Attractions in Palermo

Most of central Palermo's sights sit along two streets that cross at right angles: the Cassaro, officially Corso Vittorio Emanuele, and Via Maqueda. Where they meet is the Quattro Canti, a baroque crossroads with four curved façades, and round the corner is the Fontana Pretoria, a 16th-century fountain shipped from Florence. Walk up the Cassaro and you reach Porta Nuova and the Norman Palace. Further out, the Capuchin Catacombs hold thousands of mummified, fully dressed bodies; they stay with you, and they are not for everyone. South of the centre, the Ponte dell'Ammiraglio is a Norman bridge left high and dry when its river was diverted.

The old centre is easy to cover on foot; the planner puts the stops in order around the time you have.