Palermo Privata

It sits on the north shore of Sicily on a fan-shaped stretch of land between two towering stone promontories, and it’s been there, in one form or another, for almost 3,000 years. Empire after empire has trodden upon the place: Greeks, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans; then Vandals, Normans, Moors, Spaniards; then Italians, the United States Army; and since the end of World War II, Cosa Nostra, whose influence over the place is only recently waning. For millennia it’s been built up and knocked down, robbed and bombed, patched up and left to fend for itself. So it is a spectral city, a city of ghosts and ruins, amid which the living citizens slip quietly and for the most part without expression; an inward city, not unkind but very private — Italia insulare, as they call it. Palermo can be very beautiful, in a decaying, Hubert Robert way; on sunny days the sky overhead is Mediterranean enamel blue; the food is wondrous. But above all, Palermo is full of secrets and very strange.

Even notional comparisons are hard to come by and incomplete. Like Naples, Palermo is famous for its depredations, its crime and its unemployment; but Naples is far busier and more worldly. Like Havana, Palermo has the faint, heady air of isolation and rotting elegance. But Havana is wide open, a city seemingly without interiors, whereas Palermo is nothing but: for all its markets and sidewalk restaurants, it feels as if most of life takes place indoors, behind curtains.

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Palermo is among the top 10 undiscovered culinary capitals

According to www.askmen.com Palermo is among the top 10 undiscovered culinary capitals

For foodies looking for somewhere new to explore and give their taste buds a work-out, men’s Web portal AskMen.com has come up with a list of the world’s top 10 undiscovered culinary gems.

The list was compiled by editors at www.askmen.com and is not endorsed by Reuters:

5. Palermo, Italy

Sicilian culture is the product of many influences and its cuisine reflects this. In Palermo, enjoy greens and vegetables, and fish and grain, seasoned with the best influences of the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Try restaurants like Il Mulinazzo and Osteria Altri Tempi for classic Sicilian favourites.

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Galleria Regionale di Sicilia – Palazzo Abatellis in Palermo reopens

Galleria Regionale di Sicilia – Palazzo Abatellis in Palermo reopens to the public. The building was designed by Carnalivari at the end of the 15th century as the residence of Francesco Abatellis, harbormaster of the Kingdom of the two Sicilies. The palace is one of the most significant Gothic-Catalan architectonic samples in Western Sicily. Its gallery features sculptures and paintings from the 12th to the 18th century.

Highlights: the Triumph of Death fresco; the Annunciation by Antonello da Messina; The Malvagna Triptych by Mabuse; fine collection of statues by Antonello Gagini and Francesco Laurana.

Address: Via Alloro 4, Palermo
Tel.: (091) 616 43 17
Fax: (091) 617 21 87
Web site: www.regione.sicilia.it

Noto and Giardini Naxos are awarded at the OURCOAST Project

At the OURCOAST Project, only two Italian cities made the list of the 300 best environmentally managed coasts in Europe: Noto and Giardini Naxos.

Noto is a city in the Province of Syracuse, located at the foot of the Iblean Mountains and gives its name to the surrounding valley, Val di Noto. In 2002 Noto and its church were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Giardini Naxos is located in the Province of Messina, on the coast of the Ionian Sea on a bay which lies between Cape Taormina and Cape Schis