If you are a cultural holiday kind of person, the one who loves to discover art, history, legends and (why not?) a pleasant weather and you prefer a more economic solution rather than a stay in a hotel, then you should try a b&b in Palermo: you’ll have the chance to visit one of the most ancient and magnificent Italian cities, whose richness in monuments, refined buildings, museums, picturesque suburbs, inspiring scenarios and delicious local cuisine can meet every type of tourist’s needs.
The beauty of this ancient city founded by the Phoenicians in 734 b.C. can be best experienced by walking through the streets of its historic centre: here you’ll find most of Palermo b&b’s, in a strategic position that allows you to reach most of the main points of interest by feet. You can also find b&b in Monreale, a pretty suburb located upon a hill, with stunning views of the whole “Conca d’oro” (golden basin) and the city, as well as in Mondello, the most famous seaside resort near Palermo, with its beautiful white sandy beach connected to the city by the verdant Favorita park, aside Monte Pellegrino.
After a typical Sicilian breakfast in your bed and breakfast in Palermo, we highly recommend a walk through the historic markets: Vucciria, Capo and Ballarò are the most colorful and picturesque ones, with all their flavors and scents that will make it impossible for you to resist the fresh fish, all kinds of fruits and vegetables, spices, and of course “street food” – one of the most famous all over the world! Ballarò and Vucciria are not crowded just during the day: come back at night, and you’ll discover that they both become lively meeting points for young people.
If you are fond of arts and history, you can choose a Palermo b&b in the area near the Cattedrale or the Teatro Massimo, both great symbols of the city that cannot be missed. The Cattedrale is a magnificent sum of the various cultural influences of Palermo, that has been occupied by a wide number of different civilizations, whereas the Teatro Massimo is one of the most beautiful monuments of the Nineteenth-Century “dolce vita” atmosphere of the city, when the city centre was enriched by pretty liberty villas and Ernesto Basile was the most famous architect, appreciated both in Italy and worldwide.
The city has plenty of invaluable civil and religious buildings, such as the Palazzo dei Normanni, just a few steps away from the Cattedrale, first built during the Arab domination of the city (IX Century). Inside, on the first floor, be prepared for the extraordinary beauty and value of Cappella Palatina, one of the most sensational religious spaces you’ll ever see: a three-nave basil whose dome, apses and transept are all covered with a jaw-dropping Byzantine mosaic, one of the most wonderful in Sicily, depicting the Cristo Pantocratore.
After your visit to this beautiful monument, you can leave the Palazzo dei Normanni behind and head towards the sea, along Via Vittorio Emanuele: as you reach the crossing with via Maqueda, you’ll find another amazing wonder. Piazza Vigliena houses the Quattro Canti: an eight-sided square with four architectural prospects defining the area of the crossing, and realized during the Seventeenth Century with a multi-level development. Starting from below, the first level represents four fountains, the four rivers of the city; the second level represents the four seasons; on the third one, the statues of the most important sovereigns of Palermo are located; and the fourth one is where you’ll find the four holy protectors of the city before Santa Rosalia’s arrival.
Thanks our partners for english version.