Palermo Cathedral

Norman cathedral layered with eight centuries of architectural additions

Address Corso Vittorio Emanuele, 90134 Palermo
Admission Cathedral free; treasury and tombs €3–7
Opening Hours Mon–Sat 07:00–19:00; Sun 08:00–13:00 & 16:00–19:00

A vast Norman cathedral begun in 1185, with centuries of additions that make it one of the most architecturally complex buildings in Sicily. The exterior — particularly the apses and the south portico — is more rewarding than the neoclassical interior, which was heavily altered in the 18th century. The treasury contains the crown of Constance of Aragon and the royal tombs hold the remains of Roger II, Frederick II, and Henry VI.

The cathedral anchors the Corso Vittorio Emanuele, Palermo's main ceremonial axis. Free to enter; the tombs and treasury cost a small fee.

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A story
The cathedral was built by the Archbishop Gualtiero Offamiglio in 1185 on the site of a mosque, which itself had been built on a Byzantine church. The mosque's Arabic inscription is still visible on a column in the south portico — a verse from the Quran, left in place when the building changed hands again. The exterior is a catalogue of every ruler who touched it: Norman apses, a Catalan Gothic entrance, an 18th-century neoclassical dome that most architectural historians consider a mistake.

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