Palermitano

<< Sicily

The Palermitano is the territory of the Metropolitan City of Palermo, which occupies a large area of northwestern Sicily. This area faces the Tyrrhenian Sea and includes several seaside resorts and historic cities on the coast, most notably Cefalù. Numerous other notable destinations are instead located among the beautiful hills and mountains of the interior. This territory also includes the island of Ustica.

Isola delle Femmine

Isola delle Femmine is a town and seaside resort located northwest of Palermo. The town has been inhabited since ancient times, but it only developed recently as a tourist destination.

Isola delle Femmine

Isola delle Femmine is small island in the Tyrrhenian Sea, located just off the coast near the town of the same name. The island was occupied in ancient times, but now it is uninhabited and serves as a nature reserve.

Carini

Carini is a city located on the coast west of Palermo. Originally founded in ancient times, the town was ruled by several civilizations, remaining a relevant regional center. More recently, the town expanded and developed as a seaside resort and thanks to its vicinity to Palermo.

Carini Castle

The Carini Castle is a medieval fortress originally erected in the 11th century by the Normans. The castle was later reworked several times, turning it into a noble palace. The fortress has various decorated halls and features some imposing fortifications.

Monreale

Monreale is a town located at the foot of the hills just southwest of Palermo, in a valley known as Conca d’Oro. Founded by the Normans in the 12th century, the city is best known for its cathedral, a masterpiece of Arab-Norman architecture.

✪ Monreale Cathedral

The Monreale Cathedral (Duomo di Monreale) is a large church erected between the 12th and 13th century, and one of the greatest masterpieces of Arab-Norman architecture. The cathedral has a beautiful monumental facade, and adjacent to the structure is a wide cloister. Inside, the church houses a huge cycle of well preserved Byzantine-style mosaics made between the 12th and 13th century. The cathedral also features various other artworks and decorations, while adjacent to the church is the Diocesan Museum of Monreale (Museo Diocesano di Monreale), which hosts numerous historic religious objects and art pieces. The church is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Piana degli Albanesi

Piana degli Albanesi is a town located among the mountains south of Palermo. Founded in the 15th century by Albanian refugees, the town is the most important and populous center of the Arbëresh community in Italy, and preserves many elements of Albanian culture and tradition.

Piana degli Albanesi Cathedral

Also known as: Cathedral of Saint Demetrius the Great Martyr (Cattedrale di San Demetrio Megalomartire)

The Piana degli Albanesi Cathedral is a historic church that serves as one of the main sites of the Italo-Albanian Catholic Church. Built between the 15th and 17th century, the church features various decorations in Byzantine and Baroque style. The cathedral is also adorned with numerous elaborate 17th-century frescoes and Byzantine Revival artworks from the 20th century.

Nicola Barbato Civic Museum

The Nicola Barbato Civic Museum (Museo Civico Nicola Barbato) is a museum of local history and traditions in Piana degli Albanesi. The museum houses numerous objects, documents, and costumes linked with local traditions, as well as a section dedicated to natural history.

Corleone

Corleone is a town located among the hills south of Palermo. Inhabited since ancient times, it has always been a small center of regional importance, but it became infamous in the second half of the 20th century for its links to some of the most notorious mafia bosses.

International Documentation Center on the Mafia and Anti-Mafia Movement

The International Documentation Center on the Mafia and Anti-Mafia Movement (Centro Internazionale di Documentazione sulla Mafia e Movimento Antimafia) is a museum dedicated to the struggle against the mafia and organized crime in Corleone. It features a collection of interesting documents dedicated to the people who fought, and still fight, against the mafia.

Royal Palace of Ficuzza

The Royal Palace of Ficuzza (Real Casina di Caccia di Ficuzza) is a hunting lodge located in the countryside near Corleone and erected in Neoclassical style in the early 19th century. Later abandoned, now it serves as a museum, and it is at the center of a large nature reserve.

Bagheria

Bagheria is the second largest city in the Metropolitan City of Palermo, located east of the capital of Sicily. While the area has been inhabited since ancient times, the modern town only developed since the 17th century, when it became the site of various villas built by noble families.

