Palermo and Monreale
Framed
by the glorious scenery of the mountains overlooking the Conca d'Oro, the Mount
Pellegrino promontory and the Tyrrhenian Sea, Palermo is one of the most ancient
cities of the Mediterranean and, with its monuments, one of the most beautiful
cities in Italy. Its surroundings - coasts, mountains and plains - are still
covered with the luxuriant and varied Mediterranean vegetation: from lemon trees
to agave plants, from prickly pears to olive trees, from maritime pines to
aromatic plants and flowers; the climate is almost evenly temperate throughout
the year, except on summer days when the sirocco wind blows.
Today, the tourist visiting Palermo and its environs can discover, even during a
short stay, the immense architectural mosaic of its past, from the Graeco-Punic
ruins to the early-medieval cathedral, from the 14C feudal castle to the
sumptuous baroque churches, down to the elegant forms of liberty architecture (Italian
Art Nouveau), a style which had in Palermo one of its world capitals. This
outstanding artistic and cultural heritage is strewn throughout a territory
characterized by remarkable natural beauties: it stretches down to the sea but
also comprises a mountainous hinterland, rich in woods and natural attractions.
Between the mountains and the sea are small but pleasant and luxuriant plains,
the most famous of which is the Conca d'Oro, with its typical vegetation mostly
consisting of citrus orchards, especially lemon trees.
