One of the most important and famous squares of Palermo, home to the historic Palazzo dei Normanni, today the seat of the Sicilian Regional government, and Palazzo D’Orléans, seat of the Regional Presidency, Piazza Indipendenza is located just beyond the old city walls in the direction of Monreale.

The Norman Palace, in addition to being the seat of the regional government, houses one of Palermo’s main tourist attractions, the Cappella Palatina, an ancient three-nave basilica built by King Roger and consecrated in 1140.

Near Piazza Indipendenza there is also one of the most fascinating places to visit during your stay in Palermo, the Catacombe dei Cappuccini (Catacombs of the Capuchins), which for centuries has aroused the curiosity of intellectuals and attracted visitors from around the world. (Among the many visitors was Guy de Maupassant). The vast necropolis housed in its subterranean passages is one of the largest in Europe.

A few minutes’ walk from Piazza Indipendenza, down Corso Vittorio Emanuele, is Villa Bonnano, and continuing further, you reach the ancient Cathedral of Palermo, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Assumption. Thanks to a series of interventions that have marked its history for more than four centuries and to the successful coexistence of multiple styles, the church is one of the most famous and important monuments in the historic centre of Palermo.