Our first few minutes in Sicily were spent navigating the streets of Messina, after having arrived on a ferry from the Italian mainland. Honking cars, crazy motorbikes and messy urban lawlessness, it was an immediate taste of the chaos which would accompany our 91 days in Palermo; an antipasto to the capital’s main course of noisy pandemonium. By the time we had gotten through Messina and onto the highway, my nerves were frayed and patience spent, but the wonder and excitement of finally being in Sicily remained intact.

This mixture of positivity and negativity was a sensation I would soon become accustomed to. Over the course of our months here, Palermo revealed itself to be equal parts fascinating and obnoxious. Gratifying and infuriating. Gorgeous and revolting. It’s destabilizing; for months, my mood has been on a pendulum swinging between outrage and joy, happiness and frustration. Without much effort, this could be one of Europe’s great cities. But instead of addressing its problems, Palermo seems to have accepted them as an immutable part of its fabric. The Mafia? That’s our thing. Rubbish on the streets? Shrug. Ridiculous gridlock? That’s life.

Palermo’s problems are real, and there’s no denying the damage they cause to the experience of visiting, and to the everyday lives of its citizens. But Palermo has so much to offer that you can look past the negatives, even if you can’t wholly forgive them. There’s so much history here, and so much culture. The food is so incredible, the markets so lively, the people so welcoming. There are so many incredible churches and palaces. So much art. Great shopping. Fun bars and cozy trattorias. No, to concentrate on the negative aspects of this city would be to completely miss the picture.

We had a blast in Palermo. From the day we arrived until now, we’ve hardly rested. It’s not easy for a city to entertain a newcomer for three full months, but Palermo never ran out of ideas. The first month was spent running from church to church, museum to museum, like tourists on crack. During the next, we settled down into the rhythm in the city, and discovered the richness and diversity of the Palermitano lifestyle. And in these final weeks, we’ve been exploring both the regions around Palermo, and those further afield. For an island about the size of Vermont, there is an astonishing amount to see in Sicily. Overwhelming.

So, as we shut the door on another chapter of our lives, it’s not surprising that I find myself with mixed emotions. I’m excited to be rid of the insane traffic, for example, but I don’t know how I’ll be able to say “farewell” to the arancini. That might break me. In any case… Palermo, our experiences in Sicily, the new friends we’ve made here, the vespas we’ve dodged, the amazing food we’ve eaten and the things we’ve seen… I don’t think we’ll be forgetting any of it, any time soon.

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Food, fire, trash, art and architecture — you get a little of everything on a random walk through Palermo. This city is a lot of things, but boring is not one of them!

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It wasn’t us!

The Albergheria is the oldest neighborhood in Palermo. This is where the Phoenicians founded the city, and it hosts the royal palace which all the city’s rulers have called home. Despite this rich history, today’s Albergheria is one of the most run-down sections of Palermo. Nowhere else is the juxtaposition of dilapidated housing and exquisite historic buildings quite so jarring.

The Albergheria occupies the southwest quadrant delineated by the Quattro Canti, and has more than its share of artistic treasures. The Palazzo Normanni, the Casa Professa, the churches of San Giovanni degli Eremiti and San Giuseppe dei Teatini, and the Palazzo Sclafani are just some of the architectural highlights. In the past, it was home to Palermo’s Jewish population, before they were kicked off the island in 1492.

The neighborhood was heavily damaged during Allied air raids in World War II, and has never fully recovered. Cheap housing went up around the tiny alleys and a large immigrant population moved in to take advantage of the low rents. Today, a visit to the Albergheria almost feels like a trip to another continent. Sri Lankans and Africans dominate sections of the neighborhood, and have set up shops and restaurants which are decidedly non-Italian in flavor.

One place in the Albergheria that definitely has Italian credentials is the Ballaró Market, which competes with Il Capo’s as the best in town. Stretched out between the churches of San Nicolò and Carmine, this market has everything you could possibly need for the kitchen. And on the corner of Via Nunzio Nasi is a guy selling the best street food we’ve had in Palermo — panelle, rascature and crocchè, packed into paninis.

The Albergheria is one of those rare neighborhoods which changes its face every time you turn a corner. Will you find a gorgeous church, an African hair salon selling weaves, a market stand hawking six-foot zucchini, or a Bollywood movie store? Despite the urban decay, and in some ways because of it, the Albergheria is an exciting place to spend some time.

Location on our Palermo Map
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A sense of faded grandeur permeates Palermo. The stately old palaces which occupy nearly every corner are usually shuttered up, damaged beyond repair, or have been converted for use as art galleries. The Palermitano aristocracy must surely have resided in splendor, but they’ve long since left the scene, removing all trace of their easy wealth. Today, in this chaotic and messy city, it’s almost impossible to imagine how the upper crust must have once lived.

We had no idea what to expect when we toured the Palazzo Mirto, near the Garibaldi Gardens in the Kalsa neighborhood. And actually, we only visited Mirto as a consolation, after finding the nearby Palazzo Steri closed for renovation. But luck was on our side. Here, finally, was a real Palermo palace, fully outfitted with all the furniture, wallpaper, paintings, and ornaments one would expect. We were all alone — there were no other tourists nor even a guard — and were able to roam at leisure through the giant three-floor palace.

