The city was founded in Isla Palermo 734 BC by thePhoenicians asSis ("flower"). Palermo then became a possession ofCarthage. TwoGreekcolonies were established, known collectively asPanormos; the Carthaginians used this name on their coins after the 5th centuryBC. AsPanormus, the town became part of theRoman Republic andEmpire for over a thousand years. From 831 to 1072 the city was underArab rule in theEmirate of Sicily when the city became the capital of Sicily for the first time. During this time the city was known asBalarm.[5] Following theNorman conquest, Palermo became the capital of a new kingdom, theKingdom of Sicily, that lasted from 1130 to 1816.[6]
The municipality of Palermo has a population of 625,956 as of 2025.[2] The population of itsurban area is estimated byEurostat to be 855,285, while itsmetropolitan city is the fifth most populated in Italy, with around 1.2 million people. The inhabitants are known as Palermitani or, poetically,panormiti. The languages they speak are theItalian language and the Palermitano dialect of theSicilian language.
Roman Catholicism is highly important in Palermitan culture. The Patron Saint of Palermo isSanta Rosalia, whose Feast Day is celebrated on 15 July. The area attracts significant numbers of tourists and is widely known for its colourful fruit, vegetable and fishmarkets at the heart of Palermo, known asVucciria,Ballarò andCapo.[12]
In the 8th c. BC thePhoenicians built a small settlement on the natural harbour of Palermo, which became known asZiz[16] (Punic:𐤑𐤉𐤑,ṢYṢ).[17] It became one of the three main Phoenician colonies of Sicily, along withMotya andSoluntum.
The first settlement was later known asPaleapolis meaning "Old City". The site chosen by the Phoenicians was connected to the mountains with two roads that today have become Via Cappuccini and Corso Pisani.[18]
TheNeapolis or "New City", the nucleus of the subsequent expansion of the colony, soon developed in the area between the Paleapolis and the port. The new district expanded rapidly, exceeding the size of the old quarter, and soon became the site of markets, artisan and commercial activities. The walls were extended to embrace the new urban perimeter and two new gates were made, while the old gate at the port was moved to make room for the new buildings. In total there were 4 gates, one on each side of the city. The walls followed the course of the two rivers that surround the city, the Kemonia and the Papireto, creating a natural moat and improving the military security of the city. During the Roman era they were reinforced.[19]
The Cassaro district was probably named after the walls themselves; the word Cassaro deriving from the Arabal-qaṣr (castle, stronghold, see alsoalcázar). The colony developed around a central street (decumanus) now the Corso Vittorio Emanuele.[citation needed]
Carthage was Palermo's major trading partner under the Phoenicians and the city enjoyed a prolonged peace during this period.[citation needed] Palermo came into contact with theAncient Greeks between the 6th and the 5th centuries BC which preceded theSicilian Wars, a conflict fought between the Greeks ofSyracuse and the Carthaginians for control over the island of Sicily. During this war theGreeks named the settlementPánormos or 'wide haven'[20] due to its large anchorage, from which the present name of the city developed. The Carthaginians began using the Greek name on the city's coinage from the 5th centuryBC.[21] It was from Palermo thatHamilcar I's fleet (which was defeated at theBattle of Himera) was launched.[22] In 409 BC the city was looted byHermocrates ofSyracuse. The Sicilian Wars ended in 265 BC when Syracuse allied with the Romans of Italy and pushed the Carthaginians off of the island during theFirst Punic War. In 276 BC,[23] during thePyrrhic War, Panormos briefly became a Greek colony after being conquered byPyrrhus of Epirus, but returned to Punic Carthage in 275 BC. In 254 BC Panormos was besieged and conquered by the Romans.[24] Carthage attempted to reconquer Panormus in theBattle of Panormus 250 BC but failed.
In Roman times luxurious residences were built and have been found in several locations (piazza Sett'Angeli, Palazzo Sclafani, piazza della Vittoria).
