Hotel Palermo.

Palermo is the capital of Sicily and one of the most important cities in Italy. The town is situated in a bay that overlooks the Tyrrhenian Sea, called the Conca d'Oro, at the foot of Pellegrino Mount. Its millennial history has bequeathed an enormous cultural and artistic heritage, making it one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe. Thanks to its strategic location, right in the middle of the Mediterranean sea, the city has always been an important commercial center and especially the meeting point between the western and eastern world.

Palermo was founded by Phoenician in the seventh century BC, with the name of Ziz, that means flower. After the Punic Wars, the city became a Roman possession, and after the empire fall came under the rule of the Arabs, and in this period it became a flourishing city with more than 300 mosques. Successive dominators, Norman, Swabian and Spanish, have left architectural and cultural signs still clearly visible. Nowaday, the historic center is divided into four quarters by the two main streets, Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Maqueda, which intersect in the picturesque square of Quattro Canti.

The essential sights of Palermo are all central and easy to cover on foot. The Palazzo dei Normanni, or Royal Palace, is a magnificient palace decorated with superb mosaics, notably the Palatine Chapel. Not far away lies the Church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti, known mainly for its typical red cupolas. Near there is the majestic Cathedral built in the twelfth century and characterized by the presence of different styles. Also worth visiting the Salinas Archaeological Museum, which keeps valuable works of different historical periods, particularly bronzes and statues of Greek and Roman times.

Walking through the center of Palermo we found the colorful and always crowded markets, including the most famous are the Vucciria, with all types of food, and Ballarò, where once there was Eastern products. The city also boasts a large botanical garden, one of the most important in Europe, with plants from all over the Mediterranean. The natural beach of Palermo is Mondello, a famous seaside resort with a long coastline with prestigious restaurants and luxurious villas in Liberty style.