Palermo, unmistakably the capital of Sicily, is an incrediblyvibrant and exciting city, always bustling and with an exotic whiff of Africa.Here you will discover history, culture, architecture and gastronomy. Startingwith the Via Liberta, the main boulevard of the city, you will pass the 19thcentury Teatro Massimo and the massive Politema Theatre, topped with aflamboyant statue of horsemen. Both of these are in the main residential andshopping district. Then head to Piazza Bellini in the heart of the old town andthe church of San Cataldo, dating from the 12th century, with littleSaracen red golf ball type domes and contrasting in its simplicity with the farmore elaborate church of La Martorama, nearby. From here, you will come to thePiazza Pretoria, the most important of the city’s many squares and then to thePiazza Marina, once the heart of the Arabian city. After lunch (not included),you will head to the Convento dei Capucini with its extraordinary catacombs. Bythe end of the 16th century, it had outgrown its original cemeteryand so the monks solved the problem by digging down and creating an amazingseries of catacombs. Finish the day at Monreale, with its incredible NormanCathedral, famous for its superb medieval mosaics and stunning cloister withabout 200 twin columns and an Arab fountain.