The Palazzo Mirto was home to the Filangeri: one of Sicily’s most important families, whose presence on the island dates from the arrival of the Normans in the 12th century. In 1982, the last surviving member of the clan, resigned to a modernity in which aristocrats no longer live in palaces nor receive kisses on their hands from fawning peasants, donated the palace to the city so that future generations might remember how his ancestors had lived. From the looks of things, they didn’t live bad.

Lavish ballrooms, sitting rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms. Handsome wooden furniture and intricately detailed chiffoniers. Little make-up rooms for young princesses and grand libraries for studious princes. Three floors of unimaginable wealth, preserved almost as though the family had suddenly disappeared.

We loved our visit to Palazzo Mirto, especially since we had just watched Visconti’s The Leopard, starring Burt Lancaster and Alain Delon. If you haven’t watched the film, about the final years of the aristocratic regime in Sicily, try and do so before visiting the Palazzo Mirto. It’s not the same palace as portrayed in the movie, but the spirit is the same, and you’ll have a better appreciation for what life for the privileged few must have been like.

Location on our Palermo Map
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On New Year’s Day, I was laying out on our rooftop terrace, taking in the sun, shirt off and pasta-stuffed belly proudly bared to the world. On January 1st. At some point, I realized that this was rather exceptional, and Palermo immediately picked up additional points in my mental “Favorite City” competition.

After a couple great months in the Vucciria’s Casa Zatlo, we’ve switched to a different apartment near Il Capo. The Casa del Bastione. It’s a nice change for us; we get to experience a new, noticeably quieter section of the city and we’re close by the incredible market of Il Capo. Best of all? It’s got a terrace. And although the last few weeks have been marked by rain, we’ve taken advantage of every hour of sunlight that has presented itself.

The apartment, which you can book via VisitPalermo.it, is wonderful. Spacious, fully-outfitted and tastefully decorated with cool artwork and furniture. The last time we had such a large apartment was in Savannah, nearly a year ago, and I forgot how nice it is to be able to spread out. I’ve spent the last few days rolling around on the floor, just because I can.

The location is great, too. Just minutes from Teatro Massimo and the market of Il Capo, and with a lively shopping street nearby, it didn’t take long to adjust to the new neighborhood. With two large bedrooms, the place would easily sleep two couples. The kitchen is fantastic, and the terrace as well. If you’re looking for a great short-term let in Palermo, definitely take a look at the Casa del Bastione.

Location on our Palermo Map
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Only in an ancient city like Palermo could a construction known as the “New Gate” date from 1583. Found adjacent to the Norman Palace, the Porta Nuova is still the main entrance to the city center from the west.

In general, Palermo isn’t the the most pedestrian-friendly city, but walking through the Porta Nuova is absurd. The sidewalks disappear inside the gate, and two lanes of traffic are squeezed together, making drivers even more irritable than normal. As a walker, you have to peer around the side of the cement and make a run for it, at the slightest gap.

Once safely through the gate, you’ll likely want to run into the nearest bar and do a shot of whiskey, but take the time to turn around and admire the facade it presents to voyagers on their way into Palermo. Underneath a pyramid-shaped roof, four Moorish atlases support the gate. These represent the Moors defeated by Charles V in his war on the Ottoman Empire.

Despite the mortal danger of passing through it, the Porta Nuova is one of our favorite bits of architecture in Palermo.

Location on our Palermo Map
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A Visit To Palermo’s Puppet Museum

The art of puppetry has a long history in Sicily. Since the Middle Ages, puppet shows have been one of the island’s most popular forms of entertainment. Thanks to the advent of television and radio, the shows are less important than they once were, but Palermo still boasts a few places to catch a performance. We visited the Teatro Ippogrifo, near the Quattro Canti, and had a blast with a story that was loud, funny and surprisingly violent.

Most Sicilian puppet shows are based on the medieval legends of knights and princesses. Our story began with a knight sleeping under a tree. Awoken by the cries of his beloved, who has been snatched away by an evil maharajah, he undertakes a mission to free her, which will bring him to India through the decimated corpses of his foes. It was all in Italian, but the plot wasn’t exactly difficult to follow.

The show was performed by two puppeteers. Each marionette was attached to a long wooden stick, which the performers held out over the stage. After the show, I had a chance to hold one of the puppets; they’re made of wood, wearing armor, and are really heavy! I can’t imagine holding that stick for a half-hour, let alone doing the voice work. No, my puppet show would be a boring affair. “Alas, I cannot go on!” would say my noble prince, laying on the floor three minutes into the story. “To sleep, perchance to dream!” The End.

Luckily, I wasn’t in charge of the show we watched. Our knight was involved in numerous battles, which were my favorite sequences. Because they were hilarious. The opponents would fling themselves at each other, over and over, with swords rattling and clanking, and the boots of the puppeteers stomping on the wooden stage. Sometimes, a head would fly off. One puppet was carved in two by the hero’s vicious blade. It was great.

