Palermo is the modern capital of Sicily it is in north west Sicily on the gulf of Palermo
it lies in a basin called the golden basin by the Arabs Palermo has a natural port
and enjoys spectacular sea views from Monte Pellegrino. It is a Unesco World Heritage site
for Arab Norman Byzantine sites including Cefalu and Monreale. The patron saint of
Palermo is Santa Rosalia. To learn more about La Bella Sicilia, consider subscribing(!)
The area of Palermo is believed to have been populated from about 8 000 years before Christ.
Examples of cave drawings can be found at Addaura. Early settlers were Sicani who arrived from Spain.
The first Greek settlement was Paleopolis, old city in contrast to the later settlement Neopolis
new city which was built during the fifth century bc. Neopolis was built with strong walls
in recognition of potential threats from across the seas. Neopolis developed around a primary
street which is today Corso Vittorio Emanuele. In 734 bc the Phoenicians, who were traders from Palestine,
built the town of Ziz in this area. The Phoenicians connected the natural port
of Ziz to the mountains and a precursor to today's Corso Calatafimi. Carthage North Africa
was Zis's major trading partner under the Phoenicians. During the Sicilian wars between the
Greeks of Syracuse and the Phoenicians, Panormus was looted by Hermocrates of Syracuse in 409 bc.
In 276 bc, during the Pyrrhic war, Panormus was overwhelmed by Greek forces led by Pyrrhus of Epirus
Phoenician Carthage control resumed in 275 bc but Panormus was overrun by the Romans
in 254 bc. Syracuse allied with the Romans to expel the Carthaginians from the island during the
first Punic war in 256 bc. Carthage made a further failed attempt to reconquer Panormus in 251 bc.
Theodahad sent Pope Agapetus I to Constantinople in 535 a.d to plead for a Byzantine campaign to Sicily
A small Byzantine task force did indeed travel to Sicily and enjoyed great success.
Muslim forces from North Africa began raiding Byzantine Sicily in 652. The Muslims of Sicily
were bolstered by 30 000 Muslims from Iberia Spain and captured Palermo after a year-long siege in 831
Panormus was the capital of the Emirate of Sicily replacing Syracuse as the capital
The Arabs renamed Panormus to Balarm, a precursor to the modern day name of Palermo. The Emirate of
Sicily existed between 831 to 1091 a.d. It was ruled by the Sunni Aghlabid dynasty from Tunisia
and the Shiite Fatimids from Egypt. Balarm was a leading political and cultural Muslim city.
The Emirate of Sicily was both wealthy and cosmopolitan and reflected an upsurge in trade
and agriculture. It was one of the leading affluent European cities. Sicily became
multilingual and tolerated many religions. A unique Arab Byzantine culture evolved. Its
legacy is the island's agriculture the crops the food and the architecture. The Emirate of
Sicily began to splinter through disagreements between the regional Muslim emirs. The Normans
exploited the disputes between the Muslim emirs and even used Muslim soldiers for the Norman
army in Sicily. The Sicilians and Muslim soldiers were defeated in 1063 at the Battle of Cerami.
In 1068 Roger beat Ayub at the Battle of Misilmeri. The Norman Roger I invaded Sicily
in 1071 and Palermo fell to the Normans in 1072 after a five-month siege in a decisive battle.
The Norman kingdom began in 1130 led by Roger II of Sicily with the support of Pope Innocent II.
Roger was crowned by someone else, the anti-pope Anacletus II, because at the time there was a
dispute over who had the right to be Pope. Palermo was the capital of the Norman kingdom of Sicily.
Roger allowed multiculturalism and multiple religions in the kingdom of Sicily. Normans,
Jews, Muslims, Byzantine Greeks, mainland Italians and native Sicilians
all coexisted peacefully. In 1139 Pope Innocent II excommunicated Roger for opposing the Pope.
Roger now focused on centralizing the government in Sicily and making the laws consistent. He also
beat off numerous invasions at the same time. The Holy Roman Emperor Frederick ii had a major
influence on the history of Sicily. In 1140 Frederick began to revolutionize the legal
system and establish what would today be recognized as a modern centralized state
he also established the primacy of a single written law across the island
after the death of Frederick a period of instability ensued. The Pope conspired with Charles
of Anjou to give Sicily new leadership. Charles of Anjou was loyal to the Pope but for a price.
The Hohenstaufen rule in Sicily ended after 1266. Charles of Anjou was now king of Sicily. In 1282,
there was a popular on uprising against the Angevin rule known as the Sicilian Vespers.
Charles of Anjou was ejected from the island of Sicily despite stubborn support from the Pope.
Palermo was ruled by the kingdom of Spain between 1479 and 1718. Charles III
chose Palermo for his coronation as king of Sicily he built new houses for the increasing population
and trade flourished at this time otherwise Palermo was neglected Charles's son, Ferdinand I
was hated by the Sicilians and they were greatly displeased when he sought refuge in Palermo after
the French Revolution in 1798. In 1848 Giuseppe La Masa led a popular uprising in Palermo.
A parliament and a constitution were proclaimed and the president appointed by the name of Ruggero Settimo.
The Bourbons quickly retook Palermo in 1849. General Garibaldi liberated Palermo in 1860.
In 1866 a new Palermo uprising only ended after martial law was imposed.
Palermo began to expand Art Nouveau style buildings which were all the rage.
During the Second World War, Palermo was heavily bombed by the Allied air forces as a precursor
to the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943. The harbour and the surrounding area was devastated
and there were heavy civilian casualties. In 1946, Palermo hosted the regional parliament
in the Palazzo dei Normanni. Palermo has always struggled with organized crime
there is anecdotal evidence that the fascist regime of Mussolini expelled criminal families
from Sicily only for them to return to power in 1943. The infamous "sack of Palermo" was the
uncontrolled urban sprawl between the 1950s and the 1980s which also heavily benefited
organized crime. The population of Palermo swelled as people left the countryside to work in the city
Organized crime in some ways exploded in the 1980s and 90s with the Maxi Trial and the notorious
assassinations of Falcone and Borsellino. Italy and Sicily as a whole have struggled with the
fallout from this period which brought the state to its knees. Unesco World Heritage sites litter
Palermo and Sicily. Palazzo dei Normanni, the Norman palace was a Norman seat of power which
was also used by the Sicilian School of poets. It also houses the famed Cappella Palatina,
the Ziza and Cuba castles were used by kings for hunting and recreation. Palazzo Chiaramonte
was the home of the Spanish viceroys of Sicily and also the center of the religious Inquisition
in Sicily. Palazzina Cinese (Chinese Palace) was the royal residence of the house of Bourbon
Teatro Masimo, the greatest theater opened in 1897 and boasts glorious acoustics.
The famous singer, Enrico Caruso starred here
and the ending of the movie the Godfather Part 3 was also filmed here with Al Pacino. Palermo
hosts a professional football team founded by an English family by the name of Whitaker