Palermo
Palermo
Palermo – known as the capital of the autonomous region of the island of Sicily and the province of Palermo, this city goes back even further than the Roman Empire – having been first established by the Phoenicians in 734 BC. Palermo and the rest of Sicily had the distinction of having been invaded by various powers – from the Romans (and the Byzantine Empire immediately afterwards), to the Arabs (becoming the Emirate of Sicily), the Normans, and later becoming part of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (which included southern mainland Italy), before becoming part of a unified Italy during the 1860s.
All this is relevant to visitors touring Palermo, since they will likely run into architecture from these historic eras. Even the local cuisine has influences from these periods (as well as the local open air markets, which have an Arabic “souk”-like quality to them). Tourists are just as attracted to the city’s culture and cuisine as they are the sights. Since Palermo isn’t really a tourist-driven city, visitors find themselves having to search for many sights independently, while enjoying local snack foods and lemon ices (which are in huge demand, due to the Mediterranean temperatures there).