Crazy, captivating, chaotic… Palermo is all that and more. The mix of old, new & everything in between reminded me immediately of Naples, insane street traffic recalled that of Buenos Aires, & the people I met in my few days there were incredibly friendly. I felt right at home! While I couldn’t see everything, I gave it a go. Here’s what I managed to fit in.
I’d been sent by the Rick Steves’ office to assist on 11-day Best of Sicily tour & help Michael with whatever he needed. Arriving a day early, I could at least get the lay of the land & visit a couple of major sights before starting work.
Day 01
After two flights, a long train ride from the airport, crossing a roundabout with un sacco di traffico, maneuvering the ramshackle sidewalks of Via Roma & eating a quick snack from Lidl, I was ready to get out there without my suitcase… or even a guidebook. Just walk.
Close to my hotel, the church & monastery of Santa Caterina d’Alessandria seemed like the best place to start. Its unassuming façade hides a Baroque beauty that’s currently under restoration. Most folks go for the nun-baked sweets, but uh, I live in Spain; I get those at home. Better for me was rooftop access & an opportunity to see artists working on the building. Breathtaking.
Across the plaza is one of the reasons I was looking forward to exploring Sicily: Arab-Norman architecture. The church of San Cataldo charged a small admission fee for a small church, but seeing those three rusty-red domes from the interior blew me away. Completed in 1154, the church’s architecture shows clear Islamic & Byzantine influences & is contemporary to Afonso Henriques capture of Lisbon just seven years earlier. Depending on where I looked, it felt like I could have been in a Romanesque Basque church or a miniature version of the mosque in Córdoba. Stunning.
Since Michael & I were meeting for an aperitivo, that’s all I could fit in. But what a start!
Day 02
With our first group meeting scheduled at 17:00, I needed to make the most of my day. No time to waste. I made a beeline to the Regional Archaeological Museum with all kinds of discoveries from the island. I am likely in the minority when I say I enjoyed the museum’s old-school vibe with exhibits & display cases from the early 20th century. Those Phoenician sarcophagi reminded me of the Cádiz city museum & the pair they have… evidence of trading prowess. The most unexpected pieces were giant sections of a former Greek temple in Selinunte. Remarkable.
I wound my way back to the church of San Domenico because that plaza impressed me & the façade was covered with scaffolding. What was inside? A nice, Neoclassical interior but also tombs of famous Sicilians! Fortunate to see the final resting place of Giovanni Falcone, a judge & prosecutor who took the Corleonesi Mafia to court, won & was later assassinated on a highway near Palermo. Moving.
With so many oratories to choose from in the city, I explored some back streets to arrive at the Oratorio di San Lorenzo. Probably best known for the Mafia theft of its Caravaggio at the main altar, all the marquetry, inlaid marble & Baroque sculpture emerging from the walls literally made my jaw drop. And far from tourist crowds. Charming.
Oh wait, there’s time for one more museum before lunch! The Galleria d’Arte Moderna Sant’Anna sits inside a former Franciscan convent but isn’t modern by the current art world’s standards. Think turn of the 20th century, just a little before & a bit after. The collection is huge, staff are present to guide you through the maze of rooms & few tourists seem to go. It was wonderful to see how local artists portrayed Palermo as it was over hundred years ago. Relaxing.
Tour time! After meeting our travel companions, Michael walked us through the city center towards the Palazzo Conte Federico. Countess Alwine gave everyone a glimpse at Sicilian aristocracy that has managed to survive into the 21st century, with the palace’s sumptuous decoration contrasting its less well-off surroundings. While I’m always grateful at a sneak peek into another world, I often feel discomfort in supporting lifestyles like theirs. Thought-provoking.
Day 03
Morning activities included a group bus ride with a local guide to the stunning cathedral in Monreale —worth a separate post of its own— then we returned to Palermo for a brief walking tour. I thought the morning was a bit long though, with a rather unpleasant stroll through Ballarò market. As if the hot-n-sticky weather didn’t make things uncomfortable enough, we walked through countless stands with grills ablaze in anything but sanitary conditions. And insane yelling to sell their products. And throngs of tourists. Revolting.
But then we arrived at the church of Jesus di Casa Professa. A Baroque masterpiece from the 1630’s almost destroyed during World War II, the beauty of this Jesuit church made me forget about that nasty market. It also wrapped up what seemed like a common theme throughout my time in Palermo: don’t let the exteriors fool you. There’s often an unbelievable amount of interior decoration waiting to be discovered, whether it’s a religious building, a palace or a museum. Intriguing.
Knackered from the humidity & non-stop pace since arrival, I headed back to the hotel area to find a spot for a quick lunch & a power nap. Kudos to Al Paninazzo —an unassuming local joint near the Teatro Santa Cecilia— for their Panino Bruto: raw sausage, arugula, Grana Padano, sweet n sour onions & mustard. Naysayers, keep it to yourselves. Tasty.
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In the end, that dichotomy of interior richness/hidden wealth vs. the commotion of street life is what made Palermo so fascinating for me. Due to my background, I would have loved to have heard more about Spain’s connection under both the Hapsburgs & the Bourbons… but I did find visible evidence everywhere. What a wonderful city just to walk around:
And there was so much I didn’t see: the cathedral, the waterfront, tons of other churches & oratories, neighborhoods with modern architecture… all waiting for a return visit. Can’t wait to return!