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Tours in Palermo |
For Half a Day
Monreale: Perched high up in the valley overlooking the golden Conca D'Oro, the village of Monreale is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the region. People flock here to see the Duomo (built under William II after the Norman conquest of Sicily), whose beautiful gold mosaics (all 68,220 square feet of them) depict scenes from the Old and New Testament. From the imposing Christ Pantocrator, which dominates the apse area, to the narratives of the Creation in the nave, or the scenes from the life of Christ adorning the walls of the aisles and the transept, the mosaics cover every single square inch of the inside of the cathedral. The painted wooden ceiling is also worth noting, and so are the massive bronze doors, whose 42 panels depict as many biblical scenes (they are considered among the most important of medieval artefacts). The cloister attached to the cathedral is a beautiful enclosure surrounded by 216 double columns, every other one decorated in a unique glass mosaic pattern. The Duomo is located on Piazza del Duomo (tel: (091) 640 4413).
Santuario di Santa Rosalia: This grotto on Monte Pellegrino is dedicated to Santa Rosalia, the patron saint of Palermo. Rosalia (1130-1166) was the daughter Count Sinibaldo della Quisquina. As a young woman, she abandoned her family's comfortable lifestyle and retreated here, where she lived as a hermit and dedicated her life to prayer. According to the story, a ship from North Africa carrying the bubonic plague landed in Palermo on May 7, 1624. The epidemic that ensued caused the deaths of about one third of Palermo's populace. The epidemic raged on until the middle of July when a young man, Matteo Bonello, had a vision in which Rosalia appeared to him and directed him to her cave. She instructed him to retrieve her bones and to carry them to the four corners of the city. Bonello found the cave, Rosalia's bones and a rock with Rosalia's name on it. He carried the bones to the city and Palermo's horrible plague was over.
For a Day
Erice: Located on high ground overlooking the northern coast of western Sicily, Erice (Eryx), with its delightful medieval ambience and splendid location, is popular with travellers. The city, the oldest in Sicily, is encircled by well preserved walls, and the two hilltop castles, Pepoli Castle (with foundations dating from Saracen times) and Venus Castle (dating from the Norman era) are what draw the crowds. The view from the top, 800m above sea level, is breathtaking. The site is surrounded by a lush park, and the town itself offers picturesque old stone streets and medieval churches in which to find shelter from the midday sun.
Ustica: From Palermo, the island of Ustica, 40km (25 miles) to the north, is only a short ferry trip away: here you will find fruit-tree plantations, artistic murals, but above all a diver's paradise. The island's precipitous cliffs plunge between 50 and 80m (165 and 260ft) to the sea.
Monreale: Perched high up in the valley overlooking the golden Conca D'Oro, the village of Monreale is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the region. People flock here to see the Duomo (built under William II after the Norman conquest of Sicily), whose beautiful gold mosaics (all 68,220 square feet of them) depict scenes from the Old and New Testament. From the imposing Christ Pantocrator, which dominates the apse area, to the narratives of the Creation in the nave, or the scenes from the life of Christ adorning the walls of the aisles and the transept, the mosaics cover every single square inch of the inside of the cathedral. The painted wooden ceiling is also worth noting, and so are the massive bronze doors, whose 42 panels depict as many biblical scenes (they are considered among the most important of medieval artefacts). The cloister attached to the cathedral is a beautiful enclosure surrounded by 216 double columns, every other one decorated in a unique glass mosaic pattern. The Duomo is located on Piazza del Duomo (tel: (091) 640 4413).
Santuario di Santa Rosalia: This grotto on Monte Pellegrino is dedicated to Santa Rosalia, the patron saint of Palermo. Rosalia (1130-1166) was the daughter Count Sinibaldo della Quisquina. As a young woman, she abandoned her family's comfortable lifestyle and retreated here, where she lived as a hermit and dedicated her life to prayer. According to the story, a ship from North Africa carrying the bubonic plague landed in Palermo on May 7, 1624. The epidemic that ensued caused the deaths of about one third of Palermo's populace. The epidemic raged on until the middle of July when a young man, Matteo Bonello, had a vision in which Rosalia appeared to him and directed him to her cave. She instructed him to retrieve her bones and to carry them to the four corners of the city. Bonello found the cave, Rosalia's bones and a rock with Rosalia's name on it. He carried the bones to the city and Palermo's horrible plague was over.
For a Day
Erice: Located on high ground overlooking the northern coast of western Sicily, Erice (Eryx), with its delightful medieval ambience and splendid location, is popular with travellers. The city, the oldest in Sicily, is encircled by well preserved walls, and the two hilltop castles, Pepoli Castle (with foundations dating from Saracen times) and Venus Castle (dating from the Norman era) are what draw the crowds. The view from the top, 800m above sea level, is breathtaking. The site is surrounded by a lush park, and the town itself offers picturesque old stone streets and medieval churches in which to find shelter from the midday sun.
Ustica: From Palermo, the island of Ustica, 40km (25 miles) to the north, is only a short ferry trip away: here you will find fruit-tree plantations, artistic murals, but above all a diver's paradise. The island's precipitous cliffs plunge between 50 and 80m (165 and 260ft) to the sea.