As theRoman Empire was falling apart, Palermo fell under the control of severalGermanic tribes. The first were theVandals in 440 AD under the rule of their kingGeiseric. The Vandals had occupied all the Roman provinces in North Africa by 455 establishing themselves as a significant force.[25] They acquiredCorsica,Sardinia andSicily shortly afterwards. However, they soon lost these newly acquired possessions to the Ostrogoths. TheOstrogothic conquest underTheodoric the Great began in 488; Theodoric supportedRoman culture and government unlike the Germanic Goths.[26] TheGothic War took place between the Ostrogoths and the Eastern Roman Empire, also known as theByzantine Empire. Sicily was the first part of Italy to be taken under control ofGeneral Belisarius who was commissioned by theEastern Emperor. In late 535 his Byzantine army of 7,500–9,000 and a fleet laid siege to the city in theSiege of Panormus, which had refused to surrender unlike all the other Ostrogothic-held cities in Sicily, and eventually prevailed.
Cappella Palatina, decorated with Byzantine, Arabic and Norman elements
TheArabs took control of Palermo and most of Sicily in 831, and theEmirate of Sicily was established, though other cities persisted as Byzantine holdouts until as late as 965.[29]Muslim rule in Palermo lasted for about 240 years.[30][page needed] Palermo (Bal'harm during Arab rule) displacedSyracuse as the capital of Sicily. It was said to have then begun to compete withCórdoba andCairo in terms of importance and splendor.[31] For more than a hundred years Palermo was the capital of a flourishingemirate.[32] The Arabs alsointroduced many agricultural crops which remain a mainstay ofSicilian cuisine.[25]
After dynastic quarrels however, there was aNorman conquest in 1072. Normans conquered Palermo after a long siege. Indeed, the feat proved difficult because the Normans had never besieged such a populous city with such powerful walls. After 5 months siege, Normans built numerous stairs and war machines and finally conquered the city.[33] The family who returned the city toChristianity were called theHautevilles, includingRobert Guiscard and his army, who is regarded as a hero by the natives.[34][35] It was under his nephewRoger II of Sicily that Norman holdings in Sicily and the southern part of theItalian Peninsula were promoted from theCounty of Sicily into theKingdom of Sicily. The kingdom's capital was Palermo, with the King's Court held at thePalazzo dei Normanni. Much construction was undertaken during this period, such as the building ofPalermo Cathedral. The Kingdom of Sicily became one of the wealthiest states in Europe.[36]
Thanks to the marriage betweenConstance, Queen of Sicily, andHenry VI, Holy Roman Emperor, Palermo and the whole Sicily was inherited by their sonFrederick II, who became King of Sicily in 1198 and Holy Roman Emperor in 1220. Palermo was the capital of EmperorFrederick II's vast empire and also his favorite city. Muslims of Palermo emigrated or were expelled during Frederick's rule. After an interval ofAngevin rule (1266–1282), Sicily came under control of theAragon andBarcelona dynasties. By 1330, Palermo's population had declined to 51,000.[37]
Charles V Monument (1631) commemorating the monarch's visit in Palermo in 1535
From 1479 until 1713 Palermo was ruled by theKingdom of Spain, and again between 1717 and 1718. Palermo was also underSavoy control between 1713 and 1717 and 1718–1720 as a result of theTreaty of Utrecht. It was ruled byAustria between 1720 and 1734.
After theTreaty of Utrecht (1713), Sicily was handed over to theHouse of Savoy, but by 1734 it was inBourbon possession.Charles III chose Palermo for his coronation asKing of Sicily. Charles had new houses built for the growing population, while trade and industry grew as well. However, Palermo had become just another provincial city as the Royal Court resided in Naples. Charles' sonFerdinand, though disliked by the population, took refuge in Palermo after theFrench Revolution in 1798. His sonAlberto died on the way to Palermo and is buried in the city.
From 1820 to 1848 Sicily was shaken by upheavals, which culminated on 12 January 1848, with apopular insurrection, the first one in Europe that year, led byGiuseppe La Masa. A parliament and constitution were proclaimed. The first president wasRuggero Settimo. The Bourbons reconquered Palermo in 1849, and it remained under their rule until theExpedition of the Thousand, led byGiuseppe Garibaldi, conquered the city after theSiege of Palermo in May 1860. After theplebiscite later that year Palermo, along with the rest of Sicily, became part of the newKingdom of Italy (1861).
