DON PALERMO

Palermo, the capital of Sicily, is known as a city of contrasts. Some streets and neighbourhoods may be in a state of disrepair while others sparkle with fashionable and expensive hotels and boutiques. Only few cities around the world are blessed with castles and churches, with a unique mix of Arab, Byzantine, Ottoman, Norman or Renaissance architecture as Palermo.

In recent decades, it was mainly the Mafia that brought this small Italian province prominence, also thanks to the headlines of tabloids about murders and political corruption. Although the island's leadership has long spoken of defeating Cosa Nostra, there is a perception that the mafia still has some power in the region. Hence, in many places residents demand for 7/24 police surveillance. As if a confirmation of these fears was the detention in January of Matteo Messina Denaro. The gentleman is believed to be the boss of Cosa Nostra and has been wanted by the Italian police for some thirty years. Still, in recent years the crime rate in the province has considerably declined, leading to an increase in tourism. Palermo is now among the cities that attract the most foreign tourists.

Thanks to its mild climate and the positive temperatures of the Mediterranean, Palermo is ready to welcome tourists all year round. Unless you're only planning a holiday by the beach, you can visit Sicily at any time of year. It has some rainy days, but overall there are more sunny days and you won't get cold, even in January and February.

When in Palermo, make sure to look around for amazing green landscapes, rocky and sandy beaches of the island that both locals and tourists love to visit during the summer months. The airport itself is surrounded by green mountains and the sea, making it particularly attractive.

There are three ways to reach the centre of Palermo from the airport. The easiest and most convenient one are express buses that will take you to the central square of Piazza Giulio Cesare in 50 minutes just for €6. While moving to your destination, you can admire the famous landmark of the city, the Politeama Theatre where the bus stops, reaching the destination. The buses run in both directions at half-hour intervals. There are also regular express trains from the Punta Raisi train station at the airport. The train takes 45 minutes to reach Palermo Centrale Central Station. Your third option is to take a taxi. A trip from the airport to the city by car will cost you €40-50, depending on the distance.

In the centre, you can get around by bus - a ticket will cost you €1.5. But if your hotel is located in the city centre, you may not need public transportation at all. In general, the city can be easily explored on foot in two or three days, but you can take the bus if you intend to visit the sights on the suburbs. Other options include a 24-hour Hop-on Hop-off bus tour (€20), with two routes to the main popular sites.

As for hotels, the price range varies depending on the season. In winter, a single place in a hostel will cost €20-25 per person, a room for two in a three-star hotel can be found for €50-70, and for €140-200 in a luxury hotel.

Sicilian delicacies

Palermo has a very old history enriched by cultures of many empires and peoples. This applies to everything, including food. Experts believe that the best place to find out more about the gastronomic delights and flavours of Sicilian cuisine are the historical markets of Palermo. One of the ways to touch the local market tradition is to be ready for abbanniata, the Sicilian way of selling products by shouting about their quality and freshness to potential buyers. You could have seen similar scenes in old Italian films. But if you want to see it for real, welcome to the Palermo markets.

Food lovers and lovers of traditional flavours should not miss the main market in the Sicilian capital, Ballarò (Mercato Ballarò). Guides say that it has actually been in operation since the Arab rule in Sicily, that is, for about a thousand years. It used to be called Suq-Al-Balhara (mirror market) and Arab traders sold spices as well as various other products here. It's one of the best places to enjoy Palermo's street food while taking in the sights. On some days of the week, you can also visit Mercato del Capo and Mercato della Vucciria characterised by maze-like streets filled with colourful shops in the middle of ancient buildings.

If you are going to eat at fast food locations, the minimum cost may range between €8-12, e.g. at McDonalds or BurgerKing. It might be cheaper to eat a pizza (one slice costs €3-4) in the many cafés in the main streets. But be aware that most of them have tables outside even in winter season, which you can find uncomfortable. Depending on the location, a cup of coffee, will cost you €1.5 to €4. A bottle of still water costs €1-2, a Coke €2-3, a mug of beer €3-4, and a glass of fresh orange juice €3.5.

So a meal in the cheapest café will cost €12-15 per person, and €20-25 in a medium-price restaurant.

The main thing is to listen to waiters or receptionists as it's difficult to find a place to eat in the few restaurants (with tables inside) in the city centre, for most of them have to be booked in advance. So when you enter any restaurant, ask for a table so that you have a chance to get a delicious meal. For dinner, you can choose from Sicilian-style pizzas (the difference is the use of local spices and only fresh tomatoes) or delicatessen seafood. The price for a pizza per person is €9-12, while an average seafood platter costs €15-20.

Experts recommend Cafe 113, popular with Palermo residents, on the outskirts of the city. It is said to have a relaxed ambience and its open roof allows you to enjoy not only great food but also a view of the night sky. Fans of traditional 'belissimo' Italian pizza flock here from all over the area.

The Incredible Al Khlalisah

The central tourist streets of Palermo's historic centre with main attractions in and around the location are two intersecting streets: Maqueda and Vittorio Emanuele (originating on the seafront), as well as the Roma Street running parallel to Maqueda. It's all in the Calça quarter, which takes its name from the Arabic al Khlalisah, meaning "the purest". You can spend two days walking around the streets of Calca, which will always amaze you with its beauty.

