Churches in Palermo

Palermo's churches read like a timeline of the city: Norman, Catalan Gothic and baroque, often layered in a single building. Start with the Arab-Norman UNESCO route: the Cathedral, the Martorana with its Byzantine mosaics, and the red domes of San Cataldo and of San Giovanni degli Eremiti, with its small cloister of citrus trees. The Martorana and San Cataldo share Piazza Bellini with Santa Caterina, a riot of baroque inlaid marble where you can climb to the rooftop terraces. For more baroque, the Chiesa del Gesù is in the Albergheria. Monreale Cathedral, on the hill above the city, is a bus ride away. Cover shoulders and knees.

Group them by neighbourhood and the planner can fit several into a single morning on foot.