A city with 2,700 years of history, shaped by foreign rulers from all over the world and layered with diverse cultural influences, Palermo has finally seen the dominant role of its artistic and intellectual expressions recognized. In 2015, UNESCO declared seven of its Norman-era monumental sites as a World Heritage Site. In 2017, Palermo was named Italian Youth Capital for its engagement of young people in building more democratic and inclusive societies. In 2018, it became the Italian Capital of Culture and hosted Manifesta 12, a European biennale aimed at fostering dialogue between art and society.
Palermo rejoices
The cultural revival that Palermo began about twenty years ago is starting to bear fruit: in 2015, the Arab-Norman itinerary was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site; in 2017, Palermo was named Italian Capital of Culture 2018; in 2018, it hosted Manifesta12… and private collectors like Massimo Valsecchi brought their exceptional art collections here.
With its rich mix of ancient and contemporary art, its outstanding gastronomic tradition, Palermo is today a city that is finally flourishing, rediscovering itself, and rejoicing.
Acknowledgements
Investments
Street Food
Acknowledgements
Investments
Massimo Valsecchi, a Milanese gallerist with a significant personal collection of contemporary and classical art—including works by Andy Warhol, Gerhard Richter, David Tremlett, and Annibale Carracci—fell in love with Palermo in 2014. He decided to purchase Palazzo Butera, one of the city’s most prestigious noble palaces, oversee its restoration and renovation, and relocate his collection there starting in 2018.
Palermo is “dazzling in beauty, with incredible potential, an exemplary place for lessons in hospitality and integration.”
Street Food
Palermo is a city where poverty and nobility coexist, two extremes that also merge in its culinary tradition: the poor, trying to imitate the dishes of the rich, created inventive recipes that have become part of the traditional cuisine worthy of international recognition.
This is the case of street food, which according to VirtualTourist.com and Forbes, makes Palermo the European capital of street food. Ranked fifth in the world after Bangkok, Singapore, Penang, and Marrakech, the city boasts a rich and vibrant street food culture.