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All Italy Palermo

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Palermo

16 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Palermo, Italy

Updated August 14, 2023

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Unusual Attractions in Palermo

Antonio Pasqualino International Puppet Museum of Palermo

Palermo, Italy

Antonio Pasqualino International Puppet Museum of Palermo

This unique museum is home to over 5,000 puppets of all types.
Qanat Gesuiitico Basso in Palermo

Palermo, Italy

Qanat di Palermo

A network of underground water channels that dates back to the Middle Ages.
The fresco after restoration

Palermo, Italy

'Trionfo della Morte'

This uncanny fresco celebrating the "triumph of death" was split into four pieces to be moved to another museum.
The Lajos Tüköry memorial plaque.

Palermo, Italy

Lajos Tüköry Memorial Plaque

A plaque honoring a Hungarian hero of Italy is hidden in plain sight in Palermo.
The interior.

Palermo, Italy

The Martorana

This mosaic-lined medieval church was built by the world's first admiral and still holds mass in ancient Greek.
The tree in the narthex.

Palermo, Italy

Santa Maria dello Spasimo

This skeletal, unfinished Gothic church once housed a miraculous masterpiece by Raphael.
Porta Nuova

Palermo, Italy

Porta Nuova

This triumphal 16th-century arched gateway leads to the oldest street in Palermo.
The cloister.

Palermo, Italy

San Giovanni degli Eremiti

Behind medieval walls in a corner of bustling Palermo is a breathtaking former mosque once inhabited by a wolf-taming hermit.
See All 16 Things To Do in Palermo
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Explore Palermo, Italy

Architecture 9
Sacred Spaces 7
Churches 4
Religion 3
History 3
Architectural Oddities 3
Mosaics 2
War History 2
Art 2
Military 2
Medieval 2
Museums 2

Palermo Leaderboard

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Stories About Palermo

An Opera dei Pupi heroic knight puppet.

Palermo's Unique, Centuries-Old Puppet Tradition Enters a New Era

The Sicilian city's puppeteers are finding novel ways to keep the art form alive.
by Anna Staropoli
December 10, 2021

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