: Villa Giulia with the Botanical Gardens, Villa Malfitana, the Chinese Villa and Villa Trabia.