Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
PALERMO
POP 657,000
Palermo is a city of decay and of splendour and - provided you can handle its raw energy,
deranged driving and chaos - has plenty of appeal. Unlike Florence or Rome, many of the
city's treasures are hidden, rather than scrubbed up for endless streams of tourists.
At one time an Arab emirate and seat of a Norman kingdom, Palermo became Europe's
grandest city in the 12th century, then underwent another round of aesthetic transforma-
tions during 500 years of Spanish rule. The resulting treasure trove of palaces, castles and
churches is a unique architectural fusion of Byzantine, Arab, Norman, Renaissance and
baroque gems.
While some of the crumbling
palazzi
(mansions) bombed in WWII are being restored,
others remain dilapidated; turned into shabby apartments, the faded glory of their ornate
facades is just visible behind strings of brightly coloured washing. The evocative history of
the city remains very much part of the daily life of its inhabitants, and the dusty web of
backstreet markets in the old quarter has a Middle Eastern feel.
The flip side is the modern city, a mere 15-minute stroll away, parts of which could be
neatly jigsawed and slotted into Paris, with a grid system of wide avenues lined by seduct-
ive shops and handsome 19th-century apartments.
