The city, located on the Conca d'Oro, at the foot of Monte Pellegrino, surrounded by the natural amphitheatre of the mountains of Palermo, overlooks its namesake gulf in the Tyrrhenian Sea in Sicily. Its history has endowed it with an imposing artistic and architectural heritage.
The city boasts a good seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites’UNESCO, among these: the Palace of the Normans with the Palatine Chapel, the Church of the Martorana, that of St John of the Hermits, that of San Cataldo, the Zisa Palace and the Admiral's Bridge; The main monuments are part of the Arab-Norman heritage site “Palermo”, with the cathedrals of Cefalù e Monreale.
For the numerous architectural testimonies Liberty, the city is part of the Council of Europe's cultural route Art Nouveau Network. Also very famous are the historic markets of Ballarò, Vucciria e Cape.
The port of Palermo is the largest in Sicily and is located close to the city centre. Connected to various national ports in Sardinia, Lazio, Campania, Tuscany, and Liguria, it is also a departure point for reaching other locations in Sicily and even Tunisia. Being close to the city centre, it is possible to visit some of Palermo's main attractions, easily reaching the Cathedral, the Palace of the Normans and the characteristic markets of Vucciria e Ballarò.
Monuments and places of interest:
- The Norman Palace, the oldest royal residence in Europe
- Palermo Cathedral, with its mix of shapes and styles
- The Church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti, with its intense red domes and beautiful gardens
- The Martorana church, famous for its magnificent mosaics
- The Massimo Theatre, Italy's largest opera house and Europe's third largest
- The Regional Archaeological Museum, home to one of the richest collections in Italy
BY FERRY FROM PALERMO
Palermo is one of the most important ports in the Mediterranean, also thanks to its harbour. in Termini Imerese (40 km away) which absorbs some of the passenger traffic from Naples e Civitavecchia. It consists of three main piers Santa Lucia, Piave e Vittorio Veneto, where the ferries from the mainland dock. The port area includes, in addition to the modern commercial port, also the ancient landing stage The cove and those for leisure and fishing use of the’Arenella, of the’Acquasanta and of Saint Erasmus. Palermo port is connected with Naples, Livorno, Cagliari, Civitavecchia, Genoa, Tunis and, less frequently, with various other Italian locations and those in the Mediterranean basin. Furthermore, it is connected by hydrofoils to the Aeolian Islands e on the island of Ustica.








