Sicily is the biggest island in the Mediterranean and is autonomous from the rest of Italy. Sicily has a very rich culture specific to the island, such as its cuisine, language and arts. It also has a lot of well-preserved architectural sites from the Ancient World.
If you would like to visit the beautiful island of Sicily, head to the vibrant capital, Palermo.
Palermo is over 2,700 years old and is one of the most historic cities in Italy. Located on the North West coast of the island of Sicily, Palermo was founded by the Phoenicians and named Panormus by the Ancient Greeks, which means all port.
Palermo has always been an important city for trade due to its location and was part of several empires such as the Roman, Norman and Byzantine empires. Palermo was actually the capital of the Kingdom of Sicily from 1130 to 1816. It was then combined with the Kingdom of Naples. However, it became part of Italy in 1860, during the Italian unification. It is now part of Italy but autonomous, because it has its own language and is geographically cut off from the mainland.
Palermo has a typical Mediterranean climate with mild, cold winters and hot, dry summers. Head there in May or September to avoid the crowds but enjoy the sun.
Parlemitans or panormiti, as the people from Palermo are known, speak Italian and Sicilian.