Visited the Palermo Cathedral while in town and wow -- it's absolutely beautiful. The architecture…read moreand deep history are truly stunning, and its UNESCO status feels well-deserved. We wandered for a while and found plenty of great photo spots. Entry is paid, but worth it. Definitely a must-see when in Palermo. Saluti!

Beautiful! The interior, and the altars were amazing. There are crypts of two kings from the tenth…read moreand eleventh century there. The silver altar needs to be seen to be believed. This church is definitely worth the visit!

Impressive from the outside and impressive from the inside. €6 for entry and worth it. This…read morebeautiful castle is pretty much wide open and self-tourable. It is set up with a clear walk through path so that you can see it inside and out, though you will be climbing some narrow stairs and walking some narrow hallways to visit the upper levels. Well worth it and accessible from the historic district but we were here by car and lucked out for parking. The castle is part of the UNESCO site. Construction began in the 12th century. Definitely inspired by Moorish architecture, there are a number of Islamic art pieces and tools on display. Well worth an hour of your time to view and tour. [Review 12817 overall, 131 of 2020.]

In every guide book La Zisa is lifted as one of the interesting spots in Palermo. I can very well…read moreunderstand its historical background - what it once was. Today its most of all a skeleton, to be frank. They call it an islamic museum, which can not be considered to be true. The building itself is quit impressing from the outside. In modern days they have built a water park in front of it. There is water in it, but the fountains are not functioning. Esthetically its a mess - ugly one could say. Pay a visit only if you have a special interest in old building constructions.

Did a walking tour of Palermo and like most tourists had to stop in the Quattro Canti... the four…read morecorners. Such a cool place to see up close. Located in the heart of the city, historic distract. Each corner represents one of the four seasons. The two streets that Voss over are Via Maqueda and Via Vittorio Emanuele... Always illuminated by the sun, this spot is also called the theater of the sun. Major detail and time went into the design and construction here. A must see when in town.

There are a few "must sees" in Palermo and the Quattro Canti (four corners) is one of them. It's…read morehard to miss as this is the very heart and center of the historic district of the city. It is the spot where the two main streets of Palermo cross - the Via Maqueda and the Cassaro Vittorio Emanuele https://www.yelp.com/biz/cassaro-vittorio-emanuele-palermo?hrid=i-CeolRoAs0peYEwN9cCnQ. The four corners represent the four seasons of the year and each representing a separate Spanish king of Italy and a separate patron of Palermo. Beautiful day or night and I'm sad that I didn't take four perfect pictures of each corner to merge into a single image. But it's lovely and worth a visit. As usual, this is the touristy part of town. Any time there are tourists, there are going to be pickpockets. There's very little violent crime in Palermo but there are pickpockets so make sure your stuff is secure. [Round number review 12800 overall, 114 of 2020.]

"The Fountain of Shame" because a number of the statues here are rather undressed. The "Praetorian…read moreFountain" was originally created for the garden of don Luigi de Toledo of Florence in 1551. In 1573, the fountain was sold to the city of Palermo and reinstalled after it was moved. A restoration was completed in 2003. According to our tour guide, a recent Dolce & Gabbana runway took place here. Which I would totally understand as the Piazza is quite lovely. Well worth a stop to check it out and photograph. [Review 12821 overall, 136 of 2020.]

We found this gorgeous fountain as we walked along the Via Maqueda. It is a very busy area filled…read morewith tourists most every day. There are horse drawn carriages that you can rent for a very nice ride to see area located right on the street.

The Duomo Monreale is the main attraction in Monreale if you make it a destination point while…read moretraveling throughout the island. The Cathedral is located centrally in the small town of Monreale which is located on the slope of Monte Caputo about 12 miles outside of Palermo. The Cathedral is considered one of greatest existing examples of Norman architecture and is a national monument. It is beautifully preserved and the dome inside and the cloisters outside are especially beautiful. The church is not always open and is closed around lunchtime. Make sure to check the times it is open to the public to avoid waiting.

