Capuchin Catacombs

Evening bites & drinks

Explore the ghoulish remains of friars and luminaries at Palermo’s Capuchin Catacombs on a 3-hour sightseeing tour. Wander along dank corridors through a vast human library of mummified bodies. Inaugurated in 1599, when Capuchin monks discovered that their catacombs contained a mysterious preservative that could mummify the dead, the goal of the site is to reflect on the fragility of life and consider the pettiness of worldly goods. Some 8,000 bodies of men and women were ultimately buried in the catacombs, including the mummy of friar Silvestro of Gubbio, the first body to be buried in the catacombs. The corpses are divided into categories, such as friars, virgins, and professors, and often recognizable by their decaying clothing. As you walk through the corridors, you will see ghastly bodies that include the mummified corpse of the painter Velazquez. Emerge from the gruesome catacombs and travel to Monreale, 6 miles (10 kilometers) from Palermo. Here you will swap corpses for gold and marble as you visit the 12th-century Arab-Norman Cathedral, one of the finest examples of Norman architecture in the world. End your tour at the Benedictine Cloister, completed at the turn of the 13th century. Wander around the beautiful garden, surrounded by delicate arches and white marble columns.

After departing from Cefalù, you will make your way to the village of Monreale. Once there you will begin by visiting its cathedral, whose interior is completely covered with marble and splendid mosaics. You will then visit the cloister of the Benedictines, which are located on the south side of the cathedral. Each side has 26 arches resting on columns, and include narrative cycles from both the Old and New Testaments. Following that, you'll continue your excursion to Palermo, where you will visit the cathedral. It was formerly a mosque in Islamic times, before being converted into a cathedral church by Roberto the Guiscardo after the conquest of Palermo. You'll then wander through the old town along the typical "Capo" market and the Quattro Canti and Pretoria squares. Free time for lunch and leisure will then follow in the famous Piazza Verdi, the square of the Massimo Theatre. In the afternoon, you'll enjoy a panoramic tour by bus for an optional visit to the Capuchin catacombs, before your tour concludes with your return to Cefalù.

Program: Authentic Palermo: First stop is at the Catacombs, you will have about 30 minutes, ask for Massimo for an explanation, very helpful person. We continue further to the center of Palermo from where the free walking tour will begin, after which we will leave you in front of the Palatine Chapel where you can also ticket to the Royal or Norman Palace. Further on, a few hundred meters away, you will find the beautiful Cathedral and then continue through the streets of the center of Palermo where you will still have 3 hours, enough time to visit the points of greatest interest that you will find marked on your map such as: The 4 Canti, the Church of the Martorana, Piazza Pretoria (or Piazza della Vergogna), Palazzo Steri, Teatro Massimo and Politeama and above all the nearby markets that are very characteristic of Palermo such as the Capo, the Vucciria where you can taste typical Sicilian street food. Monreale: Later, at 2:30 pm, you are scheduled to Depart from Piazza Politeama for the magnificent Cathedral of Monreale and on the way you will have a chance to admire other aspects and beautiful places of Palermo. Second is the visit to Monreale, which takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes, where you will visit the Cathedral and its magnificent Cloister. Finally, we recommend a good ice cream with brioche at Bar Italia and, before returning, a look from the Belvedere, it has a beautiful view of the whole of Palermo and, if you are lucky, you will be able to see the Aeolian islands as well.