Italy is one of my favourite countries. I have visited so many places there, and some of them even on several occasions, but I never desired to go down to the south. However, two years ago I visited Sicily for the first time, and I can't get enough of it ever since. If I think about it, it has become my favourite part of Italy. Well, together with Sardinia. There is something magical about Italian islands, and even though I love the mainland, I do prefer the atmosphere of those islands.
I had a free weekend and even though all of my classmates decided to go to a beach, I went with my teacher and his girlfriend to Palermo. We didn't really plan to spend time together, but we shared a taxi to get there 😊 I did some planning as there are way too many things to do in one weekend, and I like to be prepared as well. I also got a few tips from the taxi driver and I was ready to enjoy a weekend on my own. I love traveling alone. I always meet someone and have interesting conversations. I also don't mind eating alone which honestly stops some of my friends from traveling solo.
In my opinion, Italy has the most beautiful churches. There are plenty of them in Palermo, and I wasn't able to visit all of them, but I managed to see 5 which I consider a great success! Today, I will take you to The church of Santissimo Salvatore which will not only surprise you with its beautiful architecture, but we will also go up the tower to enjoy the views over the city. I think it all cost me about 3 EUR which was a great deal!
We left Salemi at 7 AM and arrived in Palermo at around 8 AM. We had a cup of coffee and some water as it was a hot day, and after that we wished each other a great time and went our separate ways. The plan was to meet each other in a couple of days and go back to the school by bus which was the worst idea, but I'll tell you about it another time.
My hotel was on the main street which was so easy to navigate and I was happy when I saw it as I love buildings like this. I went there to put my bags in a locker as I didn't expect the room to be ready this early, but guess what? I was lucky and I could check in just after 9 AM! First things first, so I took a nap before going to the city. I'm not going to lie 😊
I woke up in about 1 hour and went out. I didn't know where to go first as I loved every single building. Then I got intrigued by a building that looked so simple from outside, but was hiding this amazing church of Santissimo Salvatore. Indeed, I do not have a photo of the church as there were way too many people, but I hope that you will forgive me when I'll take you inside.
This church is one of the greatest examples of Baroque art in Palermo. The original church was built in the 11th century, and transformed later in the 17th century. There used to be a monastery, but today the only remains from this period is the cloister. The monastery was one of the richest in Sicily and it was inhabited by girls from the noble families. Today, it serves as a school. The church was bombed in 1943 and abandoned for many years. It has a new function now and it serves as auditorium. There are also regular services held here.
The marble walls are covered in so many decorations that you don't even know where to look at. Many people were sitting and looking around, trying to absorb as much as possible. There are many artworks too. The most impressive for me is the Altar of Crucifixion.
The fresco was damaged during the bombing, and today we can only see its remains...
When I entered the church I didn't understand that there was tower that I could climb and that in fact I paid for it too. Luckily, when I was leaving the church, the lady selling tickets sent me to another entrance which turned to be the entrance to the tower. Every time I go to Italy I think that I can get around with my Italian only to understand that I was wrong again. Luckily, we can reach a certain level of understanding by using our hands.
It was an interesting building as first I had to walk up through large rooms to get to a terrace from where I continued to the tower. There were no people and no signs, so I was simply walking around and seeing where I could enter. I haven't been to Palermo before and it was my first tower there, so I had no idea what to expect. And it started well...
This is probably the closest that I got to the sea in my two weeks stay in Sicily. Sounds strange, doesn't it? Last year, I only saw it from the plane. I hope that I will get to a beach next year...
Palermo reminds me of Arabic cities with its architecture and colour scheme...
The city is surrounded by mountains and of course I added them to my list of places to see...
I could see so many people walking in the streets and I was still alone. I found myself enjoying it a lot. I took countless selfies that I sent to my husband wishing he was sharing these moments with me. We will come together next time...
So many towers to climb, but I must admit that even though I went to many churches I didn't climb any other tower. I wanted to leave it for next year with my husband.
So birds are great models...
I walked around the dome too!
There were different layers which I prefer as dark narrow towers give me anxiety...
Last few photos before going for lunch. I had everything planned and I couldn't wait for my arancini. Little did I know that I would be struggling to finish them as they were too big. But oh so good!
Palermo is a densely built city with many narrow streets, but surprisingly there are a few really nice parks providing some shade during super hot days...
At first I thought - look at those mountains! But honestly, look at that fig tree growing on a roof!
After I while I decided it was time to go and walked down slowly. There are many locations that are overcrowded, so this was like an oasis of peace. If you get a chance to visit Palermo, take a moment and visit this place. You won't regret it.
Until next time...