What to see on foot from the Quattro Canti and Ballarò

Within 10 minutes

• Piazza Bellini – 4 min. Two churches side by side: the Martorana, with 12th-century Byzantine mosaics, and San Cataldo, with its red domes. Both are part of the UNESCO-listed Arab-Norman route.
• Piazza Pretoria – 5 min. The great 16th-century fountain, nicknamed the “Fountain of Shame” for its nude statues, in front of Palazzo delle Aquile, the city hall.
• Quattro Canti – 5 min. The baroque crossroads with four façades decorated with fountains and statues: the seasons, the Spanish kings and the city’s patron saints.
• Chiesa del Gesù (Casa Professa) – 5 min. One of the richest baroque interiors in Sicily, entirely covered in inlaid marble.
• Ballarò market – 7 min. The city’s oldest and liveliest market: fruit, fish, spices and street food. Go in the morning.
• Vucciria – 8 min. The historic market that turns into one of the liveliest spots in town at night.
• Palazzo Abatellis – 10 min. Home of the Regional Gallery of Sicily, with the great Triumph of Death fresco and the Annunciata by Antonello da Messina.

Within 20 minutes

• Piazza Marina and Giardino Garibaldi – 12 min. The monumental ficus, surrounded by historic palaces such as Palazzo Steri.
• Cathedral – 13 min. Along the Cassaro towards Porta Nuova; you can even walk on the roof.
• Foro Italico and La Cala – 15 min. The seafront promenade and the old harbour.
• Teatro Massimo – 16 min. Up Via Maqueda, the pedestrian street.
• Palazzo dei Normanni and the Cappella Palatina – 18 min. The golden mosaics of the Cappella Palatina: book ahead and go in the morning.

A half-day walk

Start in the morning at Ballarò, when the market is in full swing. Pass the Chiesa del Gesù, walk up to the Quattro Canti, Piazza Pretoria and Piazza Bellini. Then follow the Cassaro to the Cathedral and Palazzo dei Normanni. It is about 3 km: with visits, a good half day.

Opening hours of churches and museums change often: check them the day before, or ask us.