Palermo Hotels for Shopping

Palermo is a charming city in the south of Italy, the capital of the autonomous region Sicily. If you go to Palermo by plane, you will certainly be impressed by the amazing view: the blue Mediterranean Sea, lush forests, green vineyards and olive groves, majestic mountains and Europe's greatest natural wonder, Mount Etna will become a great introduction to beautiful Sicily. Palermo, the largest and most cosmopolitan city in Sicily, has a long and eventful history. Arabs, Normans, the French, Spanish and the Byzantines have left their permanent mark on this place. The Arabs contributed a lot to the city's development. They built mosques, luxurious palazzios and beautiful gardens. Under their rule, Palermo enjoyed a period of growth and prosperity. Centuries later, the Normans made Palermo the capital city of Sicily. At this time such symbols of the city as the Cathedral and the Cappella Palatina (Palatine Chapel) were built.

However, this cosmopolitan city has suffered a lot from a bad reputation. Have you heard about the notorious Cosa Nostra, or Sicilian mafia? This criminal organization, associated with the modern history of Sicily, had its headquarters in Palermo. Several years ago the main mafia bosses were arrested. Nowadays, visitors don’t need to worry about crime - Palermo is safer than it has been in ages. Cosa Nostra has become just a part of local folklore. You can buy t-shirts and mugs with various funny mafia pictures that remind visitors of the old times. Palermo is noted for its rich history, culture, architecture and gastronomy. If you want to visit all the historical buildings and churches, you need to have several free days! Even Vucciria, a highly picturesque city market, will take several hours of your time!
Read more: guide to Palermo with maps, photos and weather conditions.

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