The Albergheria, in the southwest of the old town, takes its name from the inns that lined the road for medieval pilgrims arriving from the south. The district holds the Norman royal palace, the Cappella Palatina, San Giovanni degli Eremiti, and the Ballarò market — three major monuments and one major market in a tight web of narrow lanes.
The Albergheria is rough around the edges, with many semi-derelict buildings and a long history of being the poorest district in the centre. It has been changing fast in the past decade — North African and Bangladeshi communities have settled here, restaurants and bars are reopening, and the architecture is being slowly restored — but the working character is still intact.