A sensory experience through history
As a provincial capital, home to the Regional Autonomous Government, and an archiepiscopal see, Palermo is the largest and most important city in Sicily.
The capital's area, which borders the sea to the northeast, comprises four distinct and characteristic socio-urban zones, historically delineated by two ancient urban axes: Corso Vittorio Emanuele, known as the Cassaro, and Via Maqueda. From the resulting crossroads of Piazza Vigliena, commonly called Quattro Canti, the areas extend as follows: Albergaria (or Palazzo Reale) to the south, Seracaldio (or Monte di Pietà - Capo) to the west, La Loggia (or Castellammare- La Loggia) to the north, and the Kalsa (Tribunali-Kalsa) to the east. Furthermore, the third 19th-century axis of Via Roma has further subdivided the territory of the seaside districts (or mandamenti).
Economic activities are primarily concentrated in retail trade and are focused along the main thoroughfares and in the picturesque and spectacular historic markets (Capo, Ballarò, and Vucciria). Meanwhile, an increasing number of pubs and venues for young people, as well as restaurants and street food vendors, have established themselves in the side streets and internal courtyards.
The Four Mandamenti