The guides suggest starting at the Porta Nuova, the triumphal arch, as a starting point for Palermo's sightseeing. The so-called new gate was built at the end of the sixteenth century after the victory of Charles V over the Ottoman army. It is actually adjoined by the Norman Palace with a beautiful park with palm trees. It is from here that travellers discover the historic part of the Sicilian capital.

It is also home to the main cathedral, the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary known for its main treasure, the relics of St Rosalia, the patron saint of Palermo. It has been reconstructed several times and combines features of Arab-Norman, Gothic and Classicist architecture and known for the unique tombs of Sicilian kings and Germanic emperors. All visitors to the island will find the cathedral interesting. It is a must on tourist itineraries as well.

The world-famous and one of the oldest chapels, the Palatine Chapel of the 12th century, can also be found here. Interestingly, it was originally built as a church for the Norman palace, where the members of the Sicilian royal family could pray. The chapel is in the Arabic-Norman style with Byzantine mosaic elements. A large part of the interior has been preserved, particularly the granite and marble columns, the Cosmatesco mosaic floor and much more.

The other two churches, Martorana and San Cataldo, are situated in one of Bellini's picturesque squares. For many tourists, San Cataldo, which embodies a harmony of Byzantine and Arab styles, is reminiscent of a mosque. This church is a striking contrast to the architecture of the surrounding traditional houses and buildings.

There's also the Pretoria Fountain, built in the 16th century on the eponymous Pretoria Square. This popular tourist spot is also called the Fountain of Shame. It gets this unusual name because the artist decorated his Baroque creation with sculptures of nude figures.

Palermo has a unique museum, the Capuccini Catacombs. The place is considered mystical because there are more than 8,000 unburied bodies that have been transformed into mummies. The remains belong to members of the local elite: nobility, eminent scientists, top clergy, etc., some of them embalmed, others as skeletons, while the third group consists of mummies. At another city attraction, the Puppet Museum, guides claim that you can feel like a genius puppeteer, or be at the mercy of thousands of traditional Sicilian puppets on strings (the collection has a total of 3,500 pieces).

For tranquil walks, you can start at the sea square, heading towards the Garibaldi Garden with trees more than three hundred years old. In the Botanical Garden of Palermo you will find ripe oranges from the beginning of summer, admire Australian ficuses brought to Palermo in the mid 19th century and wander the ten-hectare property. There are more than twelve thousand plants here waiting for visitors, especially the huge palm trees.

Since Palermo has a plenty of attractions, feel free to spare a few days to see them all. So, not only will you have to walk through the historic quarters with Italian courtyards, but also see the Politeama Theatre, the Church of San Giuseppe dei Teatini, the Renzo Barbera Stadium, Chiaramonte Palace, Palazzo Abatellis, Teatro Massimo, etc.

In search of The Godfather

Teatro Massimo is the most famous and largest opera house not just in Sicily but in all of Italy. It is also famous for being the place where the closing scenes of the legendary film The Godfather 3 were filmed. Scenes in the film show Francis Ford Coppola's uncle, the famous composer Anton Coppola performing Mascagni's opera Cavalleria rusticana in this opera house. It is also famous for the scene in which Michael Corleone's daughter is shot in the staircase of the theatre.

In fact, the screenwriters of the legendary film based their story on a true story. The town of Corleone is 60km from Palermo and is known as a birthplace of many Italian Mafiosi. It is believed that the ancestors of Al Pacino were also from Corleone. Even today many fans of the trilogy try to visit the area to see where the Godfather was filmed. However, the town itself is not as picturesque as the neighbouring communes of Savoca and Forza d'Agro, which the director chose for filming.

In Savoca, there is still the Bar Vitelli, the place where Michael Corleone talks to Signor Vitelli (the owner of the bar) and asks his permission to meet his daughter Apollonia. The bar serves not only wine and coffee but also the famous lemon sherbet (granita).

In Savoca, you should also visit the church of St Lucia, where Michael Corleone and Apollonia Vitelli were married. The same place is filmed when Michael and Apollonia leave the church after the wedding, accompanied by relatives and musicians.

The cathedral of Santa Maria Annunziata in the commune of Forza d'Agro appears in The Godfather 2 when Michael first visits Corleone with his bodyguards. It is from here that young Vito Corleone, pursued by Don Cicho's men, escapes to America, hiding in a basket mounted on a donkey.

Forza d'Agro was also chosen by director Coppola for the filming of The Godfather 3. This is the filming location of old Michael showing his American wife the house where his father Vito Corleone was born.

Fans of The Godfather can also visit the historic ruins of the ancient town of Segesta, which is situated nearby. It was one of the largest towns inhabited by Sicilian natives until it was finally abandoned in the thirteenth century. The temple was featured at the beginning of The Godfather 3 when the Corleone family was on their way to Bagheria.

When sightseeing, be aware that locals may be helpful in finding any Godfather-related locations. But they won't be happy if you ask them about the real Mafia and the mafiosi - they avoid such dialogues. Especially since, according to tradition, the prototypes of real godfathers usually came from Corleone. These and other events related to the activities of the Sicilian Mafia and the fight against it are well known to film buffs from the Italian TV series La Piovra with Commissar Cattani.

Italian authorities continue anti-mafia reforms on the island. Remarkably, a few years ago a travel agency opened here to guarantee holidaymakers that their money does not go to support the mafia. Sicily is indeed becoming safer, with an increasing number of tourists choosing the island as a holiday destination.