Arab-Norman Palermo - Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalú and Monreale

Palermo (Sicilian: Palermu) is a city in northwestern Sicily, southern Italy, located on the eponymous gulf facing the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo – the city's surrounding metropolitan province. With over 2,700 years of age, the city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence.

Founded in 734 BC by the Phoenicians as Sis ("flower"), Palermo then became a possession of Carthage. Two Greek colonies were established, known collectively as Panormos; the Carthaginians used this name on their coins after the 5th century BC. As Panormus, the town became part of the Roman Republic and Empire for over a thousand years. From 831 to 1072 the city was under Arab rule in the Emirate of Sicily when the city became the capital of Sicily for the first time. During this time the city was known as Balarm. Following the Norman conquest, Palermo became the capital of a new kingdom, the Kingdom of Sicily, that lasted from 1130 to 1816.

The municipality of Palermo has a population of 625,956 as of 2025. The population of its urban area is estimated by Eurostat to be 855,285, while its metropolitan city is the fifth most populated in Italy, with around 1.2 million people. The inhabitants are known as Palermitani or, poetically, panormiti. The languages they speak are the Italian language and the Palermitano dialect of the Sicilian language.

Palermo is Sicily's cultural, economic and tourism capital. It is a city rich in history, culture, art, music and food. Many tourists are attracted by the Mediterranean climate, renowned gastronomy and restaurants, Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque and Art Nouveau churches, palaces and buildings, and the nightlife and music. Palermo is the main Sicilian industrial and commercial center: the main industrial sectors include tourism, services, commerce and agriculture. Palermo has an international airport and a significant underground economy. For cultural, artistic and economic reasons, Palermo is one of the largest cities in the Mediterranean and among the top tourist destinations in both Italy and Europe. It is the main seat of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalù and Monreale. The city is also undergoing careful redevelopment, preparing to become one of the major cities of the Euro-Mediterranean area.

Roman Catholicism is highly important in Palermitan culture. The Patron Saint of Palermo is Santa Rosalia, whose Feast Day is celebrated on 15 July. The area attracts significant numbers of tourists and is widely known for its colourful fruit, vegetable and fish markets at the heart of Palermo, known as Vucciria, Ballarò and Capo.

The Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalù and Monreale are a series of nine religious and civic structures located on the northern coast of Sicily dating from the era of the Norman Kingdom of Sicily (1130-1194): two palaces, three churches, a cathedral, and a bridge in Palermo, as well as the cathedrals of Cefalù and Monreale. They have been designated together as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This dedication took place in 2015.

The new Norman rulers built various structures in what has become known as the Arab-Norman style. They incorporated the best practices of Arab and Byzantine architecture into their own art. Although a different builder constructed each of the sites, they are linked together because of their shared architecture and time period.

On the Friday after these locations gained World Heritage Sites tatus, Italy celebrated with a ceremony. As Palermo Mayor Leoluca Orlando and then Italian president Sergio Mattarella revealed a plaque, various Italian officials and public figures attended at the entrance of the Palazzo dei Normanni which hosts the Sicilian Regional Assembly. He said that "we send this message of coexistence." The president highlighted the contributions of the Arabs and Normans to Italian history.

Currently all of the buildings are under continuous restoration and care. This care varies from site to site but most often consists of topical restoration (cleaning, maintaining murals, etc), research (what the building might have looked like originally and what was done there), and structural restoration (making sure the building is safe and structurally sound).