The majority ofSicilians preferred independence to annexation by the Savoy kingdom; in 1866, Palermo became the seat of a week-long popular rebellion, which was finally crushed aftermartial law was declared.[38] The Italian government blamedanarchists and the Church, specifically the Archbishop of Palermo, for the rebellion and began enacting anti-Sicilian and anti-clerical policies.[38] A new cultural, economic and industrial growth was spurred by several families, like theFlorio, the Ducrot, theRutelli, theSandron, the Whitaker, theUtveggio, and others. In the early twentieth century, Palermo expanded outside the old city walls, mostly to the north along the new boulevardsVia Roma,Via Dante,Via Notarbartolo, andViale della Libertà. These roads soon had a huge number of villas in theArt Nouveau style. Many of these were designed by the architectErnesto Basile. The Grand HotelVilla Igiea, designed by Basile for theFlorio family, is a good example of Palermitan Art Nouveau. The hugeTeatro Massimo was designed in the same period byGiovan Battista Filippo Basile, Ernesto's father, and built by the Rutelli & Machì building firm of the industrial and oldRutelli Italian family in Palermo. It opened in 1897.
During theSecond World War, Palermo was heavily bombed by the Allied air forces in 1942 and 1943 until its capture during theAllied invasion of Sicily on 22 July 1943.[39][40] The harbour and the surrounding quarters were effectively destroyed, as was much of the city, with heavy civilian casualties.[40] When U.S. troops entered Palermo in 1943 they were greeted with "a thunderous welcome by what seemed the entire population demonstrating their feelings about Fascist rule." The two captured Italian generals claimed that they were happy because in their view "the Sicilians were not human beings but animals".[41] Anti-Sicilian prejudice was part of the fascist regime's worldview, promoted by pro-fascist newspapers, particularly in the north of Italy.[42]
A theme in the city's modern age has been the struggle against theSicilian Mafia,Red Brigades and outlaws such asSalvatore Giuliano, who controlled the neighbouring area ofMontelepre. The Italian state effectively has had to share control of the territory, economically and administratively, with the Mafia.
The "Sack of Palermo" was one of the dramatic consequences of this problem. This popular term refers to thespeculative building practices that resulted in the destruction of a great number of historical buildings and green areas in favour of poor buildings, mainly between the 1950s and the 1980s.[43] The reduced importance of agriculture in the Sicilian economy has led to massive migration to the cities, especially Palermo, which swelled in size, leading to rapid northward expansion. The regulatory plans for expansion were largely ignored in the boom. New parts of town appeared almost out of nowhere, but without parks, schools, public buildings, proper roads, or the other amenities that characterise a modern city.
The Cosa Nostra has traditionally been the most powerful group in Palermo.[44] A 2019CNN article reported thatSicilian Mafia activity in Palermo was particularly notorious in one area, Passo Rigano. "According to Italian police, the Mafia not only engages in extortion there, but also has a large role in the town's legal economy—with its involvement in business such as wholesale food supplies, online betting and gambling." The police investigation at the time also confirmed strong links between the Palermo area mafia and American organized crime, particularly theGambino crime family.[45] According toLa Repubblica, "Off they go, through the streets of Passo di Rigano, Boccadifalco, Torretta and at the same time, Brooklyn, Staten Island, New Jersey. Because from Sicily to the US, the old mafia has returned".[46]
Palermo lies in a basin formed by the Papireto, Kemonia and Oreto rivers. The basin was named theConca d'Oro (the Golden Basin) by theArabs in the 9th century. The city is surrounded by a mountain range named after the city. These mountains face theTyrrhenian Sea. Palermo is home to anatural port and offers views of the sea, especially fromMonte Pellegrino.
