The tour starts from the Foro Umberto I promenade where the eye is lost in the blue expanse on which the old city of Palermo sits. From here it is possible to see the Mura delle Cattive before heading through Porta Felice, onto Corso Vittorio Emanuele, and passing through Piazza Marina where there is Palermo’s oldest tree, the Ficus Magnolia, which is also the largest in Europe.
Moving on to the Quattro Canti, the eye is caught by the Pretoria fountain, also known as the fountain of shame – not for the nudity of the baroque statues, but because, initially commissioned by Don Pedro Toledo for his Florentine villa, it was purchased by the Senate of Palermo for an exorbitant amount. Another stop is the Piazza Bellini with the Church of San Cataldo and the Church of Saint Mary of the Admiral, known as La Martorana. Right on Corso Vittorio Emanuele, another gem is the Church of Theatines. In following the length of the Corso, you will arrive at the majestic Cathedral of Palermo where the first Norman king Roger II, Frederick II- known as stupor mundi, – and his wife Constance d’Aragon, Henry VI and Constance of Altavilla are all buried.