# Palermo: life between beauty and chaos



## urbane (Jan 4, 2005)

The Ballaró market in Palermo: a large open air market with all sorts of foods. Unfortunately the pictures communicate only a part of its charm. The other are the smells and sounds of the sellers loudly advertising their products. 




























A knife grinder's shop:



















The streets around the market. Walking around the street near the market a car was "strolling" at walking pace and an umbrella-repairment was advertising his services


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## JPBrazil (Mar 12, 2007)

Palermo seems to be a very nice city with lots of history and vibrant street life.


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## Thalassa (Feb 20, 2009)

Controlled chaos. Very nice examples of beautiful architecture and the raw street scene. Thank you!


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## urbane (Jan 4, 2005)

More street scenes of old Palermo:

































































Decorated entrances with religious portrait on the side:


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## jpsolarized (May 3, 2009)

though i love the architecture of the city, i dont like the flea markets, they look like the ones in Bolivia or Ecuador


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## urbane (Jan 4, 2005)

The cathedral:























































Sicilian Ape 










Citizens, protects your parks:


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## DiggerD21 (Apr 22, 2004)

Thanks for the pictures urbane! Are these photos from this year? I have been in Palermo in Summer 2004 and heard that there were plans for a huge renovation program of the old town in 2005/2006. Unfortunately judging from your pictures it seems that basically nothing has changed since my visit. 

I have also been to nearby Monreale with its splendid cathedral (lots of gold mosaic inside!) and always enjoyed the stay at Mondello beach (a suburb of Palermo).


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## snowman159 (May 16, 2008)

Thank you for this thread, urbane! Sicily is such an awesome place to visit. :cheers:


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## D.D. (Nov 26, 2007)

lol nice pictures... some of them I found them to be comical...thanks for sharing kay:


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## Marek.kvackaj (Jun 24, 2006)

fantastic!! good atmosphere


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## Le Penseur (Mar 10, 2007)

I went to Palermo in 2004, and sadly enough I couldn't fully appreciate the architectural beauties of the city, just because of the neglect and chaos. It was the first time I went to Italy, and I had so much expectations. I really didn't expect so much ugliness (in the suburbs) and such urban decay and filt on the streets. But I have to say I was only seventien at that time, so maybe today I could enjoy the chaos a little more. But still, it is a shame, simply because there is so much to see.

Beautiful pictures, thanks!


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## urbane (Jan 4, 2005)

^^ There is a good amount of dirtiness and blight overall. However, that varies amongst the neighborhoods. The northern part of the city centre is clean, so are some of the tourist attractions (though not all). In general I liked to photograph the conditions of the working class neighborhoods of the city center, which tend to be dirtier, as well as the more well known attractions of the city.


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## urbane (Jan 4, 2005)

DiggerD21 said:


> Thanks for the pictures urbane! Are these photos from this year? I have been in Palermo in Summer 2004 and heard that there were plans for a huge renovation program of the old town in 2005/2006. Unfortunately judging from your pictures it seems that basically nothing has changed since my visit.
> 
> I have also been to nearby Monreale with its splendid cathedral (lots of gold mosaic inside!) and always enjoyed the stay at Mondello beach (a suburb of Palermo).


There are some renovated building in the city center: but the task is quite monumental given the size of Palermo's historic centre. 

Monreale will be coming up on the thread


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## urbane (Jan 4, 2005)

More photographs of Palermo:




























Gutted out:


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## John123 (Jul 11, 2008)

The city looks nice.


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## Pule (May 18, 2004)

A very charming and nice city, keep those photo coming.


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Interesting and very nice photos of Palermo in above photos


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## tiziana75 (May 2, 2007)

Hi to everybody, thanks for the compliments, Palermo is a city from the thousand faces, preserve still different architectures of the various dominations, that melt him between them in perfect symbiosis, innumerable churches of different style can be admired, from the Baroque one, to the Norman one, Byzantine, siculo-Norman, Gothic-Catalan, Arab, Gothic, Baroque-Roman, the city can be considered a sky open museum.
Palermo boasts a secular history, every angle of the city tells a piece of history, the city has a vast historical center, and for this and also for the carelessness of various administrations, lately however the city is changing face and many monuments, ancient noble buildings, are (in the city they are as) in phase of recovery, the city is in continuous restauration, and it is a true miracle for us palermitani, we go from there fierce.
On the Italian forum, there is a devoted thread really to the restauration of the architectural patrimony in Palermo, taken care of by Maqveda, and from so many others that the city loves in which they live, and that they fight so that return in everything of its shine, are certain that the very interesting threads you will find, also because you have the possibility to notice the before and the later, in everything the threads they are 10, therefore you imagine how much has been done and how much to do is still. You are been inserted some maps numbered with relative interventions of restauration.
I glue you the link, I hope to insert soon some photos in Palermo to make you know other angles of the city 
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=985282


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## Chadoh25 (Dec 28, 2007)

Beautiful photos!


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Very nice new shots of Palermo


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## Murci (Nov 18, 2006)

Very interesting city . 
The churches from inside look rather like orthodox than catholic ones .


