|
Palermo & Monreale Tour After breakfast, enjoy a tour of Palermo and Monreale. Stretched along a beautiful bay on the Tyrrhenian Sea, Palermo was founded by the Phoenicians in the seventh and eighth centuries BC, and after it was conquered by the Arabs in AD 831, a period of immense prosperity commenced. You'll be enchanted by Palermo's wide boulevards, traditional Sicilian Old Quarter, and Baroque palaces. You'll see the city's main sights, including Quattro Canti di Citta' (the Four Corners of the City), and Palermo's extravagant Baroque crossroad, which is the junction of the two main streets of the city—the ancient cardus and decumanus of the original Roman implant. The crossroad is ringed by four buildings with Baroque sculptures that depict the Four Seasons, Spanish kings, and the patron saints of Palermo's four old quarters. You’ll also see the exterior of the twelfth-century Cathedral of Palermo. You’ll visit the Teatro Massimo, Palermo’s extraordinary Neoclassical opera house, the largest in Italy and cherished worldwide for its remarkable acoustics. Then sample the area’s famous pizza during an included lunch at a local restaurant. Finally, you'll discover the Arab-Norman splendor of the Monreale Cathedral. This nearby treasure dates from the twelfth century and shows the diverse architectural influences of both the Normans and the Arab population. |
|
|
8/16/11 |
|