Palermo experiences a hot-summer subtropicalMediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification:Csa) with moderate seasonality. Summers are very long, hot and dry due to the domination of subtropical high pressure system, while winters are mild and changeable, with rainy weather due to the polar front.[47] Temperatures in autumn and spring are typically warm. Palermo is one of the warmest cities in Europe (mainly due to its warm nights), with an average annual air temperature of 18 °C (64 °F); it is one of Italy's warmest cities. It receives about 2,530 hours of sunshine per year. Snow is rare, having occurred about a dozen times since 1945.[48] Since the 1940s, considerable snowfall has occurred at least five times. In 1949 and in 1956, when the minimum temperature went down to 0 °C (32 °F), the city was blanketed by centimetres of snow.[49] Snowfall also occurred in 1981, 1986, 1999 and 2014.[50] The lowest temperature ever recorded in Palermo was −2.5 °C (27 °F) in February 1967.[51] The average annual temperature of the sea is above 19 °C (66 °F); from 14 °C (57 °F) in February to 26 °C (79 °F) in August. From November to May, the average sea temperature exceeds 18 °C (64 °F) and from June to October, the average sea temperature exceeds 21 °C (70 °F).[52]
Mount Pellegrino, pictured at the end of the 19th century; the mountain is visible from everywhere in the city.
Palermo is surrounded by mountains, which form a cirque around the city. Some of the city's districts are divided by the mountains. Historically, it was relatively difficult to reach the inner part of Sicily from the city because of the mountains. The range's tallest peak is La Pizzuta, about 1,333 m (4,373 ft) high. Historically, the most important mountain isMonte Pellegrino, which is geographically separated from the rest of the range by a plain and lies right in front of theTyrrhenian Sea. In his essayItalian Journey,Johann Wolfgang von Goethe called Monte Pellegrino's cliff "the most beautiful promontory in the world".
Today both thePapireto [it] river and theKemonia [it] are covered up by buildings, but their shape can still be recognised because the streets that were built on them follow their shapes. The only waterway not drained yet is the Oreto river, which divides the downtown of the city from the western uptown and the industrial districts. In the basins were many seasonal torrents that helped formed swampy plains, reclaimed during history; a good example can be found in the borough ofMondello.
Cruillas, S. Giovanni Apostolo, Resuttana & San Lorenzo
VII
Pallavicino, Tommaso Natale, Sferracavallo, Partanna Mondello, Arenella, Vergine Maria & San Filippo Neri (formerly known asZEN)
VIII
Politeama, Malaspina-Palagonia, Libertà & Monte Pellegrino
Shown above are the thirty five quarters of Palermo: these thirty five neighbourhoods or "quartiere" as they are known, are further divided into eight governmental community boards.[58]
As of 2025, there are 1,194,439 people living in themetropolitan city of Palermo, 625,956 of which resided in the city itself, of whom 47.8% are male and 52.2% are female, compared to the nationwide average of 49.0% and 51.0% respectively. Minors make up 16.5% of the population, and seniors make up 23.6%, compared to the nationwide average of 14.9% and 24.7% respectively.[2]
In the ten years between 2001 and 2011, the population of Palermo declined by 3.4%, compared to the entirety of Italy, which declined only by 0.7%.[60] The reason for Palermo's decline is a population flight to the suburbs, and toNorthern Italy.[citation needed]
As of 2024, the foreign-born population is 30,168, equal to 4.8% of the population. The 5 largest foreign nationalities areBangladeshis (5,393),Romanians (2,669),Sri Lankans (2,468),Ghanaians (2,094) andTunisians (1,521).[61]
The patron saint of Palermo isSaint Rosalia, who is widely revered.[62]
On 14 July, people in Palermo celebrate the annualFestino, the most important religious event of the year. The Festino is a procession that goes through the main street of Palermo to commemorate the miracle attributed to Saint Rosalia who, it is believed, freed the city from theBlack Death in 1624. Her remains were discovered in a cave on Monte Pellegrino, and her remains were carried around the city three times, banishing the plague. There is asanctuary marking the spot where her remains were found which can be reached via a scenic bus ride from the.
