Palmero’s Sicilian Regional Gallery
February 24, 2009
While Sicily may be a hire car haven, with some of the most scenic routes you will ever drive, the capital city of Palermo simply demands you stop and visit, containing as it does so many cultural and historic sites of interest. One such magnet for those willing to park their hire car for a few hours is the Palazzo Abbatellis, a large gothic palace dating from the 15th century, now home to the Galleria Regionale della Sicilia, Sicily’s largest art gallery.
Most of the works on show are from the medieval and Renaissance periods through to the eighteenth century, arguably taly’s golden age of art, and the gallery houses many fascinating and striking pieces such as the “Bust of Eleanor of Aragon” by Francesco Laurana and the famous “Our Lady of the Annunciation”.
The gallery is large enough to deserve a few hours of soaking up the atmosphere, as well as admiring the numerous Renaissance masterpieces, and is as good a place as any to experience some of the city of Palermo’s rich and varied culture.
Palermo’s Hidden Architectural Gems
February 7, 2009
One of Italy’s hidden gems, Palermo is rife with fascinating treasures that lie behind its daunting past. While its past reputation may leave tourists wary of its historic center, modern Palermo is opening itself up more and more to the world at large.
A trip to any Italian town is never complete without visiting its churches and this locale has several of them in awe-inspiring splendor. Try the Church of San Francesco Saverio, an octagonal shaped church built in the 17th century, with a bell tower that affords a vast aerial view of the local neighborhoods, or the La Martorana, which blends the best of Arab and Norman architecture, with well-maintained frescoes and mosaics behind its walls. Of course, you must take your car hire to the Duomo off the beaten path in Monreale, which hosts a 65-foot-high mosaic of Jesus and over 200 intricately carved columns.
Out in the Loggia district is the most spectacular Baroque architecture that Palermo has to offer. A single five euro pass gets you into the area’s five major sites, such as the Oratorio del Rosario del San Domenico and the Oratorio del Rosario di Santa Citta.
Palermo – A day out without a mafia guide?
September 27, 2008
Wonderful Palermo is the capital of Sicily and with nearly 800,000 dwellers is largest city with its own airport on the island it is situated on the north western area of Sicily in a bay. Now when most people hear of Palermo they think of ‘Godfather’ or ‘Goodfellas’ as it is the spiritual home of the Mafia. This is a pity. Does the mafia exist? Yes but it offers so much more. The purpose of this little article is to show you that Palermo offers so much more and we are going to make you an offer (to see more) that you cannot resist.
First of all is the rich tapestry of cultures which exist in Palermo – the Arabs and the Normans sum up to a unique mixture which demonstrates Sicily’s history. This is in direct contrast to poverty which you will see in places in Palermo. Unfortunately Palermo has the highest unemployment rate in all of the towns and cities in all of Italy.
So let’s start off with what there is to see and doing in Palermo. First portal of call has to be the beautiful cathedral – the Palazzo dei Normanni. In addition to the museum on the Piazza Olivella it is a very interesting place and those who appreciate art can get excellent value for money in the Galleria Regional Sicilian, where all sorts of varied works of Sicilian artists are displayed.
Now if it were me the next place I would go and see in Palermo would be the Norman Palace. Built in the 9th century AD it was later expanded by the Normans – and if you look carefully you can see where. It is also good to point this out to tour guide as they will appreciate that you appreciate their culture.
Our personal favourite has to be the beautiful chapel – something’s defy words and this is one of them. Once you have seen it please come back to our Palermo site and confirm or indeed challenge us.
The second place we would we would immediately recommend is the Cathedral of Palermo. Not only a breath-taking example of architecture is houses numerous different styles that give the building a unique flair. The Arabian touch of the decorations gives it an air of strange beauty. Here are the mortal remains of Roger 2nd, Heinrich 6th, Friedrich 2nd (who originally wanted to get interred in the cathedral of Cefalú and not in Palermo) and his mother Constance de Hauteville. This part can be viewed against the fee of 1 Euro (March 2007), somebody who also wants to admire the crypt and the treasures of the cathedral has to pay 1, 50€ more and can astonish crosses that are set with jewels and bishop’s caps.
What to see outside of Palermo?
September 10, 2008
If you looking for something to see and do then we strongly recommend Monreale. So many people miss this fantastic place as most have not heard of it before. If architecture is your thing then a visit to the cathedral is an absolute must. The exterior is imposing, balancing on a hillside at the bottom of the little town. If the exterior impresses you then the interior will take your breathe away. It has a stunning interior with almost every surface ornately decorated, in deep blue, gold and other colours of a mosaic, depicting the main stories of the Old and New Testaments.
Once you have finished in the cathedral be sure to visit the cloisters, where each pillar is unique, and wander the streets for the magnificent views of Palermo and its bay. For an even better view of the area then you can even climb up the steps to the cathedral roof – if you are brave enough. To escape the ferocity of the mid day sun you can visit one of several bars and tavernas, and a few interesting shops. If you’re here in the evening when most of the tourists have left you’ll find it a friendly unpretentious town in which to experience a sense of the real Sicily. And if you’d like to read more about this great little town, do visit my Monreale page.
