Discover Palermo : The districts of Palermo

The city centre of Palermo is bordered by the railway station to the west, the port to the south, the cathedral and the courthouse to the north and piazza Castelnuovo to the east. By car, two boulevards criss-cross the centre from west to east: via Roma and via Maqueda. Via Vittorio Emanuele starts from the port (not far from piazza Marina) and runs north towards piazza Indipendenza, and you can reach Monreale further on. Via Francesco Crispi runs along the port and leads to the east of the city. Albergheria and Kalsa form a compact architectural nucleus divided into three distinct districts, south of Via Vittorio Emanuele. You can walk through the small historical streets of the centre, from one district to the other, day and night. Capo, Loggia and the port of Cala form a complex made up of two of the Quattro Canti neighbourhoods, which lie to the north of Via Vittorio Emanuele and extend towards the ancient port of Cala.

Alberghia, a historical district

South of Via Vittorio Emanuele and west of Via Maqueda. Its name comes from the neighbourhood of San Nicolo dell'Albergheria, where in the past the dish of wheat semolina called "bengol" was distributed to the poor. It is bounded on the south and west by the corso Tukory. It is the district of the Palazzo Reale, the beautiful church of San Giovanni degli Ermiti. It is also the district where a certain Giuseppe Balsamo, better known as the Count of Cagliostro, was born on June 2, 1743 (at Via Perciata 31). He was an emblematic figure in esoteric circles, supposedly holding the secret of immortality!
A walk in the old Albergheria district is a must. The street of the same name, which starts in via dei Benedetti and ends in via Maqueda, crosses the Ballaro market. This lively market stretches from the Chiesa del Carmine to piazza Ballaro. It is mainly food, but there are also textiles and second-hand clothes in via Casa Professa. Another old and picturesque street in the district that is worth strolling is via Porta di Castro, which runs from piazza Ballaro to the church of San Giovanni degli Ermiti.
Further north, piazza Bologni, which overlooks via Vittorio Emanuele, recalls, not without nostalgia, the time when, in the 18th century, the great and good of the realm chose it as the setting for their sumptuous palaces. Nowadays, Palermo's wealthy families live in the Conca d'Oro district, crossed by the Calatafimi corso in the southwest of the city. On this same corso, the beautiful garden of the Villa Tasca, well maintained (which is rare enough to be mentioned), offers us a view from its heights of the fertile plain of the Conca d'Oro, once planted with citrus trees.

Kalsa, a popular and bohemian district

To the south of Via Vittorio Emanuele and to the east of Via Maqueda. It is bounded on the northeast by the small fishing port of La Cala and on the south by Via Lincoln. It has become one of the most miserable districts of the city, but this was not always the case with the Kalsa, as its many palaces and oratories testify. A former rich district of Arab Palermo, its name comes from the Arabic khalcsa meaning "chosen": the sultan had chosen it to settle there with his court. It was still very fashionable until the end of the last century.
Today it is a popular district with decrepit facades and buildings ravaged by the devastating bombings of 1943. However, the city seems to want to give back to the Kalsa its letters of nobility. It is not uncommon to find scaffolding and tarpaulins covering buildings in the streets. Between its newly restored buildings and its alleys where the laundry hangs between two balconies, Kalsa breathes Sicily. The anarchy that reigns here may be frightening at first, but once you've walked a few streets, you'll find them charming. There are some very nice alternative restaurants and bars.
The central station is not a district in itself, but it adjoins the two previous districts and serves the whole city with trains from all over the island.

Capo, a district of various markets

To the west of via Maqueda, bounded by the Cathedral to the south and the Teatro Massimo to the northeast. In this area there are two interesting markets. The Capo market starts in via Maqueda, the shopping street, and runs along via Sant'Agostino past the church of the same name, and then extends to the left in via Beati Paoli and to the right in via Carini. It's great to walk through this typical market, where you can find everything from T-shirts "made in Taiwan" to prickly pears. From Piazza Beati Paoli, Via Gioiamia leads to Piazza Papireto. Going up the street of the same name, you come across the second market in the district, the mercato delle pulci (flea market) where bargain hunters can have a great time. In Via Carrettieri and in the adjacent streets, you can see the magnificent tags of the artists who live in the area and bring it to life with their art.

Loggia, the port area of La Cala

This small, ancient district begins north of Via Vittorio Emanuele and is located east of Via Maqueda. It is bounded on the north by Via Cavour, beyond which the new town begins. It forms an islet around the cove of the small port of La Cala. It is the ancient port of the city of Palermo, dug and built during the Arab period of the island. The fort of Castello a Mare was the stronghold. The oldest market in Palermo can be found in this area, which was not spared from the bombings either.

Piazza Castelnuovo, temple of shopping

At piazza Verdi, via Ruggero Settimo follows via Maqueda. This is where the shopping district of piazza Castelnuovo begins, with its line of beautiful shops. Beyond piazza Castelnuovo (where the tourist office is located), you follow the beautiful via Libertà which, with its Liberty facades, its plane tree lanes, its terraces, including the famous one of the Nobel café, and its luxury shop windows competing with elegance, is the most chic artery in the city. Behind Via Ruggero Settimo, among the modern buildings of Piazza Ungheria, is the Charleston restaurant, one of the best in the city. Unless you settle for a coffee on one of the many terraces on the pedestrian Principe Belmonte street. Here you will find a bit of entertainment in the evening. If you like music, go to the Politeama Theatre in Piazza Ruggero Settimo, which hosts the opera season and most of Palermo's shows. The most popular singers usually perform on the theatre's esplanade. On the other side, in Piazza Castelnuovo, a charming little bandstand stands in the middle of a garden planted with palm trees. In short, there is something for everyone! The modern city extends northwards, beyond via Cavour and via Volturno, from via della Libertà. There are some interesting restaurants and hotels.