When we stopped in Sicily, we took the tour from Palermo to Monreale. We had no idea what was in…read morestore, but could've easily guessed that a large cathedral would be involved...and we weren't disappointed. Ha! The Duomo Monreale is another gorgeous cathedral on the side of a mountain. The tour bus drops you off at a lot below it and you have to walk up a small street with tourist trap shops on the way up to the cathedral. We ignored the shops and went directly to the cathedral so we could spend as much time inside. We were blown away at how beautiful this place was. Intricate art and finishes are all over the interior. How could there have been so many master craftsmen back then? What happened to this talent? Why do we make such crappy, uninspired buildings now? These are some of the many things I pondered while admiring the place. Overall, it was another solid monument to visit. Return Factor - 100%

Full disclosure, I'm a weirdo who is in to death stuff professionally. Ossuaries and catacombs, and…read morethe history behind them, is endlessly fascinating to me and far from grotesque. Part of Sicily's rich history that they inherited from the east is the preservation of bodies. You also see this in Napoli, where people even adopted the abandoned dead. But that is another place and review! The Catacomb of the Capuchin monks in Palermo is incredible, there's nothing quite like it. One like me could spend hours perusing and observing, the clothes, the teeth, the differing states of delayed decay. Admiral and cardinal hats still intact. The "Professionals" section was particularly interesting for period clothing. Beautiful fancy outfits that scream money. The Capuchin monks did not discriminate - any person of means could pay to have themselves preserved. Still, we are all equal in death. Though one might not choose this for themselves, or want to see their loved one in this condition, it is worth seeing. And reflecting. No pictures allowed, but I could not help but snap one of conjoined twins, born around 1850 I think. That they survived birth at all at that time is a miracle, and can be witnessed today. We had no guide, so I wondered, is the mother here also? It was sad seeing batches of children together, sometimes together in the same horizontal box, sometimes standing together. Were they all from the same family? Probably, which in itself gives one pause, and reminds us to be grateful for our health and this life. 100% worth a visit. Face your fears, face death, remember what life is all about.

We arrived a few minutes before 3 PM, which is when they reopen after being closed for lunch. There…read moreare free toilets before you go into the catacombs. Outside, there are some stands with souvenirs, orange juice, and snacks. The visit took under one hour. It is not possible to take photographs, and out of respect to the dead You should follow those instructions. right outside next to the catacombs there is also the Capuchin Cemetery. You can roll by while you wait for the catacombs to open. It is beautiful and very peaceful. There are also free toilets available there. these catacombs were nothing like I had seen before. And I have previously been to the Paris and Rome catacombs. The ones here are more like mummies that are lined up on the walls and you walk right between them. Most of them seem to date from the mid 1800s to late 1800s and they are grouped by profession. There are not many signs at all, so it would be beneficial to learn more about the catacombs before visiting. Overall, I thought that it was worthwhile, especially because I have been to other categories and it was interesting to see the difference.

We were incredibly lucky to have Teatro Massimo di Palermo literally on our doorstep. The…read morearchitecture is stunning and absolutely photo-worthy. It's also famous from The Godfather Part III, where the assassination of Apollonia was filmed. We loved passing by day and night, always catching a new angle. Overall, it's a must-see and an easy stop while exploring Palermo. Saluti

Historical Teatro Massimo, Godfather 3 movie, one of the main scenes was filmed here, the feeling…read moreis amazing, the energy is dynamic. Sitting on those steps and just enjoying the atmosphere is a very unique experience. There are lots of shops and restaurants around it, in the heart of the Palermo, old and new are mixed and that gives the city a beautiful view , the whole street is filled with shops and carts where you can buy all sorts of gifts , souvenirs and memorabilia. People in general are nice, and kind of rule of thumb, the fancier the restaurant, the snobbier is the service lol we tried both: fancy and mom and pops eateries, one of the best to try is Dal Pompiere. In general, Sicilia is amazing