SHORE
EXCURSION: TOUR OF GREATER PALERMO: 8
Hours
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This tour is a fabulous introduction to the
greater city of Palermo, the capital and the
most important city of all Sicily.
Includes: Our private tour of Palermo
includes private "driving guide," private
door-to-door transportation, taxes, tolls and
parking.
After a quick drive from the port, you will
reach the medieval heart of Palermo, notable
for its Baroque and Arab-Norman flavor and
lush gardens and prestigious villas. The tour
will start at Piazza Pretoria with its beautiful
Renaissance fountain originally built for a
villa near Florence: a unique sight given its
location in the heart of an Arab-Norman city.
You will continue your stroll of central Palermo,
otherwise known as Quattro Canti,
to visit the town cathedral. This magnificent
building was erected on the site of the old
cathedral, transformed into a mosque by the
Arabs and re-consecrated as a Christian church
by the Norman kings.
The tour will continue on foot to visit San
Giovanni degli Eremiti, a Norman monument built
by Roger II in 1136 on the site of a former
Gregorian monastery. You will also visit
San Cataldo, a Norman church in the old city
center. The city tour will end with a
visit to the Palazzo dei Normanni, the most
important monument of Palermo. Since
the post-war period, this Norman-styled palace
has been the seat of the Sicilian Regional
Assembly.
You will next drive along a wonderful road
overlooking the Conca D'Oro valley to reach
the village of Monreale, where you will visit
the magnificent Duomo of Monreale, one of the
great sights of Norman Sicily. Founded
in 1172 by King William II, the Duomo flanks
a Benedictine monastery. The cathedral’s interior
glitters with mosaics designed by Sicilian
and Byzantine artists. We will end our day
with a stroll at the famous open-air Vucciria
market. The largest and busiest market in Palermo,
Vuccuria offers a wide range of products, from
fresh fruit to trinkets.
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