PALERMO INTRODUCTION, Introduction

Hi, my name’s Rick, and I’m your personal guide. Along with MyWoWo, I’d like to welcome you to one of the Wonders of the World: Palermo.

When Palermo was founded by the Phoenicians in 735 BC, it was given the name of Ziz, meaning flower; and there are few places as deserving of such a name as this enchanting, colorful city.

Palermo spent almost two and a half centuries under Arab rule, from 831 to 1071. The Saracens made it the capital of Sicily and turned it into a major city, leaving their mark on the local culture, language and artistic tastes. When the Normans ousted the Arabs, they constructed buildings and Christian cathedrals with the involvement of Muslim artists, thus creating the wonderfully original Arab-Norman style we can see in a number of splendid monuments that have no equal in the world.

Together with the Cathedrals of Cefalù and Monreale, seven sites in Palermo form part of a UNESCO heritage site known as “Arab-Norman Palermo”: the Royal Palace and Palatine Chapel, Zisa Palace, Palermo Cathedral, the Churches of San Giovanni degli Eremiti, Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio and San Cataldo, and the ancient Admiral’s Bridge.

You’re sure to be enchanted by the fascinating, intricate alleyways of Palermo, where you’ll come upon luxurious, centuries-old noble buildings, abandoned and yet drenched in memories, with facades rich in history, mysterious courtyards and churches from every age....