13 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Palermo - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in Palermo

Capuchin Monastery Catacombs

Catacombs with thousands of well-dressed mummies.

The Martorana

This mosaic-lined medieval church was built by the world's first admiral and still holds mass in ancient Greek.

Santuario di Santa Rosalia

Cave shrine on Monte Pellegrino.

San Giovanni degli Eremiti

Behind medieval walls in a corner of bustling Palermo is a breathtaking former mosque once inhabited by a wolf-taming hermit.

Cappella Palatina

Every inch of this chapel is covered in craftsmanship from across the world.

Palazzo Chiaramonte

Haunting graffiti left by prisoners of the Spanish Inquisition.

La Zisa

This Arabesque Italian castle was built with a primitive, if ingenious, air-conditioning system.

Porta Nuova

This triumphal 16th-century arched gateway leads to the oldest street in Palermo.

See All 13 Things to Do in Palermo See All 13 Places

Unique
Food & Drink
in Palermo

Cassata Siciliana

The seductively delicious Easter cake once made an entire convent neglect its prayers.

Brioche con Gelato

Some Sicilians start their day with this decadent combination.

Frutta Martorana

Sicilian nuns once hung these sugary "fruits" from tree branches.

Stigghiola

The streets of Palermo are filled with the smell of succulent, sizzling lamb intestines.

See all 5 things to eat in Palermo See all 5 things to eat in Palermo

Atlas Obscura Trips

Rome Behind Locked Doors: Music, Magic, and Secret Crypts

Join us as we go beneath Rome’s streets and behind its locked doors to explore hidden and overlooked places, witnessing a capital city that most tourists rarely experience—strange, magical, and filled with intrigue.

Community Forums / Southern Europe / Italy

Top Discussions in the Italy Travel Forum

Post	Replies	Views	Activity
Where is your favorite place to eat and see something unusual in Rome?	1 July 23, 2019	804	July 23, 2019
Uffizi Gallery Trip	3 July 30, 2019	531	July 30, 2019
Stumbling Stones of Rome	3 July 24, 2019	739	July 24, 2019
'Il Babuino' ('The Baboon')	1 July 26, 2019	443	July 26, 2019
Capitoline Triad	2 August 16, 2019	267	August 16, 2019

New Post Visit the Forum

Explore Palermo, Italy

Launch Map

Palermo Leaderboard

Places Added

Places Edited

Places Visited

Recent Palermo Activity

qtliu has been to San Giovanni degli Eremiti

qtliu has been to Porta Nuova

mxtallymarks wants to go to The Martorana

flinginamerica wants to go to Capuchin Monastery Catacombs

Erik wants to go to Capuchin Monastery Catacombs