Palermo certainly knows how to make an entrance. In one day, we went from ancient churches and gold-covered mosaics to Sicilian street food, marionette theater, shopping, and a very personal discussion about the Mafia. And that was just our first full day in Sicily!
We started our day with a walking tour of Palermo, the capital and largest city in Sicily. With its roots going back to the 8th century BC, Palermo has been shaped by centuries of different cultures and civilizations. We saw a number of major sites, including the Teatro Massimo opera house, Palermo Cathedral, Fontana Pretoria, the Vucciria market, and Quattro Canti. And those are just some of the highlights—Palermo has more than 300 churches! The weather was perfect for a walking tour.
Here are some pictures from our walk.
After our walk, Nico, our guide, surprised us with arancini, a traditional Sicilian food. They were delicious! Some of the group then went off to do their own thing, while Nico had another surprise up his sleeve.
We went to visit the theater where they perform Opera dei Pupi, a traditional Sicilian marionette show. The theater we visited is a fourth-generation, family-owned business where they make the marionettes as well as perform nightly shows. In the 19th century, the Sicilian elite went to the opera, while Opera dei Pupi gave ordinary people their own version of theater. It was almost like a soap opera because the story continued from one performance to the next, giving people a reason to come back every day. If we get back to town early enough tomorrow, we may go to a performance. Of course, it will be in Italian, but we have an English description of the story, so hopefully we’ll be able to follow along!
Anne and I then separated from the group to visit the Royal Palace. Our visit included the royal gardens, the royal apartments, and the Palatine Chapel. We walked through the gardens and apartments, but the real draw was the chapel.
The ceiling and walls of the chapel are covered in gold Byzantine mosaics dating from the 12th century. It was absolutely amazing. It kind of reminded me of the Sistine Chapel in one respect: you are herded into a room and then everyone just stands there staring at the ceiling! Of course, in this case, the ceiling is covered in shimmering gold mosaics rather than Michelangelo’s paintings.
We walked and shopped our way back to the hotel. I did some window shopping and may have to go back for an item or two for myself. Anne actually made a purchase, so apparently she was more decisive than I was!
After about an hour of downtime, the group gathered for a meeting about the Mafia. The first hour focused on the history of the Sicilian Mafia and its relationship with Sicily, including its role during World War II.
During the second hour, we heard from the son of Sicilian Mafia boss Bernardo Provenzano. His father spent 43 years as a fugitive, and his son was born during the 12th year of that period. He told us that his father deliberately kept him away from the Mafia and did not want him to become involved.
What struck me most was hearing about the impact his father’s criminal activities had on his life, even though he had not participated in them himself. He grew up carrying the consequences of his father’s identity and actions, which made for a very personal and powerful discussion.
That evening, we had our welcome dinner. I sat with our guide, Nico, and we laughed a lot. After a very full day of walking, sightseeing, history, and some unexpected surprises, I’d say it was a wonderful first day in Palermo.