Page 50 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Sicily

48  P ALERMO AREA B Y AREA

Palermo at a Glance

The capital of Sicily is built along the bay at
the foot of Monte Pellegrino. Palermo owes
its name to the sea: it was originally called
Panormos, or “port”, in Phoenician times. The
town prospered under the Romans, but its
golden age was under Arab domination,
when it rivalled Cordoba and Cairo in beauty.
Later, Palermo became the capital of the
Norman kingdom. Today very little remains
of the fabulous city of bygone times, but The Palazzo dei Normanni, built
on Punic foundations, has superb
the Middle Eastern influence can still be mosaic and fresco decoration. It
seen in the architecture of the churches, the became the royal palace under
many alleys in the old town and the markets. the Normans (see p68).
The other age of splendour, which left a VIA CAVOUR
lasting mark on the city’s civic and religious
buildings, was the Baroque period (17th–
18th centuries). Palermo suffered badly in
the massive bombardments of 1943 and was VIA VOLTURNO VIA ROMA
then rebuilt chaotically, the result of political VIA MAQUEDA
corruption and the Mafia.
CORSO VITTORIO EMANUELE
VIA SANT' AGOSTINO

WEST PALERMO FORO ITALICO
(see pp62–73) VIA ALLORO
PIAZZA VIA A. PATERNOSTRO
The Cappella CORSO ALBERTO AMEDEO VERGOGNA EAST PALERMO
Palatina, a (see pp50–61)
masterpiece of CORSO VITTORIO EMANUELE
Norman art, is
covered with VIA DELL'UNIVERSITÀ
Byzantine- VIA ROMA
influenced mosaics VIA ABRAMO LINCOLN
representing VIA MAQUEDA
scenes from the VIA PORTA DI CASTRO
Bible (see pp66–7). PIAZZA DEL
PARLAMENTO
VIA ALBERGHERIA

CORSO TUKORI

Palermo’s Cathedral was built in the Norman
style in 1184 on the site of an ancient basilica,
which had been transformed into a mosque by
the Arabs. It has been rebuilt many times over
the centuries (see pp70–71).
Arabic influence in the architecture of the cloister, Monreale Cathedral

048-049_EW_Sicily.indd 48 11/3/16 2:09 PM
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Flashmap template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.2)
Date 7th January 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm