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Palermo, the capital of the autonomous region of Sicily, also called Palermo or Paliemmu by the locals, nestles in the northeast of the largest island in Italy on one of its many bays, just 200 kilometers northwest of Catania and 220 kilometers east of Messina.
What country is Palermo located in?
Palermo is a fascinating city, but splendor and decay are very close here. The contradictory Sicilian reality is also very clearly reflected here for the tourist.
Palermo is the cultural, economic and political center of Sicily. The Italians love this city – or they hate it. Even if you only spend a day in this lively Mediterranean city as a tourist, you can understand both points of view. The artistic wealth of the city, which has both European and oriental features, is impressive. The architecture of the city has Norman, Baroque, Byzantine and Arab influences. In the old town center, oriental-looking markets and Baroque palaces and churches crowd in a confined space.
Numerous peoples have lived here one after the other and together, have fought Palermo and have left their influences in the folk traditions and in the cityscape. Carthaginians, Romans, Normans, Byzantines, Arabs, Spaniards, Austrians, French and Italians gradually formed the city. Palermo is a fascinating mix of cultures.
If you want to get to know the popular Palermo, you should visit the city between the 9th and the 15th of July, then the Palermitans celebrate their patron saint, the Santa Rosaria, for a week with a great folk festival, with magnificent parades, concerts and a big final fireworks.
The Sicilian capital combines many positive qualities. Palermo is known for its long sandy beaches, extensive natural areas and cultural highlights, which have been shaped by a long and eventful history. Anyone who visits Palermo will always be happy to come back to Sicily.
Monte Pellegrino rises majestically above Palermo and offers an excellent backdrop in front of a city that has many faces. The Conca d’Oro, a bay right on the coast, invites you to relax and unwind. It is not for nothing that it is affectionately called the “golden shell”, because here the sun’s rays break in the water and immerse the bay in a warm light. It is also quiet in the green nature reserve on Monte Pellegrino, which is a real paradise for nature lovers and hikers. In the vibrant heart of the city, modern and trendy bars are lined up, interrupted by chic boutiques and small cafés. A day’s visit can also end ideally at Mondello Bay, one of Palermo’s most popular beaches, which offers a wide view over the sea.
Already in the 8th century BC, it was the Phoenicians who founded a trading post called Ziz here. Although the port was close to the Hellenic area of influence, it was one of the few in southern Italy that never became Greek. As early as 264 BC, he instead fell into the power of the Romans, who were able to hold him until the end of the empire and beyond. 800 years after its Roman annexation, it was annexed to the Eastern Roman Empire, but only a little later the ever-expanding Moors took possession of the city. Among them, a new upsurge began, which also could not be interrupted by the conquest by the Normans, and later the Staufers – both economically and culturally. This was followed by the ruling house of the Anjou – whose rule was ended by the Sicilian Vespers – the House of Aragon, the Austrians and the Bourbons. In the last centuries before the unification of Italy – which eventually included Sicily with its capital – a decline of the place took place, which reached its lowest point in the second half of the 20th century. It gained its popularity in the middle of the XIX century, when the mafia established its largest center here, making Palermo the most dangerous city in Italy. However, since the 90s of the last century, things have been going uphill again, and the economic, cultural and public life of Palermo is flourishing again.
Is Palermo in Spain?
Why is Palermo famous?
Is Sicily a country or part of Italy?
