Palermo is a place that you can visit several times in life without ever having the certainty of having seen everything. Where is Palermo? Well, I do not think any of the readers do not know this cultural wealth of Europe and ask where is Palermo. Anyway, it is in Italy. Italy is full of fabulous and Instagrammable places to see. Still, Palermo, unmissable when you travel to Italy, seems to be a perfect synthesis of history, art, gastronomy, sea with its splendid beaches, and unspoiled nature. What to do in Palermo? Besides sights, you will have too many options to do during your travel to Palermo Italy, such as eating at the most beautiful Palermo restaurant, booking one of the nice places to stay in Palermo, taking your most liked photo on Instagram, etc. But where to take the most liked Instagram photos during your travel to Palermo Italy? So, in this post, I will write about the 12 Instagrammable places in Palermo to visit during your travel to Italy. After reading, you will find answers to your questions, such as where is Palermo, what to do in Palermo, what are the best places to stay in Palermo, which is the best Palermo restaurant, where to take your most liked photo on Instagram, etc. But in order to find Italy visa requirements, please check the "Services" section on our website.
1. Norman Palace
The oldest royal residence in Europe, which is rightfully included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, is the Norman Palace with the beautiful Palatine Chapel. This Instagrammable place is among the reasons that many tourists travel to Italy each year. The rooms of the castle are many, but they deserve a visit for their majesty and intertwining of styles. Before starting the visit, it is useful to know that it takes at least two hours to complete the path between the rooms, the Palatine Chapel, dedicated to Saint Paul the Apostle, with the most beautiful Byzantine mosaics in Sicily, and the different courtyards with the Renaissance style loggias. The palace was commissioned by Ruggiero II after becoming King in 1130. It was built in the oldest part of Palermo, the first Punic settlements whose traces are still visible in the basement of the castle.
2. Four Canti
Four Canti, also popular as Piazza Villena, is instantly recognizable at the center of Baroque Palermo and the crossroads of the city's most important streets, where spectacular architectural scenes surround you. The name given to the square is the Four Canti, which is about the four cantons that enrich the facade. The statues on the various facades describe the rivers, the seasons, the patron saints of the city, and its historical rulers. It is among the must-see places for taking the nicest photos during your travel to Palermo Italy.
3. Cathedral of Palermo
Walking through the historic center, it is impossible not to be fascinated by the majesty of the Cathedral of Palermo. It stands at the top of the most Instagrammable places in the city. At first glance, it almost looks like a large mosque, but Arabic is just one of the styles present in this architectural splendor. The entrance to the cathedral, built in 1184 by the will of the Palermo archbishop Gualtiero Offamilio, in honor of the Holy Virgin Mary of the Assumption, is free it is worth taking the paid tour on the rooftops from which you can see the entire historic center of Palermo. Even at night, when illuminated, it has its charm.
4. Santa Maria Dello Spasimo
In the Kalsa district, a few steps from the large market, it is possible to visit the open-air church of Santa Maria Dello Spasimo, a particular and very suggestive place, especially in summer. The absence of the roof is not due to any catastrophe, but it was simply never built as Giacomo Basilico's project, back in 1509, was too vast for the economic availability and construction times. For years, as a deconsecrated church, it lived in a state of neglect until 1995 when it was returned to the public, and today it is home to exhibitions and musical events. Attending a concert under the starry sky is pure magic. It is an ideal place to take the most liked Instagram photos.
5. Mondello Beach
Palermo, but in general all of Sicily, satisfies every traveler's needs, including culture, food, nature, and beautiful beaches, including that of Mondello, enclosed by Monte Pellegrino and Monte Gallo. The Art Nouveau villas are the beach's hallmark, with a nice sea and fine white sand. A 1.5 km coastline with hyper-equipped bathing establishments and free beaches and nature reserves such as that of Capo Gallo, to which access from Mondello is currently subject to a fee. In the evening it is also nice to walk in the village of Mondello, among Palermo restaurant and trattorias where you can enjoy excellent fresh fish. It is also a perfect area to find the best places to stay in Palermo.
6. Conte Federico Palace
Here you will take your most liked photo on Instagram. In Palermo, anything can happen even that the owner of one of the most beautiful buildings in the city accompanies you to discover the secrets of his home, anything but humble. The countess's irony, her son's savoir-faire, and the sympathy of the whole family are a plus that shows the wealth of soul of the family and the economic one evident from the luxury of the rooms. A few steps from the Royal Palace, between Piazza Conte Federico and Via Dei Biscottari, stands this noble jewel of which the "Torre di Scrigno" is the oldest part. Like any respectable greeting to the nobility, it is necessary to make an appointment and decide whether to stop for an aperitif, dinner, or pay a courtesy visit.
7. Fontana Pretoria
A few steps from the Quattro Canti stands the Fontana Pretoria, named after the square that hosts it, a marvel built by Francesco Camillani in 1554 for the private Tuscan residence of Don Pedro de Toledo. How do we find it in Palermo? Because at the death of Don Pedro, his son fell into poverty and decided to sell the fountain, which was purchased by the Senate of Palermo and dismantled for transport in as many as 644 pieces. Arrived in the Sicilian capital, the fountain was nicknamed "of Shame" because of the naked statues present as an ornament. A must-see for taking the most liked Instagram photos and because it is truly one of the most beautiful fountains in Italy.
8. Majolica Museum
A unique feature in the world is the collection of Sicilian majolica and bells housed in the "Stanze al Genio" House Museum, which takes its name from the fountain of the same name in the nearby Piazza Della Revolution. Another marvel of the Kalsa district, with eight visible rooms where original decorations are exhibited, flooring from the time that belonged to nobles, upper-middle classes, and religious communities.
9. Villa Giulia
In Palermo, you will also find the oldest green lung in the city. It is an ideal spot for a regenerating visit, built between 1777 and 1778, Villa Giulia, whose name was given in honor of the wife of the then viceroy Marcantonio Colonna. A perfect geometric design by the architect Nicolo Palma was made up of four squares separated by their diagonals.
10. Catacombs of the Capuchins
If you do not know what to do in Palermo that you always remember, visit the Capuchins' Catacombs. A macabre and fascinating place at the same time, which shows an ancient tradition of the Sicilian people: mummification. Man's constant attempt to achieve immortality is evident in the excellent conservation of the corpses present in the Catacombs, reachable from via Pindemonte, whose name was given in honor of Ippolito Pindemonte. A place not very suitable for visits with children as about 8,000 bodies are exhibited, including that of little Rosalia Lombardo, called the "Sleeping Beauty" precisely because her body has been preserved so well that it seems that she has fallen into a deep sleep.
11. La Martorana
In the heart of the historic center of the city, the church of Santa Maria stands. The church is also famous as Martorana and is a Norman-style building from the feudal period overlooking Piazza Bellini. Since 2015 it has become a World Heritage Site thanks to the diversity of architectural styles encompassing Norman, Arab, Byzantine, and Baroque.
12. Cathedral of Monreale
It is another of the many must-see historical places in Palermo, as part of Palermo's Norman-Arab style. The Cathedral of Monreale is also popular as the New Santa Maria Cathedral, the main place of Catholic worship in the city, commissioned by William II of Altavilla, King of Sicily (1166-1189). The cathedral is rich in Byzantine mosaics, so do not miss the visit to the Capuchin convent's cloister and the walk on the terraces from which you can admire a breathtaking view of Palermo.
