The Arab-Norman Palermo
Once a regal capital where peoples very different from one another mingled their cultures. Creating a particularly original fusion like the Arab-Norman Byzantine style of its finest buildings. From Palermo’s narrow streets and twisting alleys in the oldest part of the city, to the grandeur of the Teatro Massimo Opera House.
The City Vibrates In The Clash Between Ancient, Classic And A Most Contemporary Life
Nature too, has been generous with the city, its protection assured by the grayish, pink surrounding heights that form the Conca d’Oro. Rich in citrus groves, that tempers the climate and act as a backdrop to the splendid bay dominated by mount Pellegrino. Goethe called it “the most beautiful promontory in the world”.
Palermo with its singular Arab-Norman aura, with its church-mosques, mosaics, cloisters, gardens, fountains, and bright red cupolas has survived through the centuries. It passed through the reigns of Anjou and Aragon in which the powerful feudal families built their royal strongholds. It survived the Spanish and Bourbon viceroyalties and arrived almost intact into the 19th century.
