Palermo

Palermo

IT
Population628,165
Palermo ( pə-LAIR-moh, -⁠LUR-; Italian: [paˈlɛrmo] ; Sicilian: Palermu, locally also Paliemmu [paˈljɛmmʊ] or Palèimmu) is a city in southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old. Palermo is in the northwest of the island of Sicily, by the Gulf of Palermo in the Tyrrhenian Sea. The city was founded in Isla Palermo 734 BC by the Phoenicians as Sis ("flower"). Palermo then became a possession of Carthage. Two Greek colonies were established, known collectively as Panormos; the Carthaginians used this name on their coins after the 5th century BC. As Panormus, the town became part of the Roman Republic and Empire for over a thousand years. From 831 to 1072 the city was under Arab rule in the Emirate of Sicily when the city became the capital of Sicily for the first time. During this time the city was known as Balarm. Following the Norman conquest, Palermo became the capital of a new kingdom, the Kingdom of Sicily, that lasted from 1130 to 1816. The population of Palermo urban area is estimated by Eurostat to be 855,285, while its metropolitan area is the fifth most populated in Italy, with around 1.2 million people. The municipality itself, has a population of around 626,000 people. The inhabitants are known as Palermitani or, poetically, panormiti. The languages spoken by its inhabitants are the Italian language and the Palermitano dialect of the Sicilian language. Palermo is Sicily's cultural, economic and tourism capital. It is a city rich in history, culture, art, music and food. Numerous tourists are attracted to the city for its appealing Mediterranean climate, its renowned gastronomy and restaurants, its Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque and Art Nouveau churches, palaces and buildings, and its nightlife and music. Palermo is the main Sicilian industrial and commercial center: the main industrial sectors include tourism, services, commerce and agriculture. Palermo has an international airport and a significant underground economy. For cultural, artistic and economic reasons, Palermo is one of the largest cities in the Mediterranean and is now among the top tourist destinations in both Italy and Europe. It is the main seat of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalù and Monreale. The city is also going through careful redevelopment, preparing to become one of the major cities of the Euro-Mediterranean area. Roman Catholicism is highly important in Palermitan culture. The Patron Saint of Palermo is Santa Rosalia whose Feast Day is celebrated on 15 July. The area attracts significant numbers of tourists each year and is widely known for its colourful fruit, vegetable and fish markets at the heart of Palermo, known as Vucciria, Ballarò and Capo.

Places to Explore

Curated experiences in Palermo

Palazzo Chiaramonte-Steri

Palazzo Chiaramonte-Steri

Palazzo Chiaramonte-Steri is a Gothic-style palace located on via Piazza Marina, facing the Giardino Garibaldi in the ancient quarter of …

Palazzo dei Normanni

Palazzo dei Normanni

The Palazzo dei Normanni (Sicilian: Palazzu dî Nurmanni, Palazzu Riali; 'Norman Palace') is also called Royal Palace of Palermo. It …

Ecomuseo Mare Memoria Viva

Ecomuseo Mare Memoria Viva

Museo d'Arte Contemporanea della Sicilia

Museo d'Arte Contemporanea della Sicilia

The Palazzo Riso, officially RISO, Museo d'Arte Contemporanea della Sicilia ("RISO, Contemporary Art Museum of Sicily") and also known as …

Fontana Pretoria

Fontana Pretoria

The Praetorian Fountain (Italian: Fontana Pretoria) is a monumental fountain located in Piazza Pretoria in the historic center of Palermo, …

Porta Nuova

Porta Nuova

Porta Nuova is a monumental city gate of Palermo. It represents the entrance of the Cassaro (the main and most …

Museo etnografico siciliano Giuseppe Pitrè

Museo etnografico siciliano Giuseppe Pitrè

The Sicilian Ethnographic Museum Giuseppe Pitrè (Italian: Museo Etnografico Siciliano Giuseppe Pitrè) is a museum in Palermo, Italy. The museum …

Il Genio di Palermo

Il Genio di Palermo

The Fountain of the Genius of Fieravecchia is a historic fountain located in Piazza Rivoluzione (formerly Fieravecchia) in the ancient …

Cappella Palatina

Cappella Palatina

The Palatine Chapel /ˈpælətaɪn ˈtʃæpəl/ (Italian: Cappella Palatina) is the royal chapel of the Norman Palace in Palermo, Sicily. This …

Museo Regionale della Fotografia

Museo Regionale della Fotografia

Museo di Geologia Gemmelaro

Museo di Geologia Gemmelaro

Museo Archeologico Regionale Antonio Salinas

Museo Archeologico Regionale Antonio Salinas

The Antonino Salinas Regional Archeological Museum (Italian: Museo Archeologico Regionale Antonino Salinas) is a museum in Palermo, Italy. It possesses …

Chiesa di San Cataldo

Chiesa di San Cataldo

The Church of San Cataldo (or Saint Cathal's Church) is a Catholic church located at Piazza Bellini, in central Palermo, …

Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio (La Martorana)

Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio (La Martorana)

The Church of St. Mary of the Admiral (Italian: Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio), also called Martorana, is the seat of the …

Duomo di Monreale

Duomo di Monreale

Monreale Cathedral (Italian: Cattedrale di Santa Maria Nuova di Monreale; Duomo di Monreale) is a Catholic church in Monreale, Metropolitan …

Museo di Zoologia Doderlein

Museo di Zoologia Doderlein

Cattedrale Santa Vergine Maria Assunta

Cattedrale Santa Vergine Maria Assunta

Palermo Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Palermo, located in Palermo, Sicily, southern Italy. It …

Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele

Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele

The Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele is an opera house and opera company located on the Piazza Verdi in Palermo, Sicily. …

Archivio Storico Comunale

Archivio Storico Comunale

Casa Florio - Palazzina dei Quattro Pizzi

Casa Florio - Palazzina dei Quattro Pizzi

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