Welcome to Palermo
From
Jesse's Journeys in Italy
Population: 652,640
(2003)
Official site:
Palermo
Wikipedia:
Palermo
Map:
MapQuest
Bewitching
Palermo is the political, cultural and
financial capital of Sicily and a major
port on the northwest coast of the island.
Palermo reached its heyday in the 12th
century when Arabs, French and Byzantines
lived together under Roger I, a Norman
scholar-king who ruled over the most
magnificent and cultured court in early
medieval Europe.
Highlights
of a visit to Palermo must include
Monreale Cathedral and the Palatine Chapel
- both of which date from this fascinating,
fruitful period - along with walks through
the atmospheric street markets of this
ancient seaside city.
The honey-coloured Baroque palaces,
piazzas and churches lining wide
boulevards of the 18th-century section of
the city lend a grandeur and charm to
Palermo which the whine of motorbikes and
exhaust fumes of nose-to-tail cars cannot
dispel.
Stretching away from Palermo to the slopes
of Monte Pellegrino is the Conca d'Oro
(Golden Shell), a fertile plain where
almonds, olives and citrus trees grow.
Palermo
is a good base from which to explore
Sicily's other western treasures - the
Ancient Greek ruins at Segesta and
Agrigento, the 12th-century hill town of
Erice and the tranquil beauty of seaside
Cefalu with its stunning late 11th century
Norman Cathedral.
Extensive
efforts have been made to restore La Kalsa,
the 10th-century Arab port district badly
bombed in WWII. After several decades of
closure, the imposing neoclassical Teatro
Massimo is once again open to the
opera-going public. Allow at least three
days to see Palermo.
Palermo
is characterised by mild winters (av. Temp.
Jan 12°C) and hot, fairly humid, but dry
summers (av. Jul temp. 28°C). In the
wettest month (Nov), expect around ten
rainy days per month. The best time to
visit is May-June or September-October
when the weather is still warm enough to
relax on the beach but too hot to take in
the sights.
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