News Top 15 attractions and things to do in Palermo. Come and find out why you should escape to the capital of Sicily for a weekend break - or more. Search for cheap flights to Palermo. It was refashioned by the Normans in the 12th century, incorporating many Arab and Byzantine features including inscriptions from the Koran. Completed in , it is built on a grand scale and lavishly decorated. Or you could take a special tour of the theatre, finishing up with cocktails in the royal box.
Opening Hours: 9. You can also book tickets to shows online. Address: Piazza Verdi, Palermo. To top it all, the Battle of Lepanto β when a coalition of Catholic states defeated the Ottoman Empire at sea β is reproduced in three dimensions. Serpotta, the Palermitan sculptor in stucco who created this and other masterpieces the Oratorio del Rosario di San Domenico is just round the corner , demanded a lute player to accompany him as he worked and a flask of wine as part of his contract.
This dazzlingly vivid jewelbox of a building will take your breath away. Essentially a Byzantine basilica, its walls are decorated in mosaic with scenes from the Old Testament and Gospels while the dome is presided over by a figure of Christ Pantocrator. The Bible stories are fully brought to life in gold, crimson, emerald, lapilazuli a masterpiece of graphic art. The geometric mosaic floors and the magnificent wooden ceiling were made by Muslim master craftsmen at the peak of their powers in a thriving and tolerant society.
Opening Hours: Mon-Sat 8. Palermo is home to a wonderful puppet museum Museo Internazionale delle Marionette that includes fabulous Sicilian puppets and stage sets as well as marionettes and shadow puppets from around the world. You can watch ancient tales being played out, with knights and saracens battling over beautiful maidens, fighting mythical beasts and generally triumphing over evil, in addition to various Shakespearean plays and The Odyssey.
Housing the Galleria Regionale della Sicilia, this Catalan Gothic palace provides an oasis of calm in which to contemplate a very fine collection of medieval art. Highlights include a magnificent but chilling fresco of the Triumph of Death β something of a theme in Palermo β and the beautiful 15th century painting of the Annunciation by Antonello da Messina. A lovely place to cool down and take stock.
