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Palerme
Palermo is Sicily's regional capital, and
is a busy port city situated on the north-western coast of the island.
The Old City is split into quadrants at the Quattro Canti, the virtual
heart of Palermo. Among the most important tourist attractions of
Palermo are the city's Norman Cattedrale and the
Saracen-Norman-Spanish Palazzo Reale (or Palazzo dei Normanni), a
former royal palace added to and altered over the centuries, and now
the seat of the local parliament. You can visit parts of the latter
building, including the Cappella Palatina, an exquisite chapel
containing rich mosaics. Other sights include La Martorana, a splendid
Norman church with a Baroque facade, the imposing Teatro Massimo and
Vucciria market. Via Cavour divides the medieval core to the south and
the New City to the north. In spite of its heavy traffic, the more
modern section of Palermo is much easier to navigate. The heart
of this grid is the double squares of Piazza Castelnuovo and
Piazza Ruggero Séttimo. Palermitans call this piazza maze Piazza
Politeama (or just Politeama). Heading northwest from Politeama is
Palermo's swankiest street, Viale della Libertà, home to smart stores
and tony boutiques. It is also the street of many upmarket
restaurants, bars, office blocks, and galleries. Libertà races its way
to the southern tip of Parco della Favorita. Plays acted by
marionettes are a local tradition, and you can visit the Puppet Museum
(Museo delle Marionette) to learn more about the history of the art -
and see a performance if you can. Museums include the Galleria
Regionale in Palazzo Abatellis, and the fine Museo Archeologico
Regionale, which contains archaeological exhibits from from the famous
sites in western Sicily. For those with more specialist interests (and
strong nerves) it's worth making a trip to the macabre Convento dei
Cappuccini's catacombs lined with the dead. Palermo's tourist
information offices are located at the airport, Stazione Centrale, and
Piazza Castelnuovo 35. |
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