Palermo, a Dream Destination

Sea urchin and lemon zest, lamb with oven-roasted pistachios and a vegetable caponata — top it all off with a glass of regional Marsala. After decades of post-war neglect and mafia corruption, the often overlooked Sicilian capital of Palermo has made its comeback and is ready to host world-class travelers. Crumbling roads are being repaved and landmarks scrubbed clean. And the essential charms of this intoxicating city remain intact, with its seductive old neighborhoods and delightful patchwork of architecture.

Speaking of architecture, it wouldn’t be a trip to Italy without a stop at a magnificent church. The Church of San Cataldo, a rather nondescript diminutive chapel, is best appreciated from the outside, where one can take in its three Saracen cardinal-red domes. A few steps away is the Church of Santa Maria Dell’Ammiraglio, otherwise known as La Mortarana, which offers a quintessential blend of Arab-Norman architecture, including an impressive campanile that dates back to 1143.

via New York Times