Founded by Phoenicians around 734 BC as Sis ("flower"), Palermo became capital of the Norman Kingdom of Sicily. Its Palazzo Reale, Cappella Palatina and other monuments, together with the mosaic-covered cathedral at nearby Monreale, form the UNESCO listing "Arab-Norman Palermo," inscribed in 2015. The city sits on the Conca d'Oro, a citrus-growing basin on the Tyrrhenian coast below Monte Pellegrino. The Ballarò, Vucciria and Capo street markets, some tracing to Arab rule, still supply its kitchens. Falcone-Borsellino Airport is named for the anti-mafia judges assassinated in 1992, and Addiopizzo, founded here in 2004, organises businesses that refuse the mafia's protection racket.
Nights sit around 22°C and afternoons around 28°C, though some days reach 31°C.
Palermo has real seasons: summer afternoons sit around 29°C, winter ones around 16°C.
Some summer days reach 34°C, and some winter nights drop to 7°C.
Most of the rain falls in winter, least in summer. The wettest month is December, with 83 mm.
Wind is rarely an issue; most months sit between calm and a light breeze. Air quality is worth watching: March averages an AQI of 53, while November clears to 34.
Days stretch to about 14.6 hours of light in June and shrink to 9.4 in December — something to weigh if you work to a fixed timezone.
For what you're after, the best months in Palermo are June – September. Expect fast internet (387 Mbps) and a moderate cost of living (about €1500 a month).
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