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Palermo is in northwest Sicily, just off the "toe" of the Italian mainland boot. Palermo mixed cultural heritage is a resulted of the multitude of nations that have spent millennia fighting over its beautiful and strategic soils. In ancient times Palermo has passed under rule of the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, and Romans; and in medieval times, most notably during the Crusades, the Normans and the Arabs spent years warring over it. Eventually would be incorporated into the Bourbon Kingdom of Naples until 1860 when it was unified into Italy.

With over a million residents, picturesque Palermo in modern times is an eclectic mix of tradition and progress. Appreciating the resulting gems of its past and present is as easy as taking a casual walk through its streets, passing the mixed architecture of the Arab and Normans, its exotic gardens, palaces, piazzas, and churches. Palermo's patron saint, St. Rosalia, is honored each year on July 14 during what is called the Festino. During the ceremony a procession moves through the city to remember St. Rosalia, who was believed to have freed Palermo from the Black Death in 1634. Palermo also has a strong Jewish heritage, which is reflected in the Hebrew inscriptions and the Star of David present on structures throughout the city.

Palermo will particularly excite art lovers. Chief of all the museums are the International Marionettes Museum (featuring 3,500 puppets, many artisan crafted), the Regional Archeological Museum, the Museum of Islam (with examples of the ancient Arab culture), and the Sicily Regional Gallery (ancient paintings, pottery and sculpture). Further exploration of the city will reveal its amazing stucco oratories, baroque palaces, and medieval mosaics. Lastly, embracing its Arab roots, Palermo's markets are quite the cultural site, with merchants hawking the finest of goods, from food items (particularly seafood and spices) to crafts, in the Old Town.