Abali Gran Sultanato

IL GATTOPARDO
If you wanna...

by SirRichard

IL GATTOPARDO
If you wanna imagine how people lived in Sicilia in the 19th Century, read the book by Giuseppe Tomaso di Lampedusa, or watch the movie based on that book, by Visconti. Both are masterpieces!
'Il Gattopardo' is a monumental anthropological, historical and psychological study of a remarkable man and his culture. The Sicilian soul unveiled, a historical perspective on the people of this still recalcitrant part of Italy (140 years following annexation) is provided through the eyes of a privileged, sophisticated observer. The customs, the conventions, the dreams, the everyday life, even though most of the movie takes place in palaces, the portrayals of the commoners and the forays outside give an idea of how people lived.

Pizza with fresh ingredients

by Propermark about La Casetta del Poeta

This is a restaurant which makes pizzas too. It has got many dishes of international and traditional cuisine. Pizzas are made with fresh mozzarella cheese and fresh ingredients. Service may be slow due to too many clients every night, but you won't be disappointed. A specialty of this place is Fettucine del Poeta.

Closing day: Wednesday

Medium cost: from 11 to 21 euros

General Info

by marco2005

Located near the Royal Palace, the Abbey Church of St. John of the Hermits (San Giovanni degli Eremiti) is another fine example of 12th century Norman-Arab construction here in Palermo. That it was built upon a mosque may account for its particularly Arabic style, with five reddish cupolas. (Incidentally, we do not know for certain whether these cupolas were originally red.) The bell tower is the only part of the building that has a distinctively Norman appearance, with its Gothic lines and mullioned windows. Were it not for the bell tower, Saint John's could easily be mistaken for a mosque.

The construction of St. John of the Hermit's was ordered by Roger II in 1130 for the Benedictine Order. St. John's visual impact results mostly from its external features, with its charming Arabesque domes amidst the surrounding trees and gardens, and an elegant cloister, probably a 13th century addition constructed in the Romanesque style, though it combines harmoniously with the Church and its surrounding gardens.

The Church of St. John of the Hermits is open Mondays through Saturdays from 9 to 1 and 3 to 7. On Sundays, the Church is only open in the morning from 9 to 1. There is a nominal admission fee

Palermo-My Kinda Town

by Ineedtogo

"More than Beautiful"

Palermo. Just the very thought brings chills down my spine. The Arabs callled it "The Beautiful". I call it my kinda town. I spent exactly one month in the island of Sicily. Most of the time was spent in the Province of Ragusa.Sicily alone is a diverse region. Everyone, from the Greeks to the Arabs have came upon its rich shores. Palermo, which is the region's capital, is no different. Immediately, after you arrive in Palermo's palatial Central Railway Station, you ask yourself where you are. Florence? Rome? Paris? Beruit? Damscus? Tunis?-It seems so.......bizarre. Italy?-it just can't be! Then you walk down sylish Via Roma, one of the city's many bustling thoroughfares. it intices you with its elegnce, ans somewhat audacious architecture. You may find this a bit unexpected,because from all you may here Palermo seems like a deangerous, uninviting place, but once you are there you realize what Palermo reallly is like. All the sudden you are in a piazza. A beautiful piazza. It may seem a bit "shameful" at first, hence the name (Piazza della Vergonia- Shame Square), but you continue your journey. Every church and cathedral you see is breathtaking. You seem almost dumbfounded with the baroque, romanesque, arab, and renaissance structures surrounding you. You think, the Arabs were right. Palermo is the beautiful.Oh and before I forget to mention the beautiful Palazzo Normani, and the Capella Palantina with its gorgeous and ornate mosaics depicting scenes from the life of the early Christians. I could go on forever on the beauty and elegance of the arts and culture in Palermo. Palermo;however, is more than beautiful...it is imperfect. Plaermo has its unending problems, but it is a fantastic and gorgeous city. I found Palermo to be much like my personality. I try to to do my best in everything, but I am still far from perfect. I think Palermo can describe all of us, or what we want to be. We are all imperfect, but at the same time beautiful, with our minds, deeds, and actions. Plaermo touched my heart because I realize that sometimes perfection is overrated, and a little grittiness and a llittle dirt acn make us feel down to earth and somewhat a little happpier. Happiness comes always from the inside.