We visited Sicily a few years ago. We drove down from Bagni di Lucca, stopping at several places along west coast of Italy on the way down. In Sicily we visited Taormina, Ortigia, Noto, Ragusa, Scicli, Agrigento, Segesta, Corleone and Monreale. At that point a fierce wind nearly knocked us off our feet and after a brief stop in Cefalu we decided to cut our trip short and head home.
We were sorry to have missed the western side of Sicily so this time we flew to Palermo where we stayed for a couple of days before going to Erice, Trapani and Marsala.
Palermo is the capital of Sicily. The sprawling city is over 2,700 years old. It was founded in 734 BC by the Phonoecians. It has seen Carthaginian rule, had Greek colonies, became part of the Roman Empire, and was under Arab and Norman rule, making for a colourful and interesting city.
These days it has a population of 1.2 million people. The central area houses nearly 700,000 people. We stayed in the gritty historical centre where life seems to be lived outside. There are large markets, ancient and dirty streets lined with vendors and thriving pedestrian areas where people gather.
Our hotel was just around the corner from the Mercato del Capo so it was the first place we explored.
There was one place where you could choose what you wanted to eat and then sit down to eat it or take it away.
I would like to say that we tried this excellent looking food, but we did not. We lined up in front of the array of dishes, made our selection and waited to be served. Takeaway customers were given preference and everyone around us was served while we waited. Finally someone spoke to us and we said we wanted a table. He walked off, came back, ignored us and continued to serve other people. We waited for another 10 minutes and gave up. We went to a nearby place where we were served and wished we hadn’t been. The food was awful. It was a huge disappointment.
Not to be put off we wandered down towards the Quattro Canti area past numerous shops with their wares displayed in the street.
The pedestrian area around Via Maqueda and Corso Vittorio Emanuele is buzzing with life. Restaurants and cafes spill out into the street and are full of people eating in a city famous for its food…and enjoying company.
Quattro Canti is considered the centre of the historic centre of Palermo. The crossroad of Via Maqueda and Corso Vittorio Emanuele is encircled by 4 Baroque buildings with figures staring down on the passing parade.
This pedestrian area was busy all day an night, clearly the place to be.
The stunning Fontana Pretoria is close to the Quattro Canti. The fountain was originally built in Florence in 1544, but was sold and transported to Palermo where it was rebuilt in 1574.
We visited the magnificent Palermo Cathedral, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It was completed in the Middle Ages but has had numerous additions until the 18th century and is a mix of styles.
We wandered into one of the gardens in the city and found Moreton Bay fig trees! For those who are not from Brisbane (where we live in Australia) our city is on Moreton Bay. It was like a little piece of home in Palermo. The oldest and largest one was planted in 1863 and came from Lord Howe Island.
The other street market we went to was the Ballaro, the biggest in Palermo.
We had to try a freshly squeezed pomegranate juice because it is good for you…and delicious.
You might have noticed the long green things. They seem to be a type of zucchini. They were almost a metre long.
There are thousands of dilapidated buildings in Palermo. Some of them must have been magnificent. It is a pity to see them in such disrepair.
There are treasures to be found in the historical centre. We wanted to go to the Cappuccini Catacombs, but they were closed. Perhaps another time.
We stayed at Palermo Inn Boutique in the historical centre. It was well located and comfortable with cheerful and helpful staff. They served the best and most generous breakfast I have seen…and tasted.http://www.palermoinn.com
There is a great restaurant in Piazza Porta Carina, below the hotel. It was a perfect place for aperitivo or outdoor dining. It was surprisingly cool for late April so we chose an indoor table.
The best thing we saw in Palermo was the spectacular Palatine Chapel in the Royal Palace which I will show you in the next post.
See previous Sicily posts below.
Ortigia, historic centre of Siracusa
Noto, Baroque theme park, Sicily
Scicli, a delightful Sicilian surprise
Segesta…a temple in Sicily