Two days in one of the most architecturally extraordinary cities in Europe. Palermo’s Arab-Norman heritage is unlike anything on the Italian mainland, a product of the remarkable medieval kingdom that made Sicily a crossroads of Islamic, Byzantine, and Norman culture.
The Palatine Chapel, built by Roger II in the twelfth century and covered floor to ceiling in Byzantine mosaics, is one of the great interior spaces in the world. The Cathedral, the Church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti with its distinctive red domes, and the Martorana are all within walking distance and all astonishing.
The second day belongs to the markets. The Ballarò and Vucciria are among the last great street food markets in Europe, chaotic and extraordinary and entirely un-curated for tourists. Sfincione, panelle, arancini eaten standing at a counter that has been there for generations.