Bagheria - Old town

The map (Google Maps) of the old town of Bagheria offers you an overview of some things to see, its shopping facilities and the exact location of the Solemar Sicilia holiday lettings.

Below you will find a list of all Sicily - All in one Place maps.

Yes - Bagheria is Palermo's little sister. You can find almost everything here that you can find there. But the big sister has a few unique sides.

It's a good thing that Trenitalia connects both cities so well and that the railway station in Bagheria is in the old town centre.

But it is also interesting in the opposite direction. Here the Trenitalia will take you to Cefalù in 1 hour.

4 p.m. in Bagheria. The lunch break is coming to an end. The bollards at the beginning of Corso Umberto I rise, as do the roller shutters of the shops. The seats outside the bars are filling up.

At the same time, calm returns: The bollards have turned Corso Umberto I into a pedestrian zone. After closing time at 8:30 p.m., they will be lowered back into the ground again.

Why not simply close Corso Umberto I to cars completely? The answer can be found by taking a look at the narrow streets of the old town. They were created at a time when the Sicilian cart (Wikipedia) was the usual means of transport.

The good news comes at the end: on Saturdays and Sundays, Corso Umberto is a pedestrian zone from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

It is Monday, 9 April 1787, and Goethe walks through the huge gate of Villa Palagonia. Ahead of him lies a 500 metre long path through fields and gardens.

Goethe, however, is less than enthusiastic. Instead of greenery, he only sees walls to the right and left on which grotesque statues are up to mischief. 500 grotesque metres long!

It doesn't get any better once he reached the castle. Project Gutenberg has published (obviously in German) Goethe's impressions on this website.

Fortunately, the gate and castle of Villa Palagonia have been preserved and can be visited. They are located in the centre of today's old town of Bagheria. So you can see for yourself. Was Goethe right?

It all started so well: in 1736, Francesco Bonanno - the Prince of Cattolica Eraclea - bought a farmstead in Bagheria and remodelled it into a wonderful summer residence, the Villa Cattolica.

But just 30 years later, the family fell into irrecoverable debt - because of a dowry!

Villa Cattolica was sold and fell on hard times. It served as a military hospital, barracks and tinning factory, among other things.

Until 1973, when the municipality of Bagheria took over the building to exhibit works of art by the town's most famous son, Renato Guttuso (Wikipedia). These and the works of other Sicilian artists can be seen here today:

It is a sunny Saturday afternoon in Bagheria. There is excitement in the air at Piazza Vittorio Emanuele III. More and more strikingly well-dressed people gather in front of Bagheria's central church, the Chiesa Madre (Wikipedia).

And then the reason for the commotion appears - a young woman in a flowing wedding dress.

Slowly but surely, the Chiesa Madre absorbs the wedding party and calm returns to Piazza Madrice, as it is called by the locals.

A shady bench overlooking the fountain invites you to take a short break.

Your head is spinning a little from the exciting tour of Villa Palagonia. You are standing at the exit of the villa and are therefore looking for a little relaxation.

You quickly notice the large fountain opposite. And aren't there a few tables there? Next to a small bar? That's perfect!

When you place your order, the barista tells you that you are sitting in Piazza Garibaldi. A few years ago, the piazza was still a large roundabout full of cars. There was even a petrol station here. And indeed, the roundabout and petrol station can still be seen in some Google Street View images.

Yes, Bagheria is still passionate about cars, but it is slowly beginning to appreciate limited traffic zones. This naturally includes the "part-time" pedestrian zone just around the corner.

When paying at the bar in Piazza Garibaldi, the barista points out a square right next door - Piazza Vittime della Mafia.

Without this tip, you would have been unlikely to find this piazza. There isn't even a sign pointing to it, and it can't be found on Google Maps either.

No wonder: unlike "normal" squares, Piazza Vittime della Mafia is not located in the middle of the hustle and bustle, but in a quiet, green corner with a few benches.

Only Sunday mornings are quite busy there. That's when older gentlemen meet in the piazza to play cards.

Don't worry - there's no snow in Bagheria in winter. But in return, during the "darkest season" there is an average of 4 hours of sunshine per day - and in the pedestrian zone, oranges on the trees and tables outside the bars.

For visitors from Northern Europe, what locals call "bad weather" feels more like spring.

And if the weather is really bad, Villa Palagonia and Villa Cattolica are perfect places to visit.

Sights such as Villa Palagonia make the old town of Bagheria very attractive for excursions.

However, many holidaymakers prefer to sleep in the old town of Santa Flavia. It is much quieter and is in a "strategically" favourable location.

As this map (Google Maps) shows, from here it is only a 20-minute walk to Villa Palagonia, Porticello harbour or the beach. The train station is right on your doorstep, so you can also reach Palermo's old town in just 20 minutes.

And best of all: you can hire high-quality e-bikes as an optional extra for all Solemar Sicilia holiday apartments in the old town of Santa Flavia. This means you are only a few minutes away from the beach.

Tip: Casa Enza is particularly popular for longer stays - even in winter:

It's February. The trees down in the pedestrian zone are full of oranges. Upstairs, the sun is shining into your home office.

Suddenly a call. An important customer wants to speak to you in person. In London. It's a good thing that the railway station is just around the corner and the train to the airport runs almost every hour.

And it's good that there is a local expat service that will look after your flat while you are away:

That's right: if you're looking for unusual Italian fashion, there's no getting around Palermo.

But apart from that, the old town of Bagheria, especially Corso Butera and the pedestrian zone Corso Umberto, offers everything a shopper's heart desires. It's not for nothing that we call Bagheria the "little sister of Palermo".

There are endless supermarkets in Bagheria. Even a "Lidl". It's funny that you keep bumping into expats there.

Corso Butera bears the name of the villa at its southern end. The owners of the villa were feudal lords of the Principality of Butera in south-eastern Sicily.

The Corso was created in the 18th century as the first axis of the emerging town of Bagheria.

Today, it is the shopping street for many everyday items. Particularly practical: the northern part of Corso Butera is a one-way street with "official" and "improvised" parking spaces. This is perfect for anyone who comes by car and just wants to run a quick errand.

Important: As Corso Butera is partly a one-way street, you can only drive into Bagheria on it, but not out again.

While the streets and squares described above are dedicated to controversial Italian figures, the name Mattarella stands for proven Sicilian democrats:

Bernardo Mattarella (Wikipedia) was one of the founding fathers of post-war Italy, his son Sergio (Wikipedia) is President of Italy (as of 2025), and his son Piersanti (Wikipedia) was the first Prime Minister of Sicily to take active measures against the Mafia. He paid for his commitment with his life.

The street known in Bagheria simply as "Via Mattarella" forms, together with Via Dante, the east-west axis of Bagheria. Not only are there a wide variety of shops here, but also the health department and many doctors.

No wonder, then, that during rush hour, long lines of cars form on Via Mattarella. Cycling here is clearly advantageous.

Via Mattarella is also known for its large bars. One of them is even open around the clock. So there are plenty of reasons why almost every expat ends up in Via Mattarella sooner or later.

Dante Alighieri (Wikipedia) is considered the first Italian poet to use a precursor to modern Italian rather than Latin. In fact, however, this honour belongs to the Sicilian School of poetry. So the origins of Italian literature lie in Sicily. Who would have thought!

Via Dante probably doesn't care. Together with Via Mattarella, it forms the east-west axis of Bagheria. Its activity is fuelled primarily by two schools. Expats with school-age children are therefore likely to find themselves here more often.

Via Dante also boasts a large bar. Some locals even claim it is the best in Bagheria.

Tipp: You can admire Dante's distinctive head on the Italian 2 euro coin.