Palermo is one of those cities that rewards curiosity. Its streets are layered with centuries of Arab, Norman, Spanish and Baroque history, its markets are loud and generous, its light is unlike anywhere else in the Mediterranean. But there is another Palermo — the one you only see from above. Supra Panormum is your chance to find it. Now in its third edition, the event opens five monumental sites to the public for two weekends: 29, 30 and 31 May and 5, 6 and 7 June 2026.
What is Supra Panormum
Supra Panormum is a cultural initiative promoted by the Associazione Culturale Sikalesh, with the patronage of the City of Palermo and the collaboration of the Archdiocese of Palermo, Kòrai — Territorio, Sviluppo e Cultura and the parish of San Giuseppe Cafasso. The concept is as simple as it is compelling: open a selection of monumental sites that are normally closed to the public, allowing visitors to climb cupolas, towers and bell towers that hold some of the most extraordinary views in the city.
The event has two souls. The cultural one: accessing spaces that even many locals have never seen, discovering Palermo from angles that no guidebook can show you, understanding the city by looking down at it rather than walking through it. And the solidarity one: all proceeds go directly towards the maintenance and restoration of the participating monuments. When you buy a ticket, you are quite literally helping preserve a piece of history.
The view from the top is hard to put into words. From Monte Pellegrino to the sea, from the Royal Palace to the ancient Arab quarter of the Kalsa, from the Cathedral to the surrounding valleys — Palermo, seen from above, stops being a city and becomes a landscape.
Which rooftops can you visit
Cupola Ss. Salvatore
The church of Santissimo Salvatore stands on the Cassaro, Palermo’s main historic axis — a street that has been the spine of the city since ancient times. Its baroque cupola offers one of the most complete views over the rooftops of the historic centre, where centuries of architectural history are piled on top of each other in the most extraordinary way. Via Ss. Salvatore n.1 is also where you can pick up your card if you purchase it online.
Campanile S. Francesco Saverio
The bell tower of San Francesco Saverio stands in Piazza S. Francesco Saverio, in the Kalsa district — one of Palermo’s oldest and most fascinating neighbourhoods, recently transformed into one of its most vibrant. From the top, you get a privileged perspective over a part of the city that is well worth exploring at street level too.
Campanile S. Giuseppe Cafasso
Perhaps the most unexpected discovery of the whole circuit, the bell tower of San Giuseppe Cafasso sits in Via dei Benedettini, away from the most visited routes. If you want to see a side of Palermo that most visitors never reach, this is the place to start.
Campanile del Carmine Maggiore
The Carmine Maggiore complex, with its iconic polychrome majolica cupola, is one of the most recognisable visual symbols of Palermo. From its bell tower in Piazza Carmine, the view stretches over the Ballarò market — the oldest and most atmospheric in the city — and the surrounding historic neighbourhoods. One of the most breathtaking stops on the circuit.
Torre Civica di Sant’Antonio Abate
The Torre Civica di Sant’Antonio Abate stands in Via Roma 203/A, in the middle of Palermo’s commercial heart. Climbing to the top means looking down on one of the city’s most layered urban fabrics — where traces of different eras overlap in ways that are impossible to read from the street below.
How to take part in Supra Panormum 2026
The event takes place over two weekends: 29, 30 and 31 May and 5, 6 and 7 June 2026. Each monument has slightly different opening hours — it is worth planning your route in advance, especially on Sundays when some sites open later in the day.
You can choose between a cumulative card — the best option if you want to visit all five sites and make the most of the experience — or a single ticket for each monument, which works well if your time is limited or you want to focus on one or two highlights. Tickets are available online through the Sikalesh website or directly at the participating sites. If you purchase online, you can collect your card at the Cupola del SS. Salvatore (Via Ss. Salvatore n.1), open every day from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 17:30.
For information: sikalesh.cultura@gmail.com · +39 351 8170095 · www.sikalesh.com/suprapanormum
Free entry for: holders of the European Disability Card and their companions, minors accompanied by a parent or guardian, tourist guides on duty and members of the clergy.
Dove soggiornare a Palermo per vivere Supra Panormum
Where to stay in Palermo for Supra Panormum
Choosing the right base makes a real difference when you are planning a visit like this. Hotel Principe di Villafranca is a boutique hotel in the heart of contemporary Palermo — central enough to reach all five monuments on foot, quiet enough to come back to and truly rest after a morning of staircases and rooftop views.
The rooms are carefully designed, with a level of comfort and aesthetic care that you feel the moment you walk in. Breakfast is prepared with fresh, homemade produce — exactly what you need before a day of climbing. For those travelling on business or needing a private space, the hotel also offers meeting rooms.
Principe di Villafranca is not a hotel in the middle of the chaos — it is the place you come back to. And after seeing Palermo from above, having somewhere beautiful to land is exactly what you need.
