Palermo and walking go hand in hand in this city that is a living museum. As all cities in Italy it is full of roads and pittoresque squares. The main square is Cuattro Canti the place where all the squares meet .The fundamental concepts of the historical buildings you will encounter in Palermo are God, especially the Virgin Mary and the saints of the Catholics, the Virgin Mary (Madonna), and the sea deities like Poseidon. It is a city where religion and history go hand in hand.
To start with the most important attractions of Palermo, there is the Casa Professa or the Church of Jesus, from the 16th century, founded by Jesuits in 1564 and completed in 1578.
Next, you must visit the Teatro Massimo, the most important opera house in Palermo, a living work of art that to this day hosts opera performances and lyrical artists from all over the world. The Massimo Vittorio Emanuele Theater is also one of the jewels of the city. It is the largest opera house in Italy, located in the city center, and opened on May 6, 1897, 22 years after the first cornerstone was laid. In fact, at that time, it was the third largest theater in Europe after the operas of Paris and Vienna.
Its architecture primarily features neoclassical elements, as does the decoration, which is enhanced with strong doses of art nouveau. It features, among other things, an impressive Royal Box, which is located in the center of the 2nd floor, with 27 seats, as well as a private foyer, the Royal Sitting Room, where mahogany predominates.
Across from the Teatro Massimo, you will find a square with wonderful gelaterias (ice cream shops), restaurants, and cafes.Also, to the right of the theater, there is a taxi stand so you can easily get to Palermo.
Next stop: the Maioliche Museum – The rooms at Genio (Le stanze al Genio). It is named after the Genio fountain located in the nearby Piazza della Rivoluzione and is a private apartment on the first floor of the Torre Pirajno building in the historic Kalsa district. The Torre Pirajno was built in the late 16th to early 17th century on the present-day street of Giuseppe Garibaldi. The main collection consists mainly of glazed maiolica tiles from Sicily and Campania that were placed on walls and sidewalks and were made between the 15th and 20th centuries. There are approximately 5,000 pieces which are categorized by era and geographical origin, as well as collections of antique toys, vintage items, and writing instruments.
Next, a stroll through the 18th-century Palazzo Comitini, one of the most beautiful buildings in Palermo, is a must.
in the style of late Baroque with rich decoration. Luxurious period furniture, painted ceilings, Murano chandeliers create a unique setting, you will find it on Maqueda Street. On the same street is the equally impressive Palazzo del Marchese di Santa Croce e Trigona di Sant’ Elia, built on an earlier 5th-century palace, likely after 1756, following the decision of Giovanbattista Celestri e Grimaldi di Santa Croce to expand it. A few meters further up, at the junction of Maqueda and Vittorio Emanuele streets, is the Quattro Canti square, officially known as Villena square.
It is a relatively small enclosed square in Baroque style, bordered by four similar magnificent buildings, each of which has a fountain on its facade. The four fountains symbolize the four seasons and also feature statues in their upper section, while at the top, the Spanish coat of arms dominates, as the buildings were created under the orders of the Spanish Viceroys between 1608-1620.
Behind the square, on Maqueda Street, is the Fontana Pretoria, an impressive fountain characterized by many life-sized nude statues. It was built in Florence in 1554 and transported to Palermo 20 years later. The statues depict the gods of Olympus from Greek mythology such as Zeus, Poseidon, Ares, etc. The Fontana Pretoria is also known as the Fountain of Shame due to the naked statues. Opposite the fountain stands the imposing 15th-century Town Hall building, also known as the Palace of Eagles (Palazzo delle Aquile) because a large eagle dominates above its entrance, and eagles also adorn all four corners of the roof. Next to it stands the Roman Catholic church of Santa Caterina d’Alessandria from the 14th century, with a truly stunning interior adorned with statues, colored marbles, frescoes, and paintings. Behind the Town Hall, you will find the Martorana from the 12th century, a Norman church with a dome and elaborate Baroque decoration, known for its famous Byzantine mosaics, while its architectural style varies, reflecting the different periods of conquest of the island. Right next to it is the church of San Cataldo from the same century, but with a clearly more austere style, characterized by the three red domes.
