Palco Rooms & Suites

Palmero is a bustling, ancient port city located on the north-western coast of the island of Sicily, located right at the tip of Italy’s boot shape. Palermo has its origins in the medieval ages and, over the centuries, the city has been home to several civilisations and today remains steeped in a mix of Italian and Arabian heritage.

You will experience Palermo’s history coming together through the city’s impressive and varied architecture - in fact the Arab-Norman Palermo is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

In the past, downtown Palermo has had somewhat of a shady reputation due to its crowds and traffic, but in recent years Palermo has undergone a renovation, with a smattering of trendy boutiques replacing scruffy markets.

Palermo is the one of the abodes of Italian opera, holding Italy’s largest opera house and Europe’s third largest, the Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele.

Dating back to the late 19th century, Teatro Massimo used to seat 3,0000 people, and offers opera, classical music, theatre and dance performances. You may recognise Teatro Massimo from one of the final scenes in the film, The Godfather.

Located right across the road, the unique design hotel of Palco Rooms & Suites is perfectly placed to appreciate Teatro Massimo. A few minutes further down the road and you will find yourself in the city’s historical centre.

The island of Sicily is home to some of the best beaches in Italy. Palermo is no exception, with the city’s environs offering up Mondello, a small seaside resort with a sandy beach and the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

Due to its southerly location Palermo is one of one of Europe’s warmest cities and guarantees long hot summers.

Palermo is ensconced by a small mountain range, which divides the city. The most iconic mountain is Monte Pellegrino which overlooks Palermo Bay and holds Sanctuary of Santa Rosalia, an iconic 17th century church.

Palermo has various unusual traditions, including puppet theatre dating back to the 15th century. You can discover age-old handmade puppets and scenes at the city’s puppet museum, Museo internazionale delle marionette Antonio Pasqualino.

There’s also the Catacombe dei Cappuccini, an underground labyrinth of tombs that in total houses over 8,000 mummified bodies, some of which are 400 years old.

If you wish to venture further afield, from Palermo you can take a ferry ride across to the nearby island of Ustica, or head to the historic hilltown of Monreale, located in the outskirts of Palermo outskirts and famous for its mosaics.