These catacombs house the mummified bodies and skeletons of some 8000 Palermitans who died between the 17th and 19th centuries. Earthly power, gender, religion and professional status are still rigidly distinguished, with men and women occupying separate corridors, and a first-class section set aside for virgins. From Piazza Indipendenza, it's a 1.2km walk west along Via Cappuccini.
![[UNVERIFIED CONTENT] If you go to Sicily you can't miss the capuchin catacombs of Palermo, something that confirms the ghoulish side of this city. A cemetery that contains 8000 mummies, lined upon walls, lying or standing, skeletons, and perfectly preserved bodies. It was active until 1920, when the last body was interred.](https://lp-cms-production.imgix.net/2019-06/GettyImages-159818983_master.jpg?w=1920&h=640&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cedges&auto=format&q=75)
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ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼'s must-see attractions
3.29 MILES
Inspired by a vision of the Virgin and determined to outdo his grandfather Roger II, who was responsible for the cathedral in Cefalù and the Cappella…
0.77 MILES
Designed by Roger II in 1130, this extraordinary chapel is Palermo's top tourist attraction. Located on the middle level of Palazzo dei Normanni's three…
0.77 MILES
Home to Sicily's regional parliament, this venerable palace dates back to the 9th century. However, it owes its current look (and name) to a major Norman…
0.91 MILES
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Galleria Regionale della Sicilia
1.78 MILES
Housed in the stately 15th-century Palazzo Abatellis, this art museum – widely regarded as Palermo's best – showcases works by Sicilian artists dating…
Riserva Naturale dello Zingaro
29.04 MILES
This coastal nature reserve is a hiker's paradise and a haven for wildlife, including the rare Bonelli’s eagle and 40 other bird species. Wild carob and…
Chiesa e Monastero di Santa Caterina d'Alessandria
1.29 MILES
Built as a hospice in the early 14th century and transformed into a Dominican convent the following century, this monastic complex wows with its…
1.12 MILES
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Nearby Palermo attractions
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Standing confidently beside the Palazzo dei Normanni is the Porta Nuova (New Gate), built to celebrate the arrival of Carlos V in Palermo in 1535 after a…
0.77 MILES
Home to Sicily's regional parliament, this venerable palace dates back to the 9th century. However, it owes its current look (and name) to a major Norman…
0.77 MILES
Designed by Roger II in 1130, this extraordinary chapel is Palermo's top tourist attraction. Located on the middle level of Palazzo dei Normanni's three…
4. Chiesa di San Giovanni degli Eremiti
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One of Palermo's finest examples of Arab-Norman architecture, this five-domed, 12th-century church is named for Sicilian hermit-monk and miraculous wolf…
0.81 MILES
A showcase of Liberty architecture, set in a 9-hectare (22-acre) formal garden planted with rare and exotic species, this villa is most notable for its…
0.88 MILES
Palermo's Diocesan Museum is home to an important collection of artworks. The basement hosts a medley of sculptures from the 15th to 18th centuries,…
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A feast of geometric patterns, ziggurat crenellations, maiolica cupolas and blind arches, Palermo's cathedral has suffered aesthetically from multiple…
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Running the length of Via Sant'Agostino, Capo's street market is a seething mass of colourful activity during the day, with vendors peddling fruit,…