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## urbane (Jan 4, 2005)

Some pictures of Palermo's harbour and the area around it:








[/url] P5020392 by [email protected], on Flickr[/IMG]








[/url] P5020361 by [email protected], on Flickr[/IMG]

Abandoned buidling of the Finacantieri shipyards:








[/url] P5020369 by [email protected], on Flickr[/IMG]








[/url] P5020373 by [email protected], on Flickr[/IMG]








[/url] P5020362 by [email protected], on Flickr[/IMG]

Dogs roaming around:








[/url] P5020385 by [email protected], on Flickr[/IMG]

A wing of the Ucciardone: Palermo's infamous jail








[/url] P5020396 by [email protected], on Flickr[/IMG]

Informal economy: a vegetables vendor and an 'office' for getting your car inspection and driving permit:








[/url] P5020368 by [email protected], on Flickr[/IMG]








[/url] P5020403 by [email protected], on Flickr[/IMG]


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

I'm so excited to have discovered this thread. I find Palermo such a thrilling city.

Your pictures of The Martorana are wonderful.

When I visited the Capella Palatina, I cried. It was, and remains, the most beautiful interior I have ever seen.

I like those cities that are on the edge: with fantastic pasts, now faded - but with so much future potential: Naples, Marseilles, Liverpool - now on the up - please check out my thread!

:cheers: Make mine a glass of wine!


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## goschio (Dec 2, 2002)

Can't say I like it. Stray dogs, dirt, decaying houses? Doesn't look like city in first world country.


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## DWest (Dec 3, 2009)

great shots liking them.


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## Linguine (Aug 10, 2009)

Interesting thread...


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Very interesting and very nice updates from Palermo


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## skymantle (Jul 17, 2010)

reminds me of Athens in many ways


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## Mindtrapper0 (Mar 18, 2010)

I actually really like what I'm seeing here.

Palermo looks like a collision of Italian, Middle eastern and Latin America and I find those contrasts to be fascinating, this is definitely a place I can see myself going to!


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## Linguine (Aug 10, 2009)

any updates?


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## urbane (Jan 4, 2005)

More from the harbor:

P5020404 by [email protected], on Flickr

Street scenes around the Cala:


P5020407 by [email protected], on Flickr


P5020409 by [email protected], on Flickr


P5020410 by [email protected], on Flickr


P5061003 by [email protected], on Flickr

Santa Maria della Catena:


P5030416 by [email protected], on Flickr

Monument to the victims of the Mafia:


P5030419 by [email protected], on Flickr

Fortification ruins:


P5061001 by [email protected], on Flickr

Giardino Garibaldi/Piazza Marina: this is where New York police officer Joe Petrosino was killed in 1909


P5061010 by [email protected], on Flickr


P5061008 by [email protected], on Flickr


P5061011 by [email protected], on Flickr


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## Galro (Aug 9, 2010)

Both Palermo and Catania could use a proper renovation and modernization, but both cities are beautiful still with many great architectural treasures.


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## urbane (Jan 4, 2005)

Street scenes and buildings in the Kalsa quarter:


P5061014 by [email protected], on Flickr


P5061017 by [email protected], on Flickr


P5061024 by [email protected], on Flickr


P5061021 by [email protected], on Flickr


P5061025 by [email protected], on Flickr


P5061095 by [email protected], on Flickr


P5061096 by [email protected], on Flickr


P5061098 by [email protected], on Flickr


P5061097 by [email protected], on Flickr


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## VITORIA MAN (Jan 31, 2013)

sicily""""" ti amo


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## IThomas (Feb 11, 2011)

Interesting photos. I've read a few stereotypical posts and with "prejudices". Palermo is the fifth largest city in Italy after Rome, Milan, Naples and Turin. There are great examples of architecture and is a meeting point between the various cultures that have passed through the island over the millennia. What is referred to as "old and degraded" are the old houses of the historic center. Homes reworked throughout history, and change with time. Of course now there are many parts of the city that should be rearranged, through restoration, as well as churches, fountains, monuments, palaces ... It is a great historic center, one of the largest in Europe. There are in fact ongoing projects aimed to insert it in the World Heritage UNESCO, or put on the list some of its finest monuments. Without doubt Palermo and Sicily, represent something of "unique" and "special". Certainly a region with a strong character, but little publicized. Tip for foreigners: Italy isn't just Venice, Rome, Florence, Naples and Amalfi Coast, find out more from north to south and visit. 

*Pleaseeeee visit my thread in my signature! Thank you!*


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

Thanks for the updates. Can we have some more please?


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## urbane (Jan 4, 2005)

Palazzo di Giustizia (courthouse) of Palermo:


P5061093 by [email protected], on Flickr

A couple more street views:


P5061092 by [email protected], on Flickr


P5061091 by [email protected], on Flickr


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## urbane (Jan 4, 2005)

My last pictures are from Monreale cathedral, on the outskirts of Palermo: the outside is plain but the inside is all the more decorated (the opposite of Palermo's cathedral)


P5061054 by [email protected], on Flickr


P5061063 by [email protected], on Flickr


P5061034 by [email protected], on Flickr


P5061032 by [email protected], on Flickr

The arabesque gardens:


P5061039 by [email protected], on Flickr


P5061043 by [email protected], on Flickr


P5061042 by [email protected], on Flickr


P5061048 by [email protected], on Flickr


P5061051 by [email protected], on Flickr


P5061050 by [email protected], on Flickr

The conca d'oro valley:


P5061057 by [email protected], on Flickr

Palermo's harbor seen from Monreale:


P5061058 by [email protected], on Flickr

And at last, a terrace overlooking the conca d'oro:


P5061061 by [email protected], on Flickr


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

Monreale is lovely, but for me The Capella Palatina has no comparison. The most exquisite building I have yet been in. I hope to return.


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