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Gothic invasion followed Roman Rule for a brief time and Panormus then became part of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire from 535 until 831. At this time it was invaded by Saracen Arabs (Moors) who turned many of the churches into mosques and then began the reign of the Aghlabid dynasty which exists now as Tunisia. From 948, Palermo, newly named Bal’harm, was the capital of the Emirate of Sicily of the Kalbite dynasty and was considered the royal capital of Sicily. The Arabs introduced many of the foods to Sicily that remain a strong part of Sicilian culture and trade today including, lemons, oranges, dates, hard wheat, cane sugar, cotton and the mulberry trees. They also introduced irrigation systems, revolutionary for the time, and a new system of aqueducts. At this time Palermo became one of the Muslim world’s most extraordinary cities, only surpassed by Baghdad.

Arab rule became more and more torn by inner disputes and Palermo was eventually seized by the Normans, in 1071 a staggering ten years after the Normans landed in Sicily. By this time Sicily was an island where people from all parts of the Mediterranean, east, west, north and south all lived. Palermo had as many as one hundred thousand residents of Muslims, Christians and Jews and flourished as the wealthiest city in Europe rivalling London, the newly claimed Norman city.

From the 11th Century,apart from slight competition from Messina and Catania, Palermo was the most important city in Sicily, and was the place where Sicily’s government was based. The majority of western Sicily’s nobility lived in Palermo, their splendid palazzo being their legacy. Palermo’s medieval historical district is bigger than any city in Italy except for Rome.

Sicilians call this capital the heartbeat of Sicily due to its historical and current day importance to the island. This economic and tourist capital is the fifth largest city in Italy, with a population nearing 660,000. Palermo, the most cosmopolitan area in Sicily, is a vibrant cultural melting pot, famous for its history, eclectic architecture, and delicious food. Palermitans exude a feisty, energetic attitude, different to the laid back nature of most rural Sicilians, and this approach is reflected in their chaotic traffic, where road rules are abandoned and pedestrians cross the road at their peril! Luckily the layout of the city is easy to navigate in a grid like system and many of the main sights close to each other in the historical district.

The best way to get a feel of Palermo is to wonder along the long busy streets. The grand yet shabby appearance of the buildings and many of the baroque style palazzos are a reminder of how magnificient the city once was, particularly when you see the many churches bursting with grandeur and incredible byzantine mosaics. The many street markets mirror old Arab souks showing how the arab culture remains a strong influence in present day Palermo. These colourful markets are an important part of everyday life and it’s entertaining to witness the lively hustle and bustle and the strong Sicilian women bantering for their purchases and exchanging gossip. Any person can forfill their shopping needs in Palermo, Corso Vittorio Emmanuelle has shops that sell general Sicilian merchandise, ceramics pieces, jewellery, decorative plates and souvenirs and Corso Alberto Amedeo has many wonderful antique shops. For high street and designer stores along with numerous shoes stores Via Roma and Via Liberta are the streets to shop on.

Palermo’s numerous cafes are the perfect place to have a rest between shopping and sightseeing. Take either an expresso ,short and strong black coffee a macchiato, same as before with a drop of hot milk or a capuccinno and follow with a local favourite dolce delight, the Cannoli. This sweet snack is a tube shaped shell of fried pastry dough filled with sweet ricotta, dusted with sugar and chocolate flakes and it is heavenly! For the best eating experience in the city head to the food stalls especially near the markets to taste some mouth watering street food. The favourites are Sfincione,a Sicilian pizza, with a topping of salsa, mozzarella, onion,anchovies and pecorino romano cheese, and the Arancini,an orange sized deep fried rice ball,filled with mozarrella cheese or a meat ragu.

The is a large range of culturally diverse restaurants in Palermo, depending on whether you are looking for a modern take on Sicilian, an Arabic influence on your food, some fresh seafood or a tasty pizza. Keep in mind that most restaurants aren't open on Sundays and the Pizzerias tend to only open for dinner. Palermitans eat late, restaurants being at their busiest around 9pm. The bars have a laid back and friendly atmosphere and come alive early evening when the locals have finished work. A favourite aperitif is Campari and this is accompanied with a tasty selection of Sicilian appetisers such as brushetta,caponata and olives which curb the appetite until you head out for dinner later on.

If you would like to see Palermo it is best to go stay for two days at the least as there is so much to see and there is plenty of accommodation to suit every budget. For great deals go to at www.hotels.com and www.booking.com and you can get marvellous deals on four and five star hotels, see reviews on page 3 link

 Palermo is a fascinating place, full of life and bursting with culture. The chaotic, disorganised nature of the city makes it exhilarating to experience and the wonderful architecture is a feast for the eyes. It is a city that satisfies all needs from the beauty and interest of historical sights to the spirited bars and restaurants to enjoy after a long day sightseeing . With it’s scruffy elegance and offbeat charm it’s no wonder why it is such a cherish place in Sicily.