A must see on any visit to Palermo, especially for the awe inspiring Palatine chapel and its golden…read moremosaics covering the soaring walls. You'll spend most of your visit in the chapel but some of the other rooms where the ancient Spanish and Norman kings resided are also worth a peek as is the small botanical garden. We visited during COVID so masks were required as was proof of vaccination (aka green pass) and we had wo all through a sanitizing mist following the metal detectors to enter. Timed tickets in advance are needed

In all likelihood the top attraction in Palermo. The royal apartments with their Bourbon era…read morefurniture are lovely but the big draw is the capella with its absolutely astounding Norman/Byzantine mosaics. An absolute must for visitors to Palermo.

Did a walking tour of Palermo and like most tourists had to stop in the Quattro Canti... the four…read morecorners. Such a cool place to see up close. Located in the heart of the city, historic distract. Each corner represents one of the four seasons. The two streets that Voss over are Via Maqueda and Via Vittorio Emanuele... Always illuminated by the sun, this spot is also called the theater of the sun. Major detail and time went into the design and construction here. A must see when in town.

There are a few "must sees" in Palermo and the Quattro Canti (four corners) is one of them. It's…read morehard to miss as this is the very heart and center of the historic district of the city. It is the spot where the two main streets of Palermo cross - the Via Maqueda and the Cassaro Vittorio Emanuele https://www.yelp.com/biz/cassaro-vittorio-emanuele-palermo?hrid=i-CeolRoAs0peYEwN9cCnQ. The four corners represent the four seasons of the year and each representing a separate Spanish king of Italy and a separate patron of Palermo. Beautiful day or night and I'm sad that I didn't take four perfect pictures of each corner to merge into a single image. But it's lovely and worth a visit. As usual, this is the touristy part of town. Any time there are tourists, there are going to be pickpockets. There's very little violent crime in Palermo but there are pickpockets so make sure your stuff is secure. [Round number review 12800 overall, 114 of 2020.]

I was so intrigued by Conte Federico while doing my research for our trip to Sicily, and added it…read moreright away to the "must see" list. I'm so glad I did. Right off the bat, the person who checked us in was the 15th generation of the family, and he ended up also being our lovely tour guide, Andreas. The history of the 800 year old Palazzo is rich and colorful. Our guide told entertaining, informative and humorous bits of information about his family, the impressive and varied architecture, and some of the beautiful artwork within. We also learned about his mother, an accomplished soprano singer and competitive swimmer, his father, an avid race car driver, and he himself a former fencing aficionado. I enjoyed getting a glimpse into the life of this wonderful family's history, and I was so appreciative that they are generous enough to have shared it with us. Thank you, Andreas and house Federico!

Intimate, detailed description of an important historical palazzo, given by one of the members of…read morethe family who has owned and lived in the palazzo for centuries. Highly recommend.

"The Fountain of Shame" because a number of the statues here are rather undressed. The "Praetorian…read moreFountain" was originally created for the garden of don Luigi de Toledo of Florence in 1551. In 1573, the fountain was sold to the city of Palermo and reinstalled after it was moved. A restoration was completed in 2003. According to our tour guide, a recent Dolce & Gabbana runway took place here. Which I would totally understand as the Piazza is quite lovely. Well worth a stop to check it out and photograph. [Review 12821 overall, 136 of 2020.]

We found this gorgeous fountain as we walked along the Via Maqueda. It is a very busy area filled…read morewith tourists most every day. There are horse drawn carriages that you can rent for a very nice ride to see area located right on the street.

This large park is surrounded by a number of really important Palermo sites, including the Norman…read morePalace, Villa Bonanno, the Palazzo d'Orleans, Porta Nuova. At the center of the plaza, a tall marble obelisk stands to memorialize the victims of the struggle for Italian independence. Another shady spot, much like the Villa Bonanno. A bit louder as it outside the walls of the Porta Nuova that protects the historic district from the traffic that is passing around here. The Palazzo Reale-Orleans underground railway station is also nearby but I did not ride the subway in Palermo. [Review 12825 overall, 140 of 2020.]

Contemporary art is usually different. Unlike "modern" art, it's typically more current and can…read moresometimes be political. There wasn't that political stuff, which was nice. Paolo Madonia's art was definitely unique. He paints the pictures and then sets them on fire. I'm not kidding. The randomness of the fire scorches is art. I'm not sure what was going on with the upstairs level. I think the armoires are to be hung from the ceiling? Outside, the rock circle was interesting too. On a Sunday afternoon, I believe that I was the only person in the Museum. That was certainly nice. [Review 12845 overall, 160 of 2020.]

Originally built as a Benedictine monastery and founded by Pope Gregory in 581, when Sicily was…read moreinvaded by Muslims in the 9th century, the monastery was destroyed and rebuilt as a mosque. And then in 1132, Norman King Roger II reconsecreated the mosque as a church. Disctinctive for the red domes at the top of the church, these are leftover homages to the Arab style. The church itself is a Latin Cross decorated with white bricks. Inside, much of the church is now greenery with tropical plants and trees. Entry is a minor €6 and is well worth it. You just can't see all of this from the outside. The garden is beautiful and the structure itself is very well preserved. There are some beautiful photos to be taken here. I'm really glad I learned about this place and if you're near the Palermo cathedral, make the walk to this church. You will not be disappointed. [Review 12827 overall, 142 of 2020.]

The art in this museum is amazing. That it's a diocesan museum means they house mostly religious…read moreart. But theres a good variety, so it's not tedious. The building itself was the old episcopal palace and is beautiful in its own right. He staff was very helpful.

Absolutely gorgeous! Wonderful mosaics in a fairly small church/chapel. Remember to dress…read moreapproximately!

A beautifully decorated chapel located in the Norman palace. The entirety of this soaring space is…read morecovered with golden mosaics illustrating the highlights of biblical stories and was completed over a two hundred year period beginning in the 1100s. This is a must see on any visit to Palermo along with a stroll through the the massive Norman palace. Our group of 4 visited with a private guide who adeptly navigated us around the massive palace and explained all the iconography.

Our fault for going on an organized tour that walked too quickly through the halls and without…read morebeing able to hear much of what the guide was saying through the headsets they handed us on the bus ride over. If you can hook up with a tour of maybe 5-6 others and a guide that's probably ideal, or if you don't mind not knowing much about the who and why you are ogling, then go on your own to take in a fascinatingly freaky experience.

My husband and I had visited ossuaries and catacombs in other countries and thought we would visit…read morethis well known one in Palermo. While he has a tough stomach, he wanted to leave ASAP. Agree with others that this may not be for everyone, especially for younger children. There are a series of rooms, some of which are categorized by the occupation (members of the Capuchin order, who originally were the only people to be interred there) and others by age or gender. It is disarming to see a room designated entirely to children and babies. In addition, it is even more disarming to see some of the "residents" in considerably better condition, which is attributable to different embalming techniques. The site appears to still be run by the Capuchins, as a monk sold us our tickets. No pictures to post because signs ask you not to take any and also in deference to the deceased. 8/8