Palazzo Butera-Branciforti

Palazzo Butera-Branciforti is a large villa in the center of Bagheria, built in the 17th century. The palace has a decorated facade, and was partly reworked in Neoclassical style. Inside are various richly adorned halls.

Villa Palagonia

Also known as: Villa dei Mostri

Villa Palagonia is a large Baroque villa built in Bagheria in the 18th century. The villa is best known for the series of statues of monsters with human faces that adorn its walls and gardens, which earned it the nickname of Villa dei Mostri (“Villa of the Monsters”). The internal halls of the palace are also richly adorned with frescoes and artworks. In the 18th and 19th century it was a popular attraction for travelers of the Grand Tour.

Villa Cattolica

Villa Cattolica is an 18th-century villa located at the outskirts of Bagheria. The palace is richly decorated, but it is best known for hosting the Guttuso Museum (Museo Guttuso), an art museum dedicated to Renato Guttuso which houses several of his artworks, as well as pieces by other 20th-century artists. The villa also houses the tomb of Guttuso.

Santa Flavia

Santa Flavia is a town located near the coast east of Bagheria. The town is best known for hosting the ruins of the ancient city of Soluntum, but it is also a seaside resort.

Archaeological Area of Soluntum

The Archaeological Area of Soluntum is a historic site that houses the ruins of an ancient city originally founded by the Phoenicians in the 6th century BCE. This was for centuries one of the main Phoenicians settlements in Sicily, but it was ultimately conquered by the Romans. The town later declined and was abandoned around the 1st century. The ruins of Soluntum now feature various ancient structures, including sections of temples, several houses, and numerous public buildings. Next to the ruins is a small museum hosting archaeological findings from the site.

Cefalà Diana

Cefalà Diana is a small town located among the mountains south of Palermo. Inhabited since at least the Roman age, the modern town only developed since the 17th century.

Baths of Cefalà Diana

The Baths of Cefalà Diana (Bagni di Cefalà Diana) is a series of ancient baths built in Arab-Norman style around the 10th or 11th century. This was originally the site of Roman baths, which were reworkked and expanded during the Middle Ages. The site was used for centuries, with the latest works completed in the 19th century. Now, the monumental complex can be visited.

Termini Imerese

Termini Imerese is a town located along the Tyrrhenian coast east of Palermo. The modern town was founded after the destruction of the nearby Greek colony of Himera, and remained an important regional center throughout its history. Now it is mainly an industrial center.

Civic Museum of Termini Imerese

The Civic Museum of Termini Imerese (Museo Civico di Termini Imerese) is a museum in Termini Imerese, dedicated to local history. The museum houses various archaeological findings from Himera and the territory around the city, as well as several paintings and other artworks.

Archaeological Park of Himera

Himera was an ancient Greek colony founded in the 7th century BCE near the Tyrrhenian coast. The city was contested between Greeks and Carthaginians, and was the site of two important battles in 480 BCE and 409 BCE. After the Carthaginian victory in the second one, the city was destroyed and abandoned. The Archaeological Park of Himera (Parco Archeologico di Himera) now houses the ruins of the ancient city, including the remains of the Temple of Victory (Tempio della Vittoria), built in the 5th century BCE. The park includes an archaeological museum housing some artworks and objects unearthed here.

Caccamo

Caccamo is a small small town located among the mountains of the Metropolitan City of Palermo, south of Termini Imerese. While this area has been inhabited since ancient times, the town was founded by the Normans, and developed around a castle. Now it is a tourist destination thanks to this castle and the beautiful natural environment that surrounds the town.

Caccamo Castle

The Caccamo Castle is an imposing fortification built by the Normans in the 12th century. The castle is built on a steep cliff and features a well preserved monumental structure. The castle was reworked and restored several times, and now it serves as a museum.

Collesano

Collesano is a small town in the Metropolitan City of Palermo, located at the foot of the Madonie mountain range. Inhabited since ancient times, it was for centuries the seat of a fiefdom, and now it is a tourist destination.

Targa Florio Museum

The Targa Florio Museum (Museo Targa Florio) is a museum in Collesano, dedicated to the historic automobile race Targa Florio. This race was held in the mountains of Sicily between 1906 and 1977, and passed through Collesano. The museum houses numerous documents and objects showcasing the rich history of this race, as well as parts of historic vehicles.

