Palermo

Evidence of human settlement in the area now known as Palermo goes back to at least the Mesolithic period, perhaps around 8000 BC, where a group of cave drawings at nearby Addaura from that period have been found. The original inhabitants were Sicani people who, according to Thucydides, arrived from the Iberian Peninsula (perhaps Catalonia). In the 8th c. BC the Phoenicians built a small settlement on the natural harbour of Palermo, which became known as Ziz (Punic: 𐤑‬𐤉𐤑, ṣyṣ). It became one of the three main Phoenician colonies of Sicily, along with Motya and Soluntum. The first settlement was later known as Paleapolis meaning "Old City". The site chosen by the Phoenicians was connected to the mountains with two roads that today have become Via Cappuccini and Corso Pisani. …

Palermo lies in a basin formed by the Papireto, Kemonia and Oreto rivers. The basin was named the Conca d'Oro (the Golden Basin) by the Arabs in the 9th century. The city is surrounded by a mountain range named after the city. These mountains face the Tyrrhenian Sea. Palermo is home to a natural port and offers views of the sea, especially from Monte Pellegrino. Palermo experiences a hot-summer subtropical Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Csa) with moderate seasonality. Summers are very long, hot and dry due to the domination of subtropical high pressure system, while winters are mild and changeable, with rainy weather due to the polar front. Temperatures in autumn and spring are typically warm. Palermo is one of the warmest cities in Europe (mainly due to its warm nights), with an average annual air temperature of 18 °C (64 °F); it is one of Italy's warmest cities. …

The patron saint of Palermo is Saint Rosalia, who is widely revered. On 14 July, people in Palermo celebrate the annual Festino, the most important religious event of the year. The Festino is a procession that goes through the main street of Palermo to commemorate the miracle attributed to Saint Rosalia who, it is believed, freed the city from the Black Death in 1624. Her remains were discovered in a cave on Monte Pellegrino, and her remains were carried around the city three times, banishing the plague. There is a sanctuary marking the spot where her remains were found which can be reached via a scenic bus ride from the. Before 1624 Palermo had four patron saints, one for each of the four major parts of the city. They were Saint Agatha, Saint Christina, Saint Nympha and Saint Olivia. …

As Sicily's administrative capital, Palermo is a centre for much of the region's finance, tourism and commerce. It has an international airport, and Palermo's economic growth over the years has brought the opening of many new businesses. The economy mainly relies on tourism and services, but also has commerce, shipbuilding and agriculture. But Palermo still has high unemployment, high corruption, and a significant black market (Palermo being the home of the Sicilian Mafia).

Palermo has a local railway, the Palermo metropolitan railway service. The average amount of time people spend commuting with public transit in Palermo, for example to and from work, on a weekday is 63 min. 14.% of public transit riders, ride for more than 2 hours every day. The average amount of time people wait at a stop or station for public transit is 23 min, while 48% of riders wait for over 20 minutes on average every day. The average distance people usually ride in a single trip with public transit is 4.4 km, while 3% travel for over 12 km in a single direction. Palermo's public bus system is operated by AMAT and covers an area of 340 km (211 mi). About 90 different routes reach every part of the city. Palermo has a public tram system finalized in 2015 and operated by AMAT. …

As of 2026, the population is 626,273, of which 47.9% are male, and 52.1% are female. Minors make up 16.2% of the population, and seniors make up 24%. As of 2025, of the known countries of birth of 622,221 residents, the most numerous are: Italy (597,438 – 96%), Bangladesh (5,965 – 1%).