Saint Lucy is also honoured with a celebration on 13 December, during which the inhabitants of Palermo do not eat anything made with flour, but boil wheat in its natural state and use it to prepare a special dish calledcuccìa. This commemorates the saving of the city from famine due to a miracle attributed to Saint Lucy; A ship full of grain mysteriously arrived in the city's harbour and the hungry population wasted no time in making flour but ate the grain as it arrived.
The ancient patron of the city was theGenius of Palermo,genius loci andnumen protector of the place, that became the secular patron of the modern Palermo.[63]
Palermo hosts a professional football team,Palermo Football Club, commonly called simply Palermo, that competes inSerie B as of 2022, having been excluded fromSerie B after the 2018–2019 season. After it went bankrupt in 2019, a new club was formed by the company Hera Hora Srl.
TheTarga Florio was an open road endurance car race held near Palermo. Founded in 1906, it was one of the oldestsports car racing events until its discontinuation in 1977 due to safety concerns, but it has since run as a rallying event. Palermo was home to the grand depart of the 2008Giro d'Italia. The initial stage was a 28.5 km-long (17.7 mi) TTT (Team Time Trial).
The flag of Palermo is similar to that of the autonomous region of Sicily, but with a different arrangement of colours. The flag displayed on the Palazzo Pretorio, the town hall, has no coat of arms. However, versions with coats of arms of variable appearance in the center have been observed; for example, around the 1950s or 1960s the flag bore the civic coat of arms formIl Blasone in Sicilia.[64]
The coat of arms consists of a shield with a red background, stamped by the crown of the city, in the center of which there is a gold-colored eagle with open wings holding in its claws the legend bearing the initials "S.P.Q.P.".[65]
Coat of arms fromIl Blasone in Sicilia (1871–1875)
Another coat of arms fromIl Blasone in Sicilia (1871–1875)
Coat of arms used between 1891 and 1999
Coat of arms with the chief of the lictor, according to the official decree of recognition of 1942
Zisa (1160) andCuba, magnificent castles/houses historically used by the kings of Palermo for hunting. The Zisa today houses the Islamic museum. The Cuba was once encircled by water.
Palermo Cathedral: the long history of the cathedral led to an accumulation of different architectural styles, the latest being the 18th century.
Cappella Palatina, 12th century chapel of thePalazzo dei Normanni, has outstanding mosaics in both Western and the Eastern traditions and a roof by Saracen craftsmen.
San Giovanni degli Eremiti: 12th-century church, near Palazzo dei Normanni, notable for bright red domes, a remnant of Arab influence in Sicily. In hisDiary of an Idle Woman in Sicily, F. Elliot described it as "... totally oriental... it would fit well inBaghdad orDamascus". The bell tower is an example of Norman architecture.
Chiesa della Martorana: also known asSanta Maria dell'Ammiraglio (St Mary of the Admiral), church annexed to the next-door church ofSan Cataldo and overlooks Piazza Bellini in central Palermo. Original layout was a compactcross-in-square ("Greek cross plan"), a common south Italian and Sicilian variant of the middle Byzantine period church style. Three easternapses adjoin directly to thenaos, instead of being separated by an additional bay, as was usual in eastern Byzantine architecture.[73] The bell tower, lavishly decorated, still serves as the main entrance to the church. The interior decoration is elaborate, and includes Byzantine mosaics.
Santa Teresa alla Kalsa, derives its name fromAl-Khalisa, an Arabic term meaningelected, was constructed between 1686 and 1706 over the formerEmir's residence, is one of the best examples ofSicilian Baroque. It has a single, airy nave, withstucco decorations from the early 18th century.
Santa Maria dello Spasimo was built in 1506 and later turned into a hospital. This church inspiredRaphael to paint his famousSicilia's Spasimo, now in theMuseo del Prado. The church today is a fascinating open-air auditorium, which occasionally houses exhibitions and musical shows.
Church of the Gesù ("Church of Jesus"): located in the city centre, the church was built in 1564 in the late-Renaissance style by the Jesuits. It was built over a pre-existing convent ofBasilian monks. Alterations in 1591 were completed in a Sicilian Baroque. The church was heavily damaged after the 1943 bombings, which destroyed most of thefrescos. The interior has aLatin cross plan with a nave and two aisles, and has a particularly rich decoration of marbles, intarsia and stuccoes, especially inSt Anne's Chapel. At the right is the Casa Professa, with a 1685 portal and a precious 18th century cloister. The building has been home to the Municipal Library since 1775.