Cefalù

Cefalù is a town located on the Tyrrhenian coast east of Palermo, and a famous tourist destination. Founded in prehistoric times, it was ruled by various civilizations, including Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, and Normans, and always remained a small port of regional importance. The town is now known for its historic cathedral and as a seaside resort.

✪ Cefalù Cathedral

The Cefalù Cathedral (Duomo di Cefalù) is large historic church built in Arab-Norman style between the 12th and 13th century. This is one of the best examples of this architectural style, and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The church has a monumental facade adorned with two massive towers and a 15th-century portico, while adjacent to the structure is a cloister. The interior is richly adorned with a series of Byzantine-style mosaics made in the 12th century, but is also hosts several other artworks.

Mandralisca Museum

The Mandralisca Museum (Museo Mandralisca) is an art museum located in the old town of Cefalù. The museum houses various historic artworks as well as several ancient furnishings, coins, and archaeological findings. The museum also has a section dedicated to natural history and zoology.

Rocca of Cefalù

The Rocca of Cefalù is a large rocky hill that overlooks Cefalù. On top of the rock are various ancient structures, including the Temple of Diana (Tempio di Diana), a megalithic site built in the 9th century BCE, as well as the ruins of a medieval castle.

Gibilmanna Sanctuary

The Gibilmanna Sanctuary (Santuario di Gibilmanna) is religious complex located on the mountains south of Cefalù. According to tradition, it was founded in the 6th century, and was rebuilt by the Normans in the 12th century after a period of abandonment. The structure was later reworked, and now features several artworks and a museum of religious art.

Castelbuono

Castelbuono is a small town located at the foot of the Madonie mountain range in the Metropolitan City of Palermo. The town developed in the Late Middle Ages around a castle, and was later the seat of a small fiefdom. Now a tourist destination, it is known for its castle and for being the main center in the Madonie area.

Castelbuono Castle

The Castelbuono Castle is castle built in the 14th century as a residence of the local lords. The castle has an imposing structure with Arab and Norman elements, and features some decorated halls, including a richly adorned chapel. The castle hosts the Civic Museum of Castelbuono (Museo Civico di Castelbuono), a museum of local history that includes many artworks and archaeological findings.

Francesco Minà Palumbo Naturalistic Museum

The Francesco Minà Palumbo Naturalistic Museum (Museo Naturalistico Francesco Minà Palumbo) is a museum in Castelnuovo, dedicated to the natural environment of the Madonie mountain range. The museum has various exhibitions focused on natural history that house thousands of specimen, including numerous fossils.

Petralia Sottana

Petralia Sottana is a small town located in the Madonie Regional Natural Park, on the southern side of the massif. Inhabited since ancient times, the town is one of the main centers in this area, and now it is a famous tourist destination.

Piano Battaglia

Piano Battaglia is a ski resort located on the Madonie massif, near Petralia Sottana. The site developed in the second half of the 20th century, and it is now one of the few ski resorts in Sicily, and a popular destination both in winter and summer.

Gangi

Gangi is a small town located among the mountains of the Metropolitan City of Palermo. The current town was founded in the Late Middle Ages, and it is known for its peculiar position on the side of a hill, which makes it a tourist destination.

Church of San Nicola di Bari

The Church of San Nicola di Bari is the main church of Gangi, located in the center of the town. The church was erected between the 14th and 15th century, and it is richly adorned with Baroque artworks and decorations. A fortified tower erected in the Late Middle Ages next to the church now serves as its bell tower.

Ustica

Ustica is a small island in the Tyrrhenian Sea, located around 50 km north of the coast of Sicily. First inhabited in prehistoric times, the island has hosted a Benedictine monastery and was used by pirates as a base for centuries. Ustica was settled permanently only in the 18th century. More recently, the island was used as a prison in the 20th century, and it was the site of a controversial plane accident in 1980. Now it is a tourist destination.

Ustica Island Marine Protected Area

The Ustica Island Marine Protected Area (Area Marina Protetta Isola di Ustica) is a nature reserve that surrounds the island of Ustica. This area, known for its clear waters, is a famous destination for scuba diving, and houses numerous species of fish and other marine creatures.