Beautiful is also the belle époque Palazzo Jung of the 19th century on Lincoln Street, opposite the Botanical Garden with its wonderful statues, while on Roma Street, a stop at the Palace of the Normans, which was the home of the Kings during the Norman rule, is worth it. The original building is believed to have been constructed by the Emir of Palermo, and later in 1072, when Normandy conquered Sicily, the royal family chose it as their seat. Here, it is worth seeing the Palatine Chapel, which began construction in 1130 and was completed 13 years later. It has the shape of a three-nave basilica, the naves are separated by granite columns with impressive Corinthian-style golden capitals, while European, Sicilian, Byzantine, and Arab aesthetics are intricately combined. Its mosaics are considered the most beautiful of Byzantine art and were crafted by Greeks from Constantinople. Next to the palace is the Porta Nuova gate from 1583, which served as the entrance to the oldest road in the city.
PUPPETS
As for me the best part of sightseeing I did in Palermo was to visit its puppet museum and get the chance to enjoy a puppet play theater show an experience I never had elsewhere in Europe.
I attended a puppet theater performance with my three-year-old son at Figli D’Arte Cuticchios, and we both went crazy because even though the performance was in Italian, a language we don’t know, we were captivated by the colors, the voices, and the feeling, and we understood the play.
Subsequently, because the puppets enchanted me as they brought thoughts to my mind that we are all, more or less, puppets moved by an invisible force that guides us through life and brings people into our path, I wanted to visit the puppet museum in Palermo (Antonio Pasqualino) which is located near the port and was one of the most impressive museums I have ever seen as there is nothing comparable, a museum with puppets from all over the world and references to the traditions of Asian and African countries. This puppet museum brought a sense of fairytale to my trip allowing me to remember that Italy is the mother of the tale of Pinocchio and puppet making .
OPTIONS FOR CHILDREN IN PALERMO
After visiting the puppet museum I had to find a way to entertain my 3 year old son I was travelling with. At first it seemed that Palermo was a city that it had more to offer to adults and it was not a city with many activities for kids like London . But if you start searching more Palermo has a unique experiences to offer to kids as well. First of all if you visit the city from May till October you have to pay a visit to the nearby beach Cefalu that can be reached by train .It is a one and half hour route by train and Cefalu is an amazing village with very nice beach to swim at perfect for kids cause it is shallow and very clean .When you go to Cefalu you have the famous Italian dish Cannoli and a pasta marinara with fresh srimps. Everywhere we had lunch or dinner at Cefalu was amazing .
When we got back to Palermo I started searching for more kid’s activities. I was very happy to discover Wiser Toys a very beautiful place for kids where my son could have fun and I could focus on my writing. Wiser toys has female employees who take care of the kids while you can enjoy your coffee and snack. It is located in the city center and offers indoors and outdoors activities.
It’s address is Via Maurizio Ascoli, 90127 Palermo, Città metropolitana di Palermo, Italia and will help a lot have some time for yourself if you are travelling with kids.
Also if your kids are into sports and activities you have to try an amazing outdoor activities kid’s park,the city adventure park in Palermo .It’s address
Viale Del Fante 9, Ippodromo La Favorita – 90146 Palermo and it is open from 11 pm till evening . Make sure that you get online tickets in advance .
This is their facebook webpage where you can take a look at all the sports activities they offer with hiking and climbing being among the best.
With a bit of searching before visiting Palermo can be an amazing destination in Europe worth visiting even if you are travelling with kids. It is a pity not to visit this magnificent city ,the heart of Sicily with its vibrant colors and get it’s summer vibe all year round. Palermo should definitely be your next destination.