San Francesco di Assisi: church built between 1255 and 1277 in what was once the market district of the city, at the site of two pre-existing churches and was largely renovated in the 15th, 16th, 18th and 19th centuries, the last after anearthquake. After the 1943 bombings, the church was restored to its Medieval appearance, which now includes part of the original building such as part of the right side, the apses and the Gothic portal in the façade. The interior has a typical Gothic flavour, with a nave and two aisles separated by two rows of cylindrical pilasters. Some of the chapels are inRenaissance style, as well as the late 16th century side portals. The church includes precious sculptures byAntonio,Giacomo Gagini andFrancesco Laurana. Of note are also statues built by Giacomo Serpotta in 1723.
Church of the Magione: officially known as the church of theHoly Trinity. This church was built in the Norman style in 1191 by Matteo d'Ajello, who donated it to theCistercian monks.
Quattro Canti is a small square at the crossing of the ancient main roads (now: CorsoVittorio Emanuele and Via Maqueda) dividing the town into its quarters (mandamenti). The buildings at the corner have diagonal baroque façades so the square has an almost octagonal form.
Palermo had two rings ofcity walls, many parts of which still survive.[77] The first ring surrounded the ancient core of the Phoenician city, thePalaeopolis orPaleapolis (in the area east of Porta Nuova) and theNeapolis.Via Vittorio Emanuele was the main road east–west through this early walled city. The eastern edge of the walled city was on Via Roma and the ancient port in the vicinity of Piazza Marina. The wall circuit was approximately Porto Nuovo, Corso Alberti, Piazza Peranni, Via Isodoro, Via Candela, Via Venezia, Via Roma, Piazza Paninni, Via Biscottari, Via Del Bastione,Palazzo dei Normanni and back to Porto Nuovo.
The walls followed the course of the two rivers that surround the city, the Kemonia and the Papireto, creating a natural moat and improving the military security of the city. During the Roman era, they were certainly implemented, as deducible from the subsequent account of Procopius of Caesarea about the capture of Palermo.
In the medieval period the city was expanded with a second wall. Via Vittorio Emanuele continued to be the main road east–west through the walled city. The west gate was still Porta Nuova, the walls continued to Corso Alberti, to Piazza Vittorio Emanuele Orlando where it turned east along Via Volturno to Piazza Verdi and along the line of Via Cavour. At this northeast corner theCastello a Mare protected the port at La Cala. A huge chain was used to block La Cala with the other end atSanta Maria della Catena (St Mary of the Chain). The sea-side wall was along the western side of Foro Italico Umberto. The wall turns west along the northern side of Via Abramo Lincoln, continues along Corso Tukory. The wall turns north approximately on Via Benedetto, toPalazzo dei Normanni and back to Porta Nuova.[78]
Until the beginning of the 20th century there were hundreds of small opera theatres known asmagazzeni in Palermo.
TheTeatro Massimo ("Greatest Theatre") was opened in 1897. It is the biggest in Italy (8,000 m2; 86,000 sq ft), and one of Europe's largest (third after theParis Opera and theVienna State Opera), renowned for its acoustics.Enrico Caruso sang in a performance ofLa Gioconda during the opening season, returning forRigoletto at the end of his career. Closed for renovation from 1974 until 1997, it is now restored and has an active schedule.
TheWall of Legality (Il Muro Della Legalità) depicts 38 important persons who helped in fighting the mafia. The street art project was inaugurated in July 2022 and is a joint effort by 19 artists. It can be found at Piazza degli Aragonesi.
The cathedral has aheliometer (solar observatory) dating to 1690, one of a number[80] built in Italy in the 17th and 18th centuries. The device itself is quite simple: a tiny hole in one of the minor domes acts aspinhole camera, projecting an image of the sun onto the floor atsolar noon (12:00 in winter, 13:00 in summer). There is a bronze line,la Meridiana, on the floor, running precisely north–south. The ends of the line mark the positions as at the summer and wintersolstices;signs of the zodiac show the various other dates throughout the year.
