"The island of Sicily is a place of contrasts: from the crumbling grandeur of its capital, Palermo, to the Greek ruins at Syracuse, volatile Mt Etna and the Aeolian Islands, home to touristy Lipari, jet-set Panarea, rugged Vulcano and spectacularly spouting Stromboli. Squatting strategically in the Mediterranean, and its largest island, Sicily has attracted waves of invaders and colonisers, whose detritus include Greek temples, Roman ruins, Norman churches and castles, and Arab and Byzantine domes. Sicilians remain strongly tied to the land, despite summer heat which can be utterly scorching - luckily, the beaches are superb." (Lonely Planet)Sicily and Palermo
Local currency is the Italian Lira (ITL):
€ 1,00 = ITL1.936,27
"The city lies on the Gulf of Palermo on the north-west coast of Sicily, in the Conca d'Oro, a fertile area planted with citrus groves.The city of Palermo
Founded by the Phoenicians (8th-7th century) with the name of Ziz (flower), it belonged to Carthage before coming under the domination of Rome in 254 BC., later becoming one of the most important centres on the island. After the fall of the Empire, it was ruled by the Goths before becoming a Byzantine possession in 552. Palermo was conquered by the Arabs in 831 became capital of the independent emirate of Sicily and entered a period of considerable prosperity. Ruggero d'Altavilla brought it under Norman rule in 1072 and made it the capital of his kingdom, a position it retained until the Angevins chose Naples as their capital city, causing Palermo to decline. Its fortunes were those of the Kingdom of Sicily until it became part of Italy in 1860.
Palermo has innumerable fine monuments and works of art, including: the cathedral (12th century, with 14th-15th and 18th century additions), the Martorana church, dating to Norman times with beautiful Byzantine-style mosaics; the church of S. Giovanni degli Eremiti, Norman with Arab influence and its adjacent cloisters; the church of S. Giuseppe dei Teatini (17th century), the church of S. Cataldo, in Arab-Norman style, the 13th century churches of S. Francesco and S. Spirito, the Oratorio di S. Lorenzo (Baroque). Non-ecclesiastical buildings include the Palazzo dei Normanni, of Arab origins, with Norman additions and decorations (outstanding Cappella Palatina, with wooden ceiling, mosaics and frescoes), and later renovation; the Palazzo Chiaramonte (medieval), Palazzo Abatellis (14th century, in Gothic-Catalonian forms), the 12th century Zisa, and Cuba, both Arab-style constructions, together with many other buildings and churches of various periods. The Parco della Favorita is an environment of considerable interest." (Istituto Geografico De Agostini)
The airport "Falcone e Borsellino" ("Punta Raisi") is about 15 Km far from the center of the city.Getting to Palermo:
One can also connect to Catania Airport with the same airlines
as above, in addition to Lufthansa. There is frequent daily bus service
from Catania to Palermo; the journey takes between two and three hours.
The official website of the city.Some useful information about Palermo:
Public buses ticket has to be bought at newspapers shops and it costs ITL 1.500 (~€ 1).
Other good sites on Palermo - by Neomedia
