Cattedrale di Palermo
Cattedrale di Palermo
4.5
Points of Interest & Landmarks • Churches & Cathedrals
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This cathedral was started in 1185 by the norman archbishop Gualtiero Offamilio. You can visit the Royal and Imperial tomb of Frederik the II, the urn with the relics of the patron Saint of Palermo Santa Rosalia, plus a treasury with a precious medieval crown and a crypt from the VII century. The church is free to enter, there is a ticket to access the monumental area composed by royal tombs, treasury, crypt and the roof.
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  • Edward
    Santa Rosa, California1,876 contributions
    Impressive Cathedral With Great Roof-top Tour
    The Palermo cathedral is large and its exterior is architecturally very interesting. It is set on a large square with good views. The inside is spacious and elegant but fairly plain and not in of itself particularly interesting when compared with numerous other examples. The best thing, from my point of view, is the opportunity to talk on the roof. This requires a separate fee and each ticket will be for a specific time. The visit is only for a limited time (I think a half hour or maybe less). However, it is very nice for people who like this sort of thing. Steps take one up to the roof at one end, then you walk along the very ridge of the roof and can go to the cupola of the dome and walk part way around each side. It has great views of the city and its setting. When I visited, I walked in and bought a ticket for the next time slot, and only had to wait about 20 minutes. There was no line at the time.
    Visited June 2019
    Written February 9, 2020
  • Vicky_Chatz
    Alexandroupoli, Greece61 contributions
    Worth a visit
    Very impressive cathedral with a big garden and a panoramic view of the city. But you have to pay for every little room you want to see. The cost for the roof and the panoramic view (for max 10 minutes) is 7€. The ticket for everything is 15€
    Visited July 2022
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 11, 2022
  • Israel R
    Ra'anana, Israel16,126 contributions
    A beautiful cathedral. In the past, a Christian basilica and a Mosque in the Muslim era. Highly recommended site.
    The location of the large and impressive building of the Palermo Cathedral is the place where a basilica was built in early Christianity and with the Muslim conquest of Sicily on the ruins of the Basilica a Muslim mosque was built, many Muslim motifs have survived to date and can be seen in several places in the Cathedral. The cathedral is rich in exceptionally large and remarkably interesting variety of works of art from different historical periods. Roof climbing provides the climbers a wonderful rooftop views of Palermo. Sunset hours are highly recommended. “NOT 2 B MISSED”
    Visited July 2019
    Written June 28, 2020
  • Paul Legate
    United Kingdom20,367 contributions
    A truly stunning cathedral in Centro Storico
    Palermo Cathedral is an immense structure situated in the Centro Storico area of the city, I was amazed by the sheer scale of the building when I first saw it. The cathedral was created in 1185 by Walter Ophamil who was the Anglo-Norman archbishop of Palermo at the time. There is a mixture of architectural styles with additions and extensions that were added after the original building was completed. I visited shortly after the Covid-19 restrictions were relaxed, it was very quiet when I was there in July 2020 but most of the attractions within the cathedral were accessible. I spent a while inside the cathedral which was truly stunning and wished I had the time to stay longer. It is a place that must be explored whilst in Palermo.
    Visited July 2020
    Written November 19, 2020
  • Donald K
    Edmonton, Canada1,186 contributions
    You should get the whole package
    The main portions in the church were very busy but the bishop's quarters in the attached building was full of artworks and pieces of interest and had very few visitors. The walkway seemed a bit touristy in that the line and wait for your turn to climb the stairwell took longer than the actual viewing on top. Might as well pay for the complete package since it is hard to guess what you will like the most. Although another option is to view what is free, which is also a fair bit.
    Visited October 2022
    Written October 21, 2022
  • OLenany
    Brooklyn, New York569 contributions
    Great historical place
    The history of Sicily is so complicated. It’s been under different rulers and religion. This Cathedral is absolutely amazing, beautiful. It’s definitely worth it to take a ticket that includes all the attractions, including the roof, where you can see a panoramic view of the city. Just keep in mind that the stairs to the roof are very narrow , The adjacent building is the one where the bishops live. Totally worth visiting
    Visited September 2022
    Traveled with family
    Written September 23, 2022
  • Ryszard L
    Sydney, Australia330 contributions
    Stunning Cathedral
    This is a stunning mixture of styles. A UNESCO World Heritage site, it was started in 1184 AD ( the architect, William Ophamil is entombed in the crypt) and is a mixture of Norman, early Gothic, a touch of Baroque, Catalan and Islamic. To top it off, the dome is 18th century! The Treasury is well worth a visit and the tombs of Sicily's kings are here. Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen is here along with his wife, Constance of Aragon, whose Imperial Diadem is on display in the Treasury. The chapel of Santa Rosalia has a rich ornamental bronze gate and contains many relics. The lapis lazuli in the Sacrament chapel is quite stunning as is the silver altarpiece. The cathedral also boasts a meridian, an early type of heliometer which is well worth seeing.