The purpose of the instrument was to standardise the measurement oftime and thecalendar. The convention in Sicily had been that the (24‑hour) day was measured from the moment of dawn, which meant that no two locations had the same time and, more importantly, did not have the same time as inSt. Peter's Basilica inRome. It was also important to know when thevernal equinox occurred, to provide the correct date forEaster.
TheOrto botanico di Palermo (Palermo Botanical Garden), founded in 1785, is Italy's largest, with a surface of 10 ha (25 acres).
Close to the city is the 600-metre-high (2,000 ft)Monte Pellegrino, offering a panorama of the city, its surrounding mountains and the sea.
Another good panoramic viewpoint is the promontory of Monte Gallo (586 m; 1,923 ft), near Mondello Beach.[81]
A Moreton Bay fig of >30 m girth and of 32 m height can be found on the Piazza Marina. ThisFicus macrophylla is most probably the thickest tree in Europe.[82]
The Mondello Beach, one of the main tourist destinations
As Sicily's administrative capital, Palermo is a centre for much of the region's finance, tourism and commerce. It has aninternational airport,[85] and Palermo'seconomic growth over the years has brought the opening of many new businesses. The economy mainly relies on tourism andservices, but also has commerce, shipbuilding and agriculture.[86] But Palermo still has high unemployment, high corruption, and a significantblack market (Palermo being the home of theSicilian Mafia).[citation needed]
The average amount of time people spend commuting with public transit in Palermo, for example to and from work, on a weekday is 63 min. 14.% of public transit riders, ride for more than 2 hours every day. The average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 23 min, while 48% of riders wait for over 20 minutes on average every day. The average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is 4.4 km, while 3% travel for over 12 km in a single direction.[88]
Palermo is a key intersection on the Sicilian road network, being the junction between the easternA19motorway toTrapani, the southeasternA29 toairport andMazara del Vallo and the southwesternA19 toCatania andA20 toMessina. Palermo is one of the main cities onEuropean route E90. The three main national roads starting from Palermo are the SS113, SS121, SS186 and the SS624.
The main railway station of Palermo isPalermo Centrale which links to the other cities of Sicily, includingAgrigento,Trapani andCatania, and throughMessina and thestrait to the rest of Italy. The railways also connect to thePalermo airport with departures every thirty minutes.
Theport of Palermo, founded by thePhoenicians over 2,700 years ago, is, together with theport of Messina, Sicily's main port. From there, ferries link Palermo toCagliari,Genoa,Livorno,Naples,Tunis, and other cities, and carry almost two million passengers annually. It is also an important port for cruise ships. Traffic includes also almost 5×10^6 t (5.5×10^6 short tons) of cargo and 80,000TEUs yearly.[92] The port also has links to minor Sicilian islands such asUstica and theAeolian Islands (viaCefalù in summer). Inside the Port of Palermo there is a section known as "tourist marina" for sailing yachts and catamarans.
The local university is theUniversity of Palermo, the island's second oldest university. It was officially founded in 1806, although historical records indicate that medicine and law have been taught there since the late 15th century. TheOrto botanico di Palermo (Palermo botanical gardens) is home to the university's Department of Botany and is also open to visitors.
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^Cappello, Teresa; Tagliavini, Carlo (1981).Dizionario degli etnici e dei toponimi italiani (in Italian). Bologna: Pàtron. p. 387.ICCUIT\ICCU\UMC\0979712.
^Palermo punica _ Catalogo della mostra Palermo, Museo Archeologico Regionale "Antonio Salinas" 6 dicembre 1995 – 30 settembre 1996_ Sellerio Editore 1998ISBN978-88-7681-116-6
^Pezzini Elena. Un tratto della cinta muraria della città di Palermo. In: Mélanges de l'École française de Rome. Moyen-Age, tome 110, n°2. 1998. pp. 719–771.DOI :https://doi.org/10.3406/mefr.1998.3654
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