Car Hire Offers – Palermo
August 16, 2008
At Pronto! we know that no one wants to have to spend numerous hours looking at all the car rental companies to get the best deals on their car rental for Palermo. That is why our team of professional car hire specialists at Pronto! spend hours searching for the best offers for you. What is more – you don’t even have to make a phone call! All of the very latest offers are loaded into the Pronto! car hire booking engine which is located on the right of the page. The following are a selection of car hire offers – subject to availability:
Get a Peugeot 107 or similar from our Mini range from only £20 per day
Get a Fiesta or similar form our Compact range from only £22 per day
Get an Alfa Romeo 147 or similar from our Intermediate range from only £25 per day
Get an Alfa Romeo or similar from our Standard range from only £30 per day
Get a Mercedes C200 or similar from our Fullsize range from only £41 per day
Get a Jaguar X Type or similar from our Luxury range from only £55 per day
Get a Mercedes C180 station wagon or similar from our Premium range from only £61 per day
Get a Ford Galaxy or similar from our Mini Van range from only £66 per day
Use Pronto’s car hire search engine on the right to find out what savings you could be making on your car rental.
Palermo Guide
July 9, 2008
Palermo is perhaps one of the most dramatic islands on the face of the planet. Not only is it the birth place of the La Costa Nostra (Mafia) but also boasts a wealth of history and culture. Among the many things to see and do are Carini a medieval castle that has been extensively restructured as well as the castles of Castelbuono and Catania. We would also recommend a visit to the beautiful towns of Erice and Falconara Sicula. The island of Sicily is expansive and is best explored by car if you wish to truly take it all in.
To locate the best rate on a Palermo car hire use our comprehensive Palermo Airport Car hire search engine. Our Quick Car Hire Booking form takes all the guess work out of finding the absolute best deal on a Palermo Car hire. Not to mention the fact that the booking process is so simple that you can avoid wasting time booking a car in the airport and get on your way to enjoying this beautiful Italian city. Simply fill out some basic information in the form on the right hand side of the screen and we will take care of the rest of the work for you.
How To Get The Best Car Hire Rates
July 9, 2008
Getting the absolute best rate that you can is important when you are looking for a Palermo car hire. Many people think that the only way to guarantee they get the best rate on a Palermo car hire is to call all of the major car hire companies like, Hertz, Alamo and Holiday Autos to compare rates. Fortunately, you don’t have to do all of that leg work to get a good rate on a Palermo Airport Car Hire. Palermo Airport Car Hire has a team of specialist that work hard to ensure we can provide you with the absolute best rates available at any given time. We make it easy to book your car and get the best rate without the hassle of having to call around for a deal.
To take advantage of the all the deals and offers we have available at Palermo Airport Car Hire all you need to do is use our simple search engine. Our Quick Car Hire Booking form conveniently located on the right hand side of the screen is easy to use and provides you the deals you are looking for almost instantly. All you have to do is give us a few basic details about you and your car hire needs and we take care of the rest.
Car Hire And Peace Of Mind
July 9, 2008
Palermo Airport Car Hire doesn’t just give you the best rate on your car hire we give you comprehensive coverage included in that low rate. We understand that regardless of where you are bad things can happen and we believe that you should have the peace of mind of knowing that you are protected should that happen while you are traveling. Our fully inclusive coverage is built right into the price you are quoted for your car hire and it covers you from front to back. Not only are you covered for theft and accident with Palermo Airport Car Hire, but you are covered for many other things including, premium location fees, VAT and local taxes, road fund taxes, unlimited mileage, cancellation and around the clock roadside assistance.
To take advantage of the great rates and coverage that Palermo Airport Car Hire offers all you need to do is fill out our Quick Car Hire Booking form. Gives a few basic details about you and your car hire needs and you will have a list of results that match your needs almost instantly. Then, all you have to do is choose the best deal for you and click book it.
Looking At The Small Print
July 9, 2008
Palermo Airport Car Hire always wants to make the process of booking a car hire as easy as possible for you. That is why we cover all the bases for you during the booking process in a simple and easy to use way. We understand that every car hire company has their own unique set of rental conditions that apply to them and that is why we make sure that you are aware of these conditions before booking one of our many great deals. Step two of our easy booking process goes over the rental conditions for the deal that you have chosen. We summarize these rental conditions so that they are easy to understand and so that you don’t have to spend the time reading them when you arrive in Palermo.
To take advantage of our easy car hire booking process and fabulous deals all you have to do is fill out our Quick Car Hire Booking form. Tell us a few basic details about you and your car hire needs and your results will appear almost instantly. Then, all you have to do is choose the deal that is right for you and click book it.
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