    Visited May 2019
    Written April 29, 2020
  • Josh Formentera
    Copenhagen, Denmark596 contributions
    Beautiful Old Historical Church! Amazing view of the city from the top of the church
    A great example of Arab-Norman Palermo architecture style. The church is very beautiful both inside and outside an amazing religious architecture. A very classic art of work that I admired very much specially the Islamic style geometric composition of 12 roundels that show fruit, humans all kind of animals. The Cosmati geometric mosaics floor was also beautiful to see inside the church and beautifully preserved artwork. On the top roof of the church not to be miss to see, there is an impressive view of the city of Palermo and it is great for photography.
    Visited July 2020
    Written September 20, 2020
  • Nikolay V
    Sofia, Bulgaria62 contributions
    Strongly recommend!
    One of the most significant place in Palermo! There is a nice garden in front of the cathedral. The entrance is free but if you want to have a tour inside the cathedral and see Palermo from above you can buy a ticket. Amazing place you must visit!
    Visited May 2021
    Traveled as a couple
    Written June 30, 2021
  • ANGELO V
    Milan, Italy2,803 contributions
    Mixed feelings
    There are several sections in the Cathedral of Palermo, and you need a ticket to visit each of them. Tickets are sold separately, but cumulative tickets are also available. Sections are: Royal Tombs, Treasury, Crypt, Basements, Apses and Roofs: I visited everything apart from the roofs (hundreds of stairs to climb). On approaching the Cathedral you see a wonderful building in a warm sandstone colour, originally built in 1185. The church interiors were redone during the 18th century, and they're quite disappointing. The Royal Tombs are those of Norman rulers of Sicily, among them the tomb of Frederick II of Swabia. The Treasury has several religious art pieces. The Crypt hosts several burials of noblemen and clergy, and it also has the royal crown of Constance of Aragon, an exquisite jewel in gold and precious stones.
    Visited November 2022
    Written December 1, 2022
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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Edward
Santa Rosa, CA1,876 contributions
Jun 2019
The Palermo cathedral is large and its exterior is architecturally very interesting. It is set on a large square with good views. The inside is spacious and elegant but fairly plain and not in of itself particularly interesting when compared with numerous other examples. The best thing, from my point of view, is the opportunity to talk on the roof. This requires a separate fee and each ticket will be for a specific time. The visit is only for a limited time (I think a half hour or maybe less). However, it is very nice for people who like this sort of thing. Steps take one up to the roof at one end, then you walk along the very ridge of the roof and can go to the cupola of the dome and walk part way around each side. It has great views of the city and its setting. When I visited, I walked in and bought a ticket for the next time slot, and only had to wait about 20 minutes. There was no line at the time.
Written February 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Vicky_Chatz
Alexandroupoli, Greece61 contributions
Jul 2022 • Couples
Very impressive cathedral with a big garden and a panoramic view of the city. But you have to pay for every little room you want to see. The cost for the roof and the panoramic view (for max 10 minutes) is 7€. The ticket for everything is 15€
Written July 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Israel R
Ra'anana, Israel16,126 contributions
Jul 2019
The location of the large and impressive building of the Palermo Cathedral is the place where a basilica was built in early Christianity and with the Muslim conquest of Sicily on the ruins of the Basilica a Muslim mosque was built, many Muslim motifs have survived to date and can be seen in several places in the Cathedral. The cathedral is rich in exceptionally large and remarkably interesting variety of works of art from different historical periods.
Roof climbing provides the climbers a wonderful rooftop views of Palermo. Sunset hours are highly recommended. “NOT 2 B MISSED”
Written June 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Paul Legate
United Kingdom20,367 contributions
Jul 2020
Palermo Cathedral is an immense structure situated in the Centro Storico area of the city, I was amazed by the sheer scale of the building when I first saw it. The cathedral was created in 1185 by Walter Ophamil who was the Anglo-Norman archbishop of Palermo at the time. There is a mixture of architectural styles with additions and extensions that were added after the original building was completed. I visited shortly after the Covid-19 restrictions were relaxed, it was very quiet when I was there in July 2020 but most of the attractions within the cathedral were accessible. I spent a while inside the cathedral which was truly stunning and wished I had the time to stay longer. It is a place that must be explored whilst in Palermo.
Written November 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Donald K
Edmonton, Canada1,186 contributions
Oct 2022
The main portions in the church were very busy but the bishop's quarters in the attached building was full of artworks and pieces of interest and had very few visitors. The walkway seemed a bit touristy in that the line and wait for your turn to climb the stairwell took longer than the actual viewing on top.
Might as well pay for the complete package since it is hard to guess what you will like the most. Although another option is to view what is free, which is also a fair bit.
Written October 21, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

