Beloved Palermo

A journey through the Palermo of traditions and the colours of street art!

DAY 1 - ROYAL PALACE
Arrival at Palermo airport, meeting with our guide and transfer to the centre for a visit to the imposing Royal Palace, or Palazzo dei Normanni. The Norman building had several modifications over the centuries. Inside, it houses the Palatine Chapel, whose architecture and decoration, dominated by glittering gold mosaics, is a magnificent example of the cultural and political synthesis brought by King Roger II, for whom it was built in 1130. At the end of the visit, accommodation in a central hotel/B&B. Dinner in restaurant and night.

2 DAY - FOOD, ART AND TRADITIONS
After breakfast at the hotel, our guide will lead you on a walking tour through the streets of the historic centre, passing through two of the city’s historic markets, animated by the “abbanniate” of the street  vendors who try to attract the attention of passersby and evoking the atmosphere of the Arabian suq due to the perfumes and colours of the goods (fruit, vegetables, meat and fish). You will stroll inside the market, where you will discover the typical specialties of the Sicilian culinary tradition and street food. You will also visit the Church of the Immacolata Concezione, a Baroque jewel embellished by the sumptuous decoration of marble tiles, and the Cathedral of Palermo, built in 1185 and witness to the passage of the various dominions that came to Sicily and left their mark on the place par excellence symbol of religious power. Continuation with the visit to the Sicilian Puppet Theatre, a rarity and precious treasure of the Sicilian folkloric heritage. You will have the privilege of meeting one of the historic families of master puppeteers, guardians of an ancient practice, that of the “Opera dei Pupi”, handed down from generation to generation since the 19th century and proclaimed 'Oral and Intangible Heritage  of Humanity' by Unesco. Visit to the Coworking space and the Moltivolti refreshment area, a social enterprise that was created as part of a multicultural and multi-ethnic community project designed and structured to offer dignity, citizenship and value starting from diversity. In the afternoon, continue with a walk through the Ballarò market, the beating heart of the Albergheria district, to discover some of the street art works. Return to the hotel. Dinner in a restaurant and night.

3 DAY - HISTORIC CENTRE AND STREET ART AT THE “SPERONE”
Breakfast at the hotel and continuation of the tour of the historic centre during which you will admire the city's representative squares and monuments: Piazza Quattro Canti, Piazza Pretoria embellished by its beautiful Mannerist fountain, the work of the Florentine artist Francesco Camilliani, and Piazza Bellini, where you find  the two churches of the Norman era: the church of S.Cataldo and the Martorana, a medieval jewel, with its mosaics, of the Byzantine school. Visit the Cloister of the Convent of St Catherine of Alexandria, where you can enjoy a traditional Sicilian convent cake, and the Oratory of San Lorenzo, one of the extraordinary artistic masterpieces of Giacomo Serpotta, an illustrious 18th-century sculptor from Palermo, which once housed Caravaggio's famous Nativity painting, stolen in 1969. Stop in a typical “friggitoria”, where you can taste Palermo's street food. Continue with a fascinating tour among the murals of the Sperone district, which with its 10 large painted walls and numerous small street art works constitutes an extraordinary open-air museum. Return to the hotel. Dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 4 - DEPARTURE
After breakfast at the hotel, free time for a last shopping or a walk through the old town. Bus transfer to the airport according to flight schedule. End of our services.

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