Today I'm going to talk you through an easy walk through Palermo,
Sicily. Some of you have told me of some nightmare stories about getting lost, can't find places,
so I am going to suggest a really simple route you can do on foot. Of course, it does not
include everything but it does include a number of points of interest, mainly in a straight line
in walking distance. It also includes a number of the Unesco World Heritage sites
you may be interested in. The other advantage of this route includes the pedestrian zone. It
is definitely doable in a day but of course this does not allow time to go inside the buildings.
The assumptions I'm making is you have one day, you're capable of walking a few kilometers and
are wearing sensible shoes and i remind you do not underestimate the effort of walking midday
in the middle of the summer. I have to tell you one of the sad recent changes in the pedestrian
area is the amount of cyclists and users of e-scooters who take it upon themselves
to ride through the pedestrian precinct. If you watch until the end i will even give you a bonus
location to enjoy the sunset. Are you ready? To learn more about La Bella Sicilia, consider subscribing(!):-)
My suggested route starts at Palazzo de la Cuba on Corso Calatafimi and heads
down towards La Cala, the marina in the center of Palermo. Palazzo de la Cuba was built by William
ii of Sicily, a Norman king and the building is designed in Arabic style and its purpose
was for hunting and recreation. If you visit it remember it was actually once surrounded by water.
The writer Boccaccio references la Cuba in his work the Decameron. Now continue to walk down
Corso Calatafimi towards Piazza di Independenza. Piazza Independenza was so named after the
Risorgimento, the reunification of Italy and Sicily. Porta Nuova was the western entrance to
the city of Palermo in the Middle Ages. Corso Calatafimi now enters Via Vittorio Emanuele,
the main street in Palermo. This is the pedestrian zone, as you'd expect the pedestrian
zone is largely food drink and products aimed at visitors. As of my visit in 2022, I can report to
you there's a big increase in restaurants serving street food, both in Palermo as well as Siracusa.
If you want to know more about Sicilian food I've produced a separate video on this. Palazzo dei
Normanni, also known as Palazzo Reale was the seat of power in Palermo. The majority of the kings of
Sicily and the Emir of Palermo ruled from here. The Sicilian School of poetry often met here.
The Palatine Chapel, Capella Palatina is a royal chapel built in a mixture of Byzantine Norman and
Muslim architectural styles. If you are going to enter a building i would suggest it is this one
and remember this is a world heritage status location. The Palermo cathedral, the Duomo
was built in a range of architectural styles it said it was built as a church by Pope
Gregory the first but it was later rebuilt as a mosque as Palermo became the capital of Sicily.
A number of Sicilian kings are buried here if you know your history of Sicily.
This is also a world heritage status site. Now, if you want to branch off you can now go to
San Giovanni delli Eremiti which was also frequented by Pope Gregory the first
and was famous for its Norman Arab red domes. This is also a world heritage status location.
Now you have some options here, if art is your thing Palazzo Rizo is a museum of modern art.
Instead you also have an opportunity to branch off and experience the famous market, Ballaro.
Quattro Canti is a baroque square in the historical center of Palermo which joins the four ancient quarters
of Palermo. It includes statues of the four female patron saints of Palermo and was built during
the period of the Spanish occupation of Sicily. Piazza Pretoria is nicknamed the square of shame
due to the reaction, at the time, to its nude statues. Of more interest, at least to me,
was behind Piazza Pretoria where you can find San Cataldo in Piazza Bellini, an Arab Norman church
also with world heritage status. Right alongside is the Norman church of La Martorana
also known as church of Santa Maria del Ammiraglio. This also has world heritage status
and was frequented by Roger ii of Sicily. As you cross Via Roma, you have two options
to the left is an upmarket department store called La Rinascente. In my language it is
good for air conditioning toilets a rooftop bar with views of the city as well as the
opportunity to buy presents. To the right, is the 18th century baroque Palazzo Valguarnera.
You may recognize it from the movie, Il Gattopardo The Leopard. Palazzo Chiaramonte Steri
is a sad reminder of the Spanish Inquisition which was inflicted on Sicily. For completeness
people were also tortured and burned alive also outside Palermo cathedral.
On a happier note La Cala is the Palermo marina which is great for photos at sundown.
If you arrived at Palermo airport, it was renamed to Falcone and Borsellino.
Along La Cala, you will find a fresco of Palermo's most famous and courageous sons,
Falcone and Borsellino. Retracing your steps about half kilometer on Via Cavour
you can now visit Teatro Massimo, Palermo's most famous opera hall. At least for me
the photos of Teatro Massimo come out best at night. If for example you like opera Enrico
Caruso performed here and you can try to attend a performance. If instead you prefer movies you may
remember the Godfather 3 ending was filmed here. I did promise you at the beginning of the video
there was going to be a bonus spot to enjoy the Palermo sunset. So if you do happen to have a
car this is out well outside the city there is a great spot to enjoy the sunset at Sferacavallo