Attractions
Galleria Regionale
Palermo's largest art museum, devoted to medieval works, is
housed in the Gothic Palazzo Abbatellis, built in 1488. The
collection includes several particularly interesting works. The
Bust of Eleanor of Aragon by Francesco Laurana, for
example, dates from 1471 and is considered to be...
see full detailsMarionette Museum
One of Palermo's most unique attractions is the engaging Museo
Internazionale delle Marionette, a museum dedicated to the art of
puppetry, which is an age-old traditional Sicilian entertainment.
Free shows are often put on in summer, but the museum collection
itself, the greatest of...
see full detailsMonreale Cathedral
Of all the many architecturally beautiful and fascinating places
of worship in Palermo, probably the most renowned is the 12th
century cathedral in the suburb of Monreale, high on the mountain
slope about five miles (eight km) from the city centre. The
dazzling cathedral...
see full detailsCapuchin Catacombs
The subterranean catacombs that contain the mummified remains of
about 8,000 ancient inhabitants of Palermo may be macabre, but are
fascinating to visit. The Capuchin friars began mummifying and
embalming the bodies of the city's nobles back in 1533, and the
tradition continued for...
see full detailsPalazzo Mirto
The excessive opulence of Baroque is nowhere better demonstrated
than in the magnificent Palazzo Mirto, one of the few aristocratic
homes of Palermo that is open to the public, offering visitors a
glimpse into the lifestyle of Sicily's noble 19th-century families.
The Palace was...
see full detailsRegional Archaeological Museum
Some of Europe's greatest archaeological treasures are tucked
away in Palermo's somewhat musty museum, which is well worth
visiting even though it's rather shabby. The collection is housed
in several old convent buildings, dating back to the 13th century,
and includes artefacts from the...
see full detailsOrtygia
The
Ponte Nuova (New Bridge) connects the mainland city
of Syracuse to the island of Ortygia, where most of the worthy
sights are located. The remains of the Temple of Apollo are sited
in the Piazza Pancali; this is the oldest Greek temple...
see full detailsPaolo Orsi Regional Archaeological Museum
Syracuse's archaeological museum is one of the most extensive in
all of Italy, preserving relics and remains from the Greek, Roman
and early Christian eras of Sicily's history. The museum building
itself is ultra-modern, consisting of glass and steel exhibition
halls connected in a...
see full detailsParco Archeologico della Neapolis
The archaeological park on the western edge of the city of
Syracuse contains the celebrated rock-hewn Greek amphitheatre,
capable of holding about 15,000 people, where Euripides and
Aeschylus' works were performed in antiquity. Today Greek dramas
are still played here on occasion. Inside a...
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