How to enjoy Palermo like a local

Palermo is a big city and capturing its essence could be hard! So, we've asked Rachele - one of our guides in West Sicily - some tips to discover the city and feel like a local!

Rachele, what is the unmissable place for you?

If you live in a city like Palermo, where every corner houses a monument, tells a story or a surprise, it’s rather difficult to answer the question which place, street, or nook you can’t miss. Palermo is made up of overwhelming, contrasting emotions. The city speaks a variety of languages and each of its landmarks in its own way, is worth a visit.

Church of Martorana

If I had to choose one of my favourites, I might say that the Church of Martorana is a real manifesto of architectural as well as historical changes. I usually describe it as a sort of a “time machine” that allows you to travel through art and history, from the mosaics portraying Giorgio d’Antiochia, a true social media manager “ante litteram”, and Roger II to the magnificent frescoes and the central apse with its glory of Baroque marbles.

This church tells all sorts of stories, but it’s famous for the exquisite delicacies born within its walls in the convent, where the nuns created and perfected the recipe of the famous “Martorana” better known as marzipan.

Marzipan

And your favourite place?

Rather than a place, it is a neighbourhood, the Kalsa.

Since I was a child, it has been on my imagination through the stories that my grandfather used to tell me. He was born in Via Alloro, the quarter’s main street. As a girl, my grandmother used to tutor some children who lived in Via Merlo (some fool has renamed it MerloT). The narrow streets fill your eyes and your soul with pleasant sights and noises. Just think of the marvelous monuments to be found in the area, Palazzo Abatellis or the Oratory of San Lorenzo, lots of little shops with local curiosities, the invisible breeze of the sea nearby, beyond the ancient city walls. The Arabs who built their citadel here between the 10th and 11th century, called it “the chosen one” and set their headquarters within its walls, an almost unique case in the story of Mediterranean settlements.

Oratory of San Lorenzo

Kalsa is not just about art and history: it is also famous for its enormous Ficus, a giant hundred-sixty-year-old tree spreading its shade all over Piazza Marina, its well-known Ilardo ice-cream at the Foro Italico, and piping hot panelle from Chiluzzo’s.

Choosing the Kalsa neighbourhood means experiencing the real essence of Palermo, its sharp contrasts, its overwhelming beauty.

In some summer sunsets, Monte Pellegrino gets a rosy hue from the Mura delle Cattive (the widows’ walls) immersed in the scent of wisteria flowers, a sight not to miss.

What's better in the morning and in the afternoon?

While visiting Palermo you cannot miss a visit to one of the historical local markets. The morning is the ideal moment to breath in the atmosphere of the place. Alternatively, you could visit it at lunch time and wolf down an arancina (a rice croquette with meat), the haggling skills of the sellers, which will make you suddenly feel you are surrounded by the colours, noises, and perfumes of an Arabic market.

 In the afternoon, just to relax after a long sightseeing tour, you might plan a visit to one of the many interesting museums of the city, from the recently restored Archaeological Museum, housing the Selinunte Metopes, to the Palazzo Abatellis, where you can get a fright in front of the famous fresco The triumph of Death, and be beguiled by the beauty of the Annunciata by Antonello da Messina. 

 The triumph of Death (Palazzo Abatellis)

How to avoid the heat in the summer?

Palermo in summer is merciless! Whereas the natives are used to coping with North African temperatures, a tourist may not stand the scorching sun and the stifling hot temperature.

A winning strategy might be setting off early in the morning to visit the southern area, that is the highest neighbourhoods of the city; which means visiting the Royal Palace or strolling along the Cassaro in the shade. In the afternoon, after a dutiful nap, you’d better go north towards the sea.

Piazza Marina and the Botanic Gardens offer the cool shadow of century-old trees. You can have a relaxing stroll out of the city walls along the Foro Italico enjoying the refreshing sea breeze.

Ficus of Piazza Marina

A sightseeing tour on a rainy day?

Palermo is rich in interesting museums. But, if you prefer something different, you cannot miss the complessi monumentali (monumental complexes).

The most interesting one is the Palazzo Reale and the most mysterious one is Palazzo Chiaramonte. Alternatively, two new entries in the city’s cultural heritage are the magnificent Church of Santa Caterina and the adjoining Monastery with a pastry shop that offers the best range of Palermitan confectionery.

Where to enjoy a fast snack...

