Palermo
Historical Background

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The origins

Palermo was founded by the Phoenicians between the 8th and 6th century B.C. and since the beginning, the city has been connected to the sea and the port. No wonder then that one can see images of ships, fish and the sea God Neptune on the old coins. Palermo remained Phoenician until Romans seized control. In the 3rd century B.C., Palermo was divided into two parts—the old city (Paleapolis) and the new one (Neapolis).

During the Phoenician period, the city became remarkably wealthy, due to the port activity and agricultural development. As a result of the war between Carthage and Imera in 480 B.C, the Phoenician fleet found shelter in the city’s harbor.

Ermocrate from Syracuse tried to conquer the city in 276 B.C. But it remained in the hands of the rulers of Carthage, until it was conquered by the Romans in 254 B.C. Asdrubale tried to retake the city, but was defeated by Cecilio Metello. Another Phoenician, General Amilcare Barca attacked the city for four years from Monte Pellegrino.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the city fell in the hands of Vandal king Geiseric (455). Later, Odoacre (476) and Teodorico (493) also conquered it for a limited period of time. In 535, it was re-conquered and handed back to the Byzantine emperor Justinian. In 549, the city was occupied by Totila, but later returned to the Byzantines in 552.

The splendor of the Arab-Norman period

It was for the first time with Muslim domination in Sicily that Palermo began its ascending phase. In 831, a long siege reduced the population from 70,000 to 3,000 inhabitants and Arabic troops occupied the city. Palermo was reborn under its new rulers and experienced a thriving economy, demographic growth as well as increased political influence.

With its fertile fields, the city soon became an important center for the Muslims. In 948 under the Banū Kalb dynasty, Palermo was selected as the capital of the independent emirate of Sicily. The composition of the population at that time consisted of a colorful mix: Arabs, Greeks, Latins, Hebrews and others resided here.


In 1072, Ruggero d’Altavilla and his brother Roberto il Guiscardo conquered the city and ended the Arab dominance. In 1030, Ruggero II was crowned the King of Sicily in the majestic cathedral and Palermo was declared the capital. Under the Norman rule, the city experienced a wealthy period and Federico II (1208) transformed it into a major cultural center.

The French and the Spanish: The dark years.

With the conquest by the Angevin, Naples was declared the capital in 1266, but the misgovernment led to a rebellion by Vespri Siciliani on March 31, 1282 and the city declared itself a commune belonging to the house of d’Aragone.

The fights and attacks during this dark period led to the economic decline of the city. But finally the economic and demographic conditions underwent an improvement during the 1500s, and the aristocracy from the countryside began to settle down in the city centre.

On August 15 1647, the people of Palermo rebelled against the Spanish rulers. They were led by Guiseppe D’Alesi and Nino della Pelosa. Two years later, a conspiracy headed by Guiseppe Pesce and Antonino Lo Giudice, tried to eliminate Giovanni of Austria, but due to the lack of popular support, the plan failed.

With the Treaty of Utrecht, the Spanish rulers had to abandon the island and the city came under the brief rule of Vittorio Amedeo di Savoia (1713-18). Later, as a consequence of the Treaty of Aia, the islands and main city centers came under the rule of Carl VI of Austria.

After the Unification of Italy

The Bourbons surrendered on June 6, and on October 21 the people of Palermo voted for the reign of Italy. In the following decades, the city expanded and at the end of the 19th century it experienced an exceptional demographic growth, becoming one of the largest and most populous cities in Italy.

During the Second World War, the city endured several bombing raids, which didn’t damage the famous monuments, but reduced the overall value and splendor of the smaller monuments and some of the reminders of the old aristocratic Palermo.

After the allied landing on July 24 1943, Palermo again took its role as the primary city of Italy. But when life returned back to normal, the situation also normalized in Palermo, and they started to talk less about separatism and more about increased autonomy. An increased regional autonomy led to the requirement of a decentralized administration, which Palermo was ready to execute.

The regional assembly was situated in the Palazzo dei Normanni and the regional government was accommodated in Palazzo d’Orleans. Other palaces, like il Butera, were assigned to the regional councillorship.

In this way Palermo returned to being a residential city, and today, it is a popular tourist destination.