If you’re in town, definitely try and make it to a show. And while walking around, keep your eyes open for the workshops of puppet makers, especially in the alleys just east of Teatro Massimo. Whether they’re carving new puppets or hammering out their armor, they usually don’t mind if you stop and watch for a bit.

Location of Teatro Ippogrifo on our Palermo Map
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Chinese Architecture

There are two types of eccentrics: those you feel sorry for, and those you’re secretly envious of. The first kind are poor, and fill their house with cats. They have crazy, stringy hair and scream obscenities at the malicious neighbor kids. The second kind have the good fortune of being royalty, and are able to indulge every screwy whim. “Bring in that funny peasant boy. Now do your silly dance! I need more cats, a leopard perhaps. And build me a palace… a Chinese palace!” If you’re going to be an eccentric, it’s certainly better to be the rich kind.

On the northern end of the Parco della Favorita is one of Palermo’s strangest buildings: a large and fully decorated Chinese palace. Built in 1799 for King Ferdinand III, during the height of the European craze for all things Oriental, the palace is jarringly out-of-place in the Sicilian capital. We visited just a couple days after the it had been re-opened, following a full renovation.

The tour was free, and we were the only visitors. Despite that, the guide rushed us through as quickly as possible, hardly giving Jürgen time to snap any pictures. I think our lack of Italian made her nervous, or perhaps she was worried we’d start making fun of the palace, which certainly does encourage a sort of mocking incredulity. We were whisked through the rooms of the queen on the second floor, the servants quarters, the dining hall and guest rooms. The king, being eccentric, chose to sleep in the middle of a huge room on the bottom floor, his bed on wheels.

The palace consists of three floors, each decorated with Chinese patterns, writing, or frescoes of pastoral Chinese life. There’s an interesting “mathematical table” set in the middle of the dining room, with an dumbwaiter carved into its center. With everything freshly renovated, the colorful palace walls and decorations were especially beautiful. Although the focus was Chinese, there are Italian elements as well — one room is done entirely in the style of Pompeii, painted in the deep red identified with the destroyed city.

Before leaving, we took a stroll through the Italian-style gardens behind the palace, which are nearly as beautiful as the dwelling itself. Strange and compelling, the Chinese Palace is without a doubt the most unexpected building that we’ve found in Palermo. It’s a little difficult to reach with public transportation, but worth the effort, especially considering that you can visit the excellent Pitré Ethnographic Museum right next door.

Location on our Palermo Map
-This reminds us the Glorieta Castle in Bolivia

Another Great Theater: The Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires

After centuries of foreign occupation, Sicily enthusiastically joined the Kingdom of Italy in 1860. Finally free of the hated Bourbons, Palermo celebrated its allegiance to the new King Vittorio Emanuele by ordering a massive new theater built in his honor. After thirty years of construction, the Teatro Massimo (“Maximum Theater”) opened to great fanfare in 1897. It’s the largest opera house in Italy, and the third largest in all Europe.

We weren’t able to catch a show, but did take a short guided tour of the theater. The Teatro Massimo was built in a neoclassical style meant to echo Sicily’s Greek ruins, such as those at Agrigento or Selinunte. At the grand entrance, visitors are greeted by statues of two lion-riding women, who represent Comedy and Drama.

The auditorium is gorgeous, gold and red velvet. The capacity of 1350 seems somewhat small for such a large room, but I suppose you don’t want to be cramped at the opera. The stage is deceptively large, three times the size of the auditorium, and sufficient for the most extravagant productions. A performance of Aida in the 70s, our guide told us, saw horses and elephants tramping about the stage. And it’s here that the climactic scene of The Godfather III was shot.

Besides the auditorium, we were able to visit the Royal Box and a couple foyers. The tour was brief, just under half an hour, and rather expensive at €7 (raising to €8 in 2012). If you have the chance, the best way to visit the Teatro Massimo would be to skip the guided tour, put on some elegant clothes, and come for a show — the tickets for the upper balconies aren’t at all expensive.

Teatro Massimo – Website
Location on our Palermo Map
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Three red domes immediately call attention to the tiny church of San Cataldo on Piazza Bellini, near the center of the city. A pristine example of Arab-Norman architecture, San Cataldo dates from 1160 and has survived into the present-day in a mostly original state.

This church is the perfect sight-seeing activity for stressed tourists in a hurry. About the size of a living room, Sam Cataldo takes five seconds to examine, and that’s if you’re being thorough and thoughtful. Of course, you’ll probably want to spend more time inside, especially since you’ve just paid for the privilege of entering. With dour stone walls and a refreshing lack of interior decoration, it reeks of ancient legend; I wouldn’t have been surprised to see a Knight of the Round Table kneeling at the altar. Both the beautifully tiled floors and the main altar are original.

For a long time, the church was used as a post office, which speaks to Palermo’s almost wearisome abundance of grand old buildings. If your city can convert an ancient church as gorgeous as the San Cataldo for something as banal as a post office, then your city is spoiled.

Location on our Palermo Map
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