OLenany
Brooklyn, NY569 contributions
Sep 2022 • Family
The history of Sicily is so complicated. It’s been under different rulers and religion.
This Cathedral is absolutely amazing, beautiful. It’s definitely worth it to take a ticket that includes all the attractions, including the roof, where you can see a panoramic view of the city. Just keep in mind that the stairs to the roof are very narrow ,
The adjacent building is the one where the bishops live. Totally worth visiting
Written September 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ryszard L
Sydney, Australia330 contributions
May 2019
This is a stunning mixture of styles. A UNESCO World Heritage site, it was started in 1184 AD ( the architect, William Ophamil is entombed in the crypt) and is a mixture of Norman, early Gothic, a touch of Baroque, Catalan and Islamic. To top it off, the dome is 18th century! The Treasury is well worth a visit and the tombs of Sicily's kings are here. Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen is here along with his wife, Constance of Aragon, whose Imperial Diadem is on display in the Treasury. The chapel of Santa Rosalia has a rich ornamental bronze gate and contains many relics. The lapis lazuli in the Sacrament chapel is quite stunning as is the silver altarpiece. The cathedral also boasts a meridian, an early type of heliometer which is well worth seeing.
Written April 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Josh Formentera
Copenhagen, Denmark596 contributions
Jul 2020
A great example of Arab-Norman Palermo architecture style. The church is very beautiful both inside and outside an amazing religious architecture. A very classic art of work that I admired very much specially the Islamic style geometric composition of 12 roundels that show fruit, humans all kind of animals. The Cosmati geometric mosaics floor was also beautiful to see inside the church and beautifully preserved artwork. On the top roof of the church not to be miss to see, there is an impressive view of the city of Palermo and it is great for photography.
Written September 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nikolay V
Sofia, Bulgaria62 contributions
May 2021 • Couples
One of the most significant place in Palermo! There is a nice garden in front of the cathedral. The entrance is free but if you want to have a tour inside the cathedral and see Palermo from above you can buy a ticket. Amazing place you must visit!
Written June 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ANGELO V
Milan, Italy2,803 contributions
Nov 2022
There are several sections in the Cathedral of Palermo, and you need a ticket to visit each of them. Tickets are sold separately, but cumulative tickets are also available.
Sections are: Royal Tombs, Treasury, Crypt, Basements, Apses and Roofs: I visited everything apart from the roofs (hundreds of stairs to climb).

On approaching the Cathedral you see a wonderful building in a warm sandstone colour, originally built in 1185. The church interiors were redone during the 18th century, and they're quite disappointing.

The Royal Tombs are those of Norman rulers of Sicily, among them the tomb of Frederick II of Swabia.

The Treasury has several religious art pieces.

The Crypt hosts several burials of noblemen and clergy, and it also has the royal crown of Constance of Aragon, an exquisite jewel in gold and precious stones.
Written December 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Cattedrale di Palermo

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