What to DO in PALERMO Italy 🇮🇹 10 unique hidden gems! 💎

0:00Hey everybody and welcome back to another episode

0:02of Triple P where we explore people, places and palates!

0:17I’ve just spent the last few days in the beautiful city of Palermo in the

0:21region of Sicily and I wanted to put together a video on the

0:24top 10 things to that you have to get up to when you’re visiting. Let’s go!

0:51What if I told you that you can have an authentic Sicilian cannoli in an ancient hidden convent in

0:56the heart of Palermo? This unique confectionery shop is located inside the Church & Monastery

1:01of Santa Caterina d’Alessandria, which now seeks to pay homage to the ancient tradition of making

1:07pastries inside convents. The name is “I Segreti del Chiostro” (translated as “Secrets of the

1:13Monastery”) which is absolutely fitting. They’ve sourced a long list of nearly forgotten recipes,

1:18like the Triumph of Gluttony, a sponge cake with sweet ricotta,

1:22apricot jam, pistachios, and candied fruit, and the Sospiri di Monaca,

1:26a folded lady finger cake stuffed with whipped ricotta. But let’s say the most iconic thing to

1:31order is the delicious cannoli filled with sweet ricotta cream topped with pistachio,

1:36chocolate and candied fruit. The best part is that you can enjoy your sweets in the lush

1:41open-air courtyard tiled with multicolored traditional mosaics and beautiful plants

1:46overlooking the fountain. An ocean of serenity in the middle of the bustling historic town!

2:10One of the things that absolutely has to be on your list to understand the Sicilian way of

2:14life is to visit at least one of the four markets: either Ballaró, Capo, Vucciria or Borgo Vecchio. I

2:21made my way to Capo, that dates back to the age when the Arabs ruled Palermo and at the time,

2:27served primarily as a haven for pirates and slave merchants. Take your time to explore the winding

2:33paths, walking past fishmongers, butchers and fruit salesmen. I would also suggest sitting at

2:39one of the stalls to grab a bit to eat, - perhaps something authentic like “Arancini”, a Sicilian

2:44dish from the 10th century which is a small ball of rice stuffed with a savoury fillings,

2:49coated in breadcrumbs, and fried. It originated at a time when the island was under Arab rule,

2:54which is also why possibly it has a lot of resemblance to the Levantine “kibbeh”.

2:59Did you know that Palermo is famous for and recognised as the European Capital

3:04of Street Food? So take your time to savour the many delights found here.

3:37Next up is Monte Pellegrino, a popular destination for both Palermo residents and visitors to the

3:43city, dotted with fragrant pine forests,. The mountain is particularly popular during weekends,

3:50with many cars making their way along Via Bonanno Pietro towards the summit. Countless families

3:55come to picnic in the woods, hikers climb the mountain, believers make a pilgrimage to the

4:00chapel of Saint Rosalia. Drive by the imposing pink building which is called Castello Utveggio,

4:05a palace in neo-Gothic style, and Take in the amazing scenic views of the city and port. then

4:11head to the chapel of Saint Rosalia, the city’s patron saint. Rosalia is said to

4:16have lived in the 12th century and spent much of it in a cave on Monte Pellegrino,

4:20where she is said to have been devout and prayed for the souls of Palermo's inhabitants.

4:25The chapel of Saint Rosalia, is really unique, half hewn out of the rock. Before you reach the

4:30main part of the church, you walk through the craggy entrance, which holds a statue of her.

4:35Here, people leave votive offerings, thanking her for wishes she has granted. They are so numerous

4:41that the priest has constantly to remove them. She is festooned with little arms and little legs,

4:46and miniature kidneys or other internal organs, specially crafted out of silver by people who

4:51have survived illnesses or injuries. She has thick sheafs of hand-written thank-you

4:56letters wedged in her hands. She often has a motorbike crash helmet at her feet,

5:00left by yet another young man who has thankfully survived a near-fatal accident by praying to her

5:02desperately, while lying in the road waiting for an ambulance. She is a real blessing to this city.

