Palermo
Sicily’s capital city has a population of about 800,000 and is Italy’s fifth biggest city.
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Sunday, February 1, 2026
Author: Pilot Guides
The Arab Emirate of Sicily
The Arabs occupied Sicily for almost 250 years, defeating the Byzantine Empire which had taken over from Romans They made Palermo their capital which during a golden age it rivalled the Arab cities of Córdoba and Cairo in beauty.
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The Norman Castles of Sicily
The Normans conquered Sicily from the Saracens in the 11th century. The Emirate of Sicily had ruled the island for more than 250 years from their capital Palermo.
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The Moorish Heads of Sicily
When the Moors invaded Sicily from North Africa in the 11th century, they built ceramics workshops all over the island and taught the Sicilians to make brightly coloured” majolica”, an art form which gradually spread throughout Sicily.
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Abandoned Railways of Sicily
Sicily has the largest network of railways of any Mediteranean island but nowadays much of the network lies abandoned.
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