Palermo, Italy

A gastronomic overview of Palermo

The Sicilian culinary tradition is saturated with fragrant products, flavours that are the right mix between the sea and the land, just like the geographic make up of the island. Sicily was conquered and influenced by many different races and this can be seen in the large number of dishes (full of spices, various aromas and produce) that are found here. All the many conquering people have left their indelible artistic signs on the city, and have deeply influenced the countryside with their cultivation, leaving traces of themselves in the customs and ways of life that can be seen in our cuisine, especially in the sweets and desserts, known throughout the world eg cannoli and cassata. The importance of such “humble” ingredients above all greens and vegetables, but also fish, are seen in the famous dishes based on sardines, grain, aubergines (eggplant), potatoes and swordfish.

There are many restaurants and inns situated close to the sea and their main dishes are ones that are based on seafood such as the extraordinary spaghetti alle vongole (clams) or with mussels, ricci, grilled fish and seafood. Places such as Al Gabbiano, La Barcaccia, Da Totuccio in Mondello and Il Delfino, L'Ancora and Le Tre Lampare in Sferracavallo will offer you the delights of the sea. In traditional restaurants in the city, you can definitely try typical recipes at the following places: Ai Vecchietti di Minchiapititto close to Teatro Politeama, Al Pagliaio, Casa del Brodo, Cotto a Legna, Macco, Villa Giuditta and Villa Virginia, and “locali” of a certain standard class, such as Il Crudo e il Cotto and La Fenice in the splendid Piazza Marina.

A particular mention should be made of the eateries where it is possible to choose an exclusively vegetarian menu, such as Il Giardino dei Melograni, Il Mirto e la Rosa and Tulìp.

Those who would like to try a little haute cuisine, (paying prices that are “haute” too!) should opt for one of the elegant restaurants such as the Charleston in Mondello, Lo Scalino del Cardinale and Gourmands in Via Libertà. There are also restaurants in several of the city's refined hotels, such as Villa Igiea and the Astoria Palace Hotel.

There are now several restaurants in the city where diners can try a little ethnic cuisine: Tunisian food at Mensa del Popolo and Al Duar; Chinese food at Shangai and Hong Fu; Indian at Indian House; Brazilian at Birimbao; Greek and Spanish at Medit and French food at La Brasserie.

If you want to eat well, without spending lots, there are many pizzerias, all with wood fuelled ovens, both in the city and in the province. You can also try a wide variety of antipasti made from traditional ingredients, our national dish in all flavours and shapes available. Value for money, speed, as well the courtesy of the staff mean that the pizzerias are very popular with people at the weekend, so that large groups should book in advance. The most famous pizzerias, (famous for its ingredients as well as the skill of its pizza makers) are: Pizzeria Bellini close to the theatre of the same name, the New Express Garden adjacent to the Crazy Bull pub, the Pizzeria Italia close to Teatro Massimo, La Bracieria, U' Strascinu, La Carbonella, La Staffa, Naif and La Cascina, on Viale Regina Margherita, which links Palermo and Mondello, Villa Pensabene, situated in a rustic farmhouse near to the Velodromo Borsellino and the Baia dei Fenici in Santa Flavia.

There are some specialities which deserve a mention: these delights are simple but tasty, good value for money and wonderfully satisfying, just right for a snack or for a meal with a difference: focacce, or rolls flavoured with spleen and bulls lungs fried in pig's lard, which you can try at Antica Focacceria di San Francesco .Panelle, fried rectangles of chickpea flour of Arabic origin and arancini with meat or with butter, can be tried at Bar Alba, or at Bar Touring, situated in front of Villa Giulia.

Along the streets of Panormus

Dotted with beautiful monuments, churches, palaces, villas, gardens, sculptures and archaeological remains, the city of Palermo boasts of an extraordinary historical and artistic heritage. Many of the monuments of the city have been rediscovered, thanks to a dedicated restoration project undertaken by the students and teachers of the city. Around 60 percent of the restored monuments have been reopened to the public and another 20 percent are currently undergoing restoration.

The restoration project consists of routes divided into areas. Each area includes churches and monuments, which have been adopted by schools and are displayed to both visitors and locals alike by the enthusiastic members of the project. The initiative has achieved tremendous success, and today the city has become an important tourist destination and is popular as a beautiful city with an ancient history.

It's possible to divide Palermo into 10 main areas or routes which consists of:

Mandamento Palazzo Reale—The street Vicerè Maqueda–Mandamento Castellammare–Kalsa and surroundings–Stradone di Mezzomonreale–A'Ziz – Palermo and the oriental coast–Real Favorita–The reservation Monte Gallo – the towers and the villas.

Tour 1:

The Palazzo Reale district–Cassaro and the Cathedral Cassaro and Corso V. Emanuele stretch between Porta Nuova and Porta Felice. The first runs between Palazzo Reale and the army district of S. Giacomo.

