The whole history has given the city considerable artistic and architectural heritage that ranges from the remains of walls to reach the Punic Art Nouveau villas, from residences in Arab-style, Norman churches and baroque-style theater. For cultural, artistic and economic issues has been among the major cities of the Mediterranean and today is among the main attractions of the region, nation and Europe. The largest number of monuments of the city has hosted in the historic center, but many are distributed throughout the territory of Palermo, as the many historic villas, watch towers, traps, or just churches or palaces. Currently, the historical center of Palermo, which is one of the largest in Europe, is undergoing major renovations and restorations to be fully exploited. Many have suggested that the historical center of Palermo, the Botanical Gardens and the Cathedral of Monreale among the possible Unesco. In addition, several buildings have already recognized and protected as national monuments. Palermo has numerous monuments dating from the Norman period: near the Palace of the Normans, who has now become the seat of the Sicilian Parlament has placed the Church of St. John of the Hermits that with its characteristic red domes has

In 1624 the city of Palermo, struck by plague, population population relied in vain to the city's patron saints ,Sant'Agata, Santa Christina, Santa Ninfa and Sant'Oliva.
During this crisis, according to legend, the little-known Santa Rosalia appeared to a man named Vincenzo Bonello, indicating the location of his spoils and ordered that only if their remains were carried in procession the plague would end. In the cave indicated by the vision 27 relics were found, July 15, the archbishop followed by all the clergy, the senate of Palermo and some prominent citizens made a procession through the streets with the relics of the saint. In a few days the city was liberated from the plague.

The Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele in Palermo, is the largest theater in Italy and one of the great opera houses of Europe (the third largest after the Opera National de Paris and the Staatsoper in Vienna) and is world famous for perfect acoustics in his room horseshoe. The compositional symmetry around the axis of the entrance, the constant repetition of elements (columns, arched, windows), the decoration rigorously composed, defined a simple spatial structure and a clear volume, harmonic and geometric inspired at the Greek and the Roman art.