5:03If you are looking for panoramic views, but more in the city, then I suggest you also Terraza del

5:09Sol which has breathtaking views of Piazza Pretoria and the Quattro Canti. It offers a

5:14dream experience for art and history lovers. Its privileged location makes it the ideal place to

5:19enjoy a delicious aperitif while getting lost in the architectural details of the surrounding

5:24monuments. The atmosphere is welcoming and relaxing, perfect for spending moments

5:29with friends and family. The staff is courteous and attentive. If you are looking for a place

5:34to immerse yourself in the beauty of Palermo while sipping a drink, this place is the perfect choice.

5:48Now we can’t be talking about Palermo and not mention its stunning beaches, in particular the

5:52Mondello Beach, Sicily’s most popular seascape, replete with clear waters, granita stands galore,

5:59and an unparalleled view of Monte Pellegrino. It’s no secret that Mondello’s sea is its star. You’d

6:05be remiss to visit the beach without taking a dip in the town’s trademark turquoise waters.

6:10With views of Monte Pellegrino in your periphery, the Mondello swimming—rather, floating—experience

6:15is one-of-a-kind. You can also rent boats, paddle boards, floats, or if you prefer to relax on the

6:21beach, then hey why not. If you get hungry you have some nice cafes and restaurant bars

6:26there. My friends and I ended up eating dinner and watching the Spain versus Italy football

6:30match for Euro 2024. Super fun atmosphere! One of the dishes you also can’t miss out on during your

6:42time in Palermo is the Pasta A La Norma,one of the most loved Sicilian first courses! Tomato sauce,

6:49fried aubergines and sheep ricotta make it a triumph of flavours. Perfect also for vegetarians!

7:33Going to a puppet theatre is definitely not something that I thought I would be

7:36doing during my trip, but Opera dei Pupi is so unique that we had to go. It is declared a

7:42UNESCO masterpiece of oral and intangible heritage and has been a revered art form in all of Sicily,

7:49starting in Siracusa and making its way around the island. The Opera dei Pupi

7:53in Palermo is a family business in its fifth generation now and the puppets are

7:58hand crafted by the men in the family! Enjoy a 45 minute performance where the

8:02puppeteers tell stories based on medieval chivalric literature and other sources,

8:08such as Italian poems of the Renaissance, the lives of saints and tales of notorious bandits.

8:34Talking about unique, the Catacombe dei Cappuccini are burial catacombs that should not be missed!

8:39Today they provide a somewhat macabre tourist attraction as well as an extraordinary historical

8:44record. A huge space with around 2,000 skeletons and mummified bodies are kept in these rooms,

8:50making the Catacombs of Palermo the largest and most extraordinary collection of mummies

8:55in the world. Originally an ossuary for the monks in the 16th Century,

9:00they opened it up to any one who wanted their bodies mummified and permanently

9:04displayed (in clothes of their own choosing and for an extra fee they would change your

9:08wardrobe periodically after death). It now has on display the corpses of some 8000 men,

9:14women, children, and babies -from a time period stretching over 300 years.

9:23Last but not least, you have the stunning Cathedral of Palermo,

9:27one of the most beautiful buildings in the city.

9:30It is a UNESCO heritage sit, built around 1185 and reflects a mixture of different architectural

9:36styles that make it unique. It has undergone so many transformations as a result of the series of

9:42different historical phases. Originally, it was a great temple consecrated to the Virgin Mary,

9:48following the Arab conquest it became a mosque, then converted into a Christian house of worship

9:53after the Norman settlement. The most important of these transformations was in the 18th century,

9:58which gave the Baroque space a proper neoclassical proportionality where the dome acts as the

10:04essential balancing element. Don’t forget to also check out Villa Bonanno, a beautiful garden

10:12located in the Victory Square and built in 1905 by the mayor Bonanno, right behind the Palace

10:18of the Normans. It’s the perfect place to relax in, to get away from the scorching summer heat.

10:27Thank you so much for watching and do subscribe

10:30for more travel inspiration coming up. See you all on the next one!