Main Character Energy: Palermo Brings the Drama
When it comes to drama, few do it like the Italians. From the peaks of the Dolomites to the narrow, shadowy alleyways of Venice, there’s no shortage of settings for a clandestine rendezvous or a shouted proclamation of devotion. But even in the land of Caravaggio and Bocelli, the peeling, baroque beauty of Palermo stands apart.
There’s evidence of human settlement in Sicily’s capital going back more than 10,000 years; in the last two thousand, it’s been shaped by an eclectic tug of war of conquerors and cultures. Palermo flourished as a trading hub under Roman control, and after being invaded by Arabs in the 9th century and made the capital of Sicily, evolved into a center of learning. Today’s narrow streets, gardens, and courtyards still reflect the Moorish influence originally laid down a thousand years ago. Normans captured the city during the Conquest, and the blending of Norman, Arab, and Byzantine cultures resulted in a unique artistic and architectural style. From the 15th to 18th century, Palermo was ruled by the Spanish crown, and Baroque architecture became prominent across the city. 150 years as part of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies followed, before the unification of the Kingdom of Italy in the 19th century. This breakneck pace of change has left in its wake one of the most historically rich and culturally diverse cities in Europe.
Overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea at the perimeter of vivid Palermo and the foot of Mount Pellegrino, Villa Igiea was built in the 19th century for the Florio family, a family of entrepreneurs involved in everything from wine exports to shipbuilding on the island. They opened the property as a hotel in the early 20th century, serving royalty, dignitaries, and Hollywood luminaries looking for a seaside sanctuary. It retains its sense of theatricality today, and when Rocco Forte Hotels acquired in the property, it was a perfect match of brand and product. After a meticulous renovation, it opened as Palermo’s grandest hotel in 2021. The interiors are an Art Nouveau marvel, with vivid frescos and marble oozing luxuriously across fireplaces, floors, and tabletops. At night, there’s a live pianist providing the soundtrack to one of Italy’s most sparkling atmospheres.
Each of the 100 rooms and suites are designed by Olga Polizzi with subtle nods to the island’s history, done in warm earth tones offset by accents of blue and green, which reflect the rolling lawns and sea beyond. Rooms have huge windows and many have terraces or balconies, which are the ideal place to begin the day, coffee in hand, citrus-scented Sicilian breeze whispering around you in eddies.
Guests can travel through time to the peak of La Belle Époque in Palermo, where the Florio family’s most distinguished guests would have dined in the original Louis XVI hall. Now named Florio Restaurant, the interiors pay homage to the era’s elegance with a restrained color scheme and soaring floor-to-ceiling windows that bathe the space in soft natural light and reveal views of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Grand antique mirrors reflect large green vases filled with Mediterranean plants, giving the perception of an infinite garden. Seamlessly connected through the continuation of parquet flooring is a winter garden breakfast room, inspired by early 20th-century design. You’re on vacation, so we give you permission to dive into the caramelized brioche with Marsala wine-infused strawberries and lemon sorbet. (The entire culinary experience is designed by chef Fulvio Pierangelini, Rocco Forte Hotels' Creative Director of Food, and menus are inspired by his philosophy of simplicity, generosity, and quality to highlight the flavors and ingredients of Sicily.)
After breakfast, it’s time to explore the city - if you can tear yourself away from the Irene Forte Spa, where you’ll catch us indulging in the Mt. Etna Age Defying Facial, which uses hot and cold volcanic stones from Mount Etna to enhance natural collagen production. Once refreshed, don your favorite colorful sundress and a chic hat, or slip into breezy head-to-toe linen, and head out into the dynamic streetscape. The 12th-century Palermo Cathedral is metonymic for the city at large, with almost a thousand years’ worth of culture influencing the intricate decoration on its sweeping flanks - climb to the rooftop for stunning views over the city and Mediterranean. A bust of Verdi watches over the huge neoclassical Teatro Massimo, with its seven tiers of red velvet seats crowned by a frescoed dome. Also in the center is the Palazzo dei Normanni, which has stood for almost a thousand years, serving as the seat of the Kings of Sicily; today, it’s the seat of the Sicilian Regional Assembly (there’s also a little kiosk serving homemade gelato on brioche). Within the complex you’ll also find the Cappella Palatina, which dates to the Normans and drips with golden Byzantine mosaics.
Spend a few hours wandering through Palermo’s historic markets, such as Mercato di Ballarò and Mercato della Vucciria, which are full of local vendors selling everything from fresh seafood and meats to Sicilian street food like arancini and panelle. And while Palermo’s layered history will charm you by day, a special kind of alchemy blows in in the evenings. Locals head outdoors for a passeggiata, a traditional social stroll. Residents of all ages dance in communal squares, and bars serving amaros are tucked into crumbling city walls and overlook dramatically lit landmarks.
Or, head back to Villa Igiea for some time by the pool and a cocktail at Terrazza Bar. It’s the sort of indoor/outdoor space with a soundtrack of laughter and clinking glasses, where waiters in crisp white jackets slice through with trays of icy martinis and plates of fried artichokes, and everyone feels like a star.
Sicily has something to offer year round, but the seaside really comes alive in the spring and summer. The team at Villa Igiea can arrange nights out for opera or ballet at the Teatro Massimo, springtime tea on the terrace or Sicilian wine tasting in the Terrazza Bar, or a visit to the open-air market to shop and taste street foods, followed by a private cooking class. Easter week, or Pasqua, is a major holiday in Sicily, and the hotel will be in full bloom with tradition, with special guided explorations of Palermo’s most important religious sites, an Easter egg hunt and special event brunch on the holiday itself, and a Cassata Siciliana class with the pastry chef, who will walk you through how to make the sponge with ricotta and candied fruit that is said to have been invented in Palermo in the 10th century and is traditionally eaten on Easter.
Palermo is a jumping off point for a larger trip around the marvels of the entire island of Sicily, with its ancient temples, baroque hill towns and villages, smoking volcanoes, miles of olive trees, and crumbling fishing towns. Less than two hours south, it makes a great pair with Verdura Resort & Rocco Forte Private Villas, on the south west coast of the island, for the opportunity to experience two different sides to the Sicilian coastal life. Palermo should also be included on an itinerary of Italy’s great cities - Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples, and Palermo laze in a fishhook shape down the length of the country, each with their own cuisine and cultural highlights, each overflowing with local haunts and landmarks that have stood through millennia. This is Italy for travelers who love Italy, but also for those who love history, architecture, art, film, and secrets - and whether you’re the type who loves to be in front of the camera or you prefer to be capturing the scene, make sure you have plenty of storage space ready to capture your piece of the thousands of years of history in this global crossroads.
