Visited the Palermo Cathedral while in town and wow -- it's absolutely beautiful. The architecture…read moreand deep history are truly stunning, and its UNESCO status feels well-deserved. We wandered for a while and found plenty of great photo spots. Entry is paid, but worth it. Definitely a must-see when in Palermo. Saluti!

Beautiful! The interior, and the altars were amazing. There are crypts of two kings from the tenth…read moreand eleventh century there. The silver altar needs to be seen to be believed. This church is definitely worth the visit!

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.]

In August, Delta Vacations ran a two-for-one sale where I was able to use some of my stash of Delta…read moreSkyMiles for two cents per SkyMile instead of one. That made 58,000 SkyMiles worth $1,160 towards airfare from New York to Palermo plus four nights hotel stay. I knew I wanted to go to Europe and I knew I wanted a warmer climate, so I picked one of the most southern spots for my January trip. Palermo's international airport is served by Alitalia through Rome and Milan and as a partner of Delta, I was able to earn back some of those Delta miles on my Alitalia flights. The airport is not too far from downtown Palermo with train, bus and taxi service. I would recommend the bus for only €6. Palermo does have a metro system but it was never where I needed to be, so most of my time was walking. It's an easy walking city as the historic district is quite flat. Of course, many of the streets are cobblestoned and many of the pavements (sidewalks) are not suitable for wheelchairs or those who might have mobility concerns. I'd not really recommend Palermo for you if you do. Other than a day trip to Erice and Trapani, I spent my time in the historic district where everyone spoke enough English to get by. The restaurants have English and Italian menus so I had no trouble ordering food, beer or wine. And the food was *fabulous*. Only downsides are that some of the places I tried to visit were not open despite their posted hours. I was only able to visit one art museum and did not get to others. The Teatro Masssimo and the Cathedral are impressive and should be toured. There are some homeless and some beggars but not many. I certainly did not see any crime and there was a good presence of various branches of marked law enforcement on patrol, including city police and carabinieri. They could do better with more vehicle barricades in the pedestrian areas. Americans will do well in Palermo. I had a grand time and can say that I'm a fan of the city! [Review 12849 overall, 164 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.

Largely religious works from the Palermo area churches, the art is interesting only when it…read morepresents a non-traditional approach or introduces subject matter or technique not found elsewhere. At times, some of the artists had influence on other artists giving significance to otherwise minor painters and craftsmen. The major work in the museum, the Horse of Death, provides an interesting analysis of the socio-cultural world of the middle ages in Palermo. The steep price (8 E) for entry is probably not worth a visit unless a visitor has a particular interest in art in Palermo during the Middle Ages. Senior citiizens over 65 from EU countries get free entrance to most museums, but residents of the U.S. get no discount..