Surrounded on all sides by elegant palazzi, gentrified Piazza Marina is Palermo's quietest piazza, and its small Giardino Garibaldi encloses Palermo's oldest tree, a venerable 25m-high, 150-year-old ficus benjamin. Dedicated to Garibaldi, the square has witnessed its fair share of bloody executions. These days, the square is better known for its popular Sunday flea market.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
4.85 MILES
Inspired by a vision of the Virgin and determined to outdo his grandfather Roger II, who was responsible for the cathedral in Cefalù and the Cappella…
0.96 MILES
Designed by Roger II in 1130, this extraordinary chapel is Palermo's top tourist attraction. Located on the middle level of Palazzo dei Normanni's three…
0.96 MILES
Home to Sicily's regional parliament, this venerable palace dates back to the 9th century. However, it owes its current look (and name) to a major Norman…
0.75 MILES
A feast of geometric patterns, ziggurat crenellations, maiolica cupolas and blind arches, Palermo's cathedral has suffered aesthetically from multiple…
Galleria Regionale della Sicilia
0.15 MILES
Housed in the stately 15th-century Palazzo Abatellis, this art museum – widely regarded as Palermo's best – showcases works by Sicilian artists dating…
Chiesa e Monastero di Santa Caterina d'Alessandria
0.38 MILES
Built as a hospice in the early 14th century and transformed into a Dominican convent the following century, this monastic complex wows with its…
0.68 MILES
Taking over 20 years to complete, Palermo's neoclassical opera house is the largest in Italy and the second-largest in Europe. The closing scene of The…
0.59 MILES
Snaking for several city blocks southeast of Palazzo dei Normanni is Palermo's busiest street market, which throbs with activity well into the early…
Nearby Palermo attractions
0.05 MILES
Housed in the lower floors and basements of 14th-century Palazzo Chiaromonte Steri, this fascinating museum explores the legacy of the Inquisition in…
0.08 MILES
Just off Piazza Marina, this palazzo is one of the few in Palermo open to the public. Dating back to the 17th century, the building served as the Palermo…
3. Museo Internazionale delle Marionette
0.11 MILES
This whimsical museum houses around 4000 marionettes, puppets, glove puppets and shadow figures from Sicily and Naples, as well as from further-flung…
4. Galleria Regionale della Sicilia
0.15 MILES
Housed in the stately 15th-century Palazzo Abatellis, this art museum – widely regarded as Palermo's best – showcases works by Sicilian artists dating…
5. Chiesa di San Francesco d'Assisi
0.15 MILES
On a picture-perfect piazza, the much-amended Chiesa di San Francesco d'Assisi dates back to the 13th century. Remnants from its early history include the…
0.15 MILES
Sicilian street artists Rosk e Loste (Maurizio Giulio ‘Rosk’ Gebbia and Mirko ‘Loste’ Cavalletto) executed this striking mural of Sicilian anti-mafia…
0.16 MILES
The late-16th-century Oratory of St Lawrence features glorious stuccowork by master rococo sculptor Giacomo Serpotta. Capturing scenes from the lives of…
0.19 MILES
The 16th-century 'Oratory of the Whites' obtained its nickname from the white ceremonial gowns worn by its religious guild, whose members comforted…