Collection systems that were used to create artificial water sources. They took the form of a series of underground tunnels draining, transporting and distributing water from the water table to the surface. Qanāt are also present in the Altofonte Park and the Genoard Park. ...

The Carolingian renaissance was a period of artistic, cultural and political renewal that took place most notably during the reign of Charlemagne. The sovereign adopted the customs and traditions of the ancient emperors, especially Augustus and the Christian Constantine, and tried to implement refor...

Sicily was under Arab rule for about two hundred years, from 827 to 1072. During the Arab rule, the island enjoyed a period of economic and cultural prosperity. New cultivation techniques were introduced, water resources were rationalized, mosques were built (it is not by chance that Palermo, the se...

The civic coat of arms, likely featuring a golden eagle on a red background, could refer to the House of Aragon, as these two colours are part of the royal coat of arms of the house under Alfonso II (1162/1196). The eagle, on the other hand, is reminiscent of the Hohenstaufen eagle, which was used b...

References to the colours gold and red, originating from the Roman-Byzantine period and present in the heraldic tradition of Palermo, are also found in Medieval Islam. A description of the Sicilian fleet mentions galleys "with red and yellow felts"....

The word dāra, referring to the “basin”, may derive from the Arabic word dāra which literally means “any land extending between mountains” or more precisely “an empty stretch of land, surrounded by mountains”. Dāra is thus an irregular, flat space and certainly rich in vegetation. A w...

The sculpture of the Genius of Palermo is located in the Praetorian Palace. It was probably part of a complex, possibly a fountain in the Praetorian Palace commissioned by the praetor Pietro Speciale and made by Domenico Gagini and Gabriele di Battista. The Genius appears as a bearded man with a cro...

In 1655, in the midst of the Baroque age, Father Giuseppe Mazara of the Society of Jesus defined Palermo as the "Conca di Tiro" (Tyre Basin), referring to the Latin word "conca", meaning shell, and linking it to the Phoenicians. The Tyrian settlers were masters of the extraction and processing of pu...

There are several interpretations of the origin of the name "Conca d'oro". It could indicate the natural characteristics of the area, i.e. the thesaurus naturae, or the auriferous sands of the Oreto river, whose etymology seems to be linked to gold. According to this interpretation Conca d'oro deriv...

In the 12th century, the pseudo-Ugo Falcando described Palermo's fertile plain and its products. He focuses on fruit trees, mentioning the sharp and sweet pomegranates, citrons, oranges and lemons. Lemons, a citrus fruit of delicate flagrancy, are reminiscent of the island's scent and of a grandiose...