Bed and breakfast accommodation in Palermo Monasteries

Capital of Sicily, vibrant Palermo lies on a coastal plain in the northwest of the island. Chaotic, noisy, run down and exhausting, this is a compelling city, with a rich history. Its main sights date from the 12th century, unique examples of Arabo-Norman art and architecture, and include the churches of San Cataldo and La Martorana. Contemporary with these is the glittering mosaic-decorated Cappella Palatina in the Palazzo dei Normanni, built by the Arabs in the 9th  century and enlarged in the 12th, and the Cattedrale. 

Don’t miss the city’s 17th-century Baroque buildings, its exuberant Vucciria market, redolent with scents and colour, and the Museo Archeologico Regionale, with its superb collection of Greek sculpture. For something different, head for the Convento dei Cappuccini, where over 8,000 bodies are preserved in underground corridors, or relax on the beaches of Mondello.

Founded in the 8th century by the Phoenicians, and occupied by Greeks, Romans and Byzantines, Palermo became an Arab power in 832 AD and remained the capital of the Emirate of Sicily until 1072. Throughout this period it was a Muslim city, a major focus of civilisation at a time when most of Europe was struggling through the dark ages. As in Spain, the Arabs ruled with a light touch, permitting freedom of worship to other religions and encouraging Muslim, Jewish and Christian scholarship and science. They were able administrators, and introduced new crops and agricultural methods to Sicily. 

The ruling dynasty however, became increasingly torn by feuding, enabling the Normans, under Robert Guiscard, to retake Palermo in 1130, re-establishing Christianity as the official religion. The Normans were as tolerant as the Arabs, and it was during their rule, from 1103 – 1194, that the unique Arab-Norman civilisation flourished, one that was open-minded and cultured. Palermo’s main sights and artistic treasures all date from this period.