The Piano del Palazzo Reale was built in the second half of the 16th century. After the successful riot against the Bourbons in 1820, this square was renamed “Piazza Vittoria” – Victory Square. In 1905, the mayor Bonanno planted palm trees all over and transformed it into a villa named after him. In baroque times, the Senate in Palermo raised a huge monument to honor Filippo IV. The statue was destroyed during the rebellion in 1848 and was replaced with another one picturing Filippo V.

The Palazzo dei Normanni (or Palazzo Reale) built in the centre of the old city, between the rivers of Kemonia and Papireto, marks the end of the most ancient part of the Palermo. Earlier, it was the place of residence of the Emirs, then the Normans and Spaniards until the regional parliament was housed here in 1947. Due to this, the building's current characteristics consist of a mixture of older and newer features.

The main entrance covers the splendid Capella Palatina surrounded by towers. The Pisana tower is the Astronomic Observatory. The Capella Palatina, built in 1130, the year Ruggero II was crowned, is richly decorated with wonderful mosaics.

Next to the square there are a number of monuments each representing different eras and periods: Palazzo Sclafani (16th century), the Capella della Soledad (17th century), Convento della Trinità, the monastery of San Elisabetta, the church of the saints Elena and Constantino (16th century), the Palazzo Arcivescovile, the military area of San Giacomo (12th century). Crossing the Vittoria Square, you'll come to the majestic and grand cathedral, which in many ways has become a symbol of the city. Both the splendid architecture and the beautiful artworks of the interior continue to thrill visitors. First raised as an early basilica, it became a mosque until it changed to being the main church of the Norman Roberto il Guiscardo. The chapels and the altar piece tell a unique story about different cultures and religions that have become integrated parts of Sicilian history and culture. You can also find the celebrated tombs of Ruggero II, Enrico VI and Federico II here.

After a stroll along Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Via del Protonotaro, you'll find the Church of San Salvatore. Right before the junction of Via Maqueda, you can see the church of San Guiseppe dei Teatini. To the right, before entering Via Roma, you'll see the 17th century church of San Matteo. At Cassaro Nuovo, you will come across different castles, such as Palazzo Vannucci, Palazzo Ventimiglia, Palazzo Roccell and Palazzo Amari, which belong to different eras. Villa Garibaldi, a public garden is centrally located and it covers more than 10,328 square meters of area. Here, you can see unique palm trees, a Dracaena Draco (Dragon Tree) and three enormous Ficus Magnolioides, one of which is claimed to be the biggest tree in Italy.

On Piazza Marina, just before Palazzo delle Finanze and Zecca, you will come across the Garraffo fountain. It was heavily damaged by the WWII bombing attacks, but has now been restored to its original splendor. In Piazza Marina, you can admire Palazzo Steri, constructed in the 14th century as a fortified residence for the prestigious Chiaramonte family.

You can visit the church of Santa Maria della Catena (1330), located near the Foro Italico. It was constructed near la Cala, where the chains of the ancient city gate of Palermo were preserved. At Porta Felice, you can see the Passeggiata delle Cattive and admire the most beautiful palazzo, which used to belong to Sicilian noble families Benso, Butera and Lampedusa. It remained closed for many years, and was reopened in 1996.

At the end of this route, you can see the Porta Felice. It was named after Vicere Marcantonio's wife and constructed by Colonna. The final parade of the annual Festino of Santa Rosalia is conducted here every year.

Route 2: The street of Vicerè Maqueda and the Castellammare district The route from Via Ruggero Settimo to Viale della Libertà was constructed in the second half of the 20th century and joins Via Maqueda, a street constructed in the 17th century. These streets have given a contemporary look to the city.

The new city centre starts from Piazza Castelnuovo, where you can admire the Teatro Politeama, constructed in 1874 in neoclassic Pompeian style based on plans by Guiseppe Damiani Almeyda. Here stands the Gallery of Modern Art, which has many works by important Italian artists from the 19th and 20th century. You will also spot the statue of Ruggero Settimo, the leader of the revolutionary government, sculptured in 1865 by Benedetto Delisi.

Make sure you visit the elegant Via Ruggero Settimo Street. It has the best stores in town. You can also visit the impressive and fascinating Teatro Massimo here.

A sprawling 25,000 square meters of area is dedicated to the Porta Maqueda. The construction was started in 1874, based on the plans of G.B. Basile and his son Ernesto. The opera theatre was inaugurated in 1897 and today, it is popular in the whole of Europe.

The Museo Teatro Cuticchio is a traditional Sicilian marionette theatre and it is also called “Theatre of the Pupi”. The shows conducted here include Charlemagne—the king of France, the Paladini and the Crusades.

Along the Via Maqueda, you will spot the beautiful fountain in Piazza Pretoria. The piazza has two beautiful churches, the S. Caterina (1566) and S.Guiseppe dei Teatini (1612).