It is a truth universally acknowledged that you cannot die of hunger in Palermo! The choice of dishes is so wide that the most serious foodies will find something appetizing, from the famous street food to be dutifully enjoyed in the street, to the many little, cheap restaurants all over the city centre. Or treat yourself to a big ice-cream!

Here is a list of the best places:

• Chilluzzo: in Kalsa, new and not yet widely known, it is the best place to enjoy authentic street food. One of the specialties to try is the superb raschiatura, which consists of what is left of the preparation of the potato croquettes and panelle mixed together and seasoned with mint and chives.
• Bisso Bistrot: a former bookshop converted into a fashionable place where to try traditional / nouvelle cuisine with an amusing setting of social tables. There you can sit in front of totally unknown strangers, you eat well and enjoy yourself. Any problems? Everybody likes it but you cannot book in advance, so get ready to queue, it’ll be worth it! The best? The place is at one of the Four Corners, in a square that is in the middle of the historical centre.
• Ilardo: open since 1886, it offers ice-creams and granite (sorbets) in an enormous variety of flavours. You can try a home-made ice-cream while enjoying the view of Palermo’s bay.

...and a nice dinner?

While on holidays, treating yourself to a dinner in a lovely place is a dream-come-true occasion. I would recommend a dinner at “A Cuncuma”, a recently opened restaurant that is fast becoming one of the best in the city. It is located at the end of the Capo Market near the mysterious Square of the Beati Paoli in what once was a “cuncuma”, that is a subsidence, a lower piece of land in the area. Actually, the place was once the bed of the Papireto river. You can enjoy all sorts of dishes there, from the revisited, traditional cuisine to more refined dishes like the lobster soup! Believe me, you will love it!

Where to eat the Sicilian specialties?

I have already spoken about the best markets and some renowned temples of Sicilian street food, Dainotti, at the Capo market, or Chiluzzo in Kalsa Square. However, the real top for the strict traveler is I Cuochini (the little cooks) at Via Ruggero Settimo, the elegant street of boutiques and fashionable shopping. You will find the signboard: “I Cuochini” outside the main entrance of an oldish, elegant 18th-century building. It’s only open at lunch time. Be brave and get in: the only danger you face is gaining a bit of extra weight.

Inside this picturesque place, there is a culinary workshop focused on whatever is microscopic: a vast array of miniature pieces that will delight you, especially the crocchette di latte (bechamelle mini croquettes), the panzerotti fritti full of marvelous stuffing (stuffed fritters), and the stroke of genius, sformato di capellini, mini pasta pies to be eaten in a bite!

If you are still hungry, you are in one of the food world’s capitals; pamper yourselves with the traditional cakes of Pasticceria Costa: Cannoli, Fruit and Cream Baskets, or the delicious Torta Savoia for chocolate lovers.

How to feel like a local?

In order to feel a real “local”, you can park in a double row in the main street! You will soon find out that people in Palermo comply with the rules of the street code, in some cases adapting them to their personal needs. I generally tell my tourists that parking in Palermo is often considered sort of a creative activity.

Obviously, I am joking. But I would suggest that you go to Mondello to enjoy a swim. Complete the bliss with a snack of sizzling “pane e panelle” and an iced beer in a sheltered nook, on a cliff or at the beach! This is possibly the very essence of being a Palermitan!

Mondello

A place to visit with children?

Maternity has made me change my point of view on tourist sights in Palermo. I have often seen children being dragged, rather than taken to discover new interesting places. I would suggest that parents stick to visiting outdoor sights and devote less time to museums or monuments.

A place that both parents and children will like is la Chiesa dello Spasimo, a roofless church, and an open–air monument that cannot be easily forgotten!

Another interesting destination is the Archeological Museum, which offers teaching laboratories and guided visits specifically planned for the youngest visitors. To top up a sunny afternoon, I’d recommend a run on the green meadows of the Foro Italico and a visit to Parco della Salute along the seacoast, where children can enjoy all sorts of games and all family can relax sitting on a swing and looking at the sight of Palermo’s bay.

Archaeological Museum Salinas

Suggested destinations for a day excursion from Palermo?

In case Palermo wasn’t enough, go eastwards and visit the Parco Della Fiumara, the largest Contemporary Art Park in Europe. You will admire marvelous installations rising among the highway pylons, labyrinths and pyramids on top of the hills and, best of all, a giant window that opens unto the sea. Don’t get back to Palermo immediately: enjoy an overnight stay in the little Hotel Atelier where each room has been planned and decorated by a different artist.

Fiumara d'arte