(anciently Panormus, Fr. Palerme), the second city of the kingdom of Naples, and the capital and chief seaport of Sicily, stands on the south-western shore of a large bay on the north side of the island, in a rich plain surrounded on three sides by hills, which, from its form and beauty, has received the name of Conca d'Oro, or "Golden Shell;" N. Lat. 38° 8', E. Long. 13° 22'. The many cupolas, turrets, and spires that rise to the view of one looking at it from the sea, gives to Palermo a noble and striking aspect. In form it is nearly rectangular, its shortest side extending along the shore; and it is surrounded by old walls, which are entered by numerous gates. The other defences of the place consist of a citadel, bastions, and batteries, which render the town strong against an attack from the sea, though it is not well protected on the land side. The buildings of Palermo are distinguished by considerable regularity, and those that line the principal streets are very handsome. The principal streets, two in number, cross at right angles near the centre of the town, thus dividing it into four nearly equal parts. They are well paved with lava, and form at their intersection a public place of an octagonal form, four sides of which are occupied by these streets, and each of the others by a handsome three-storied building of Grecian architecture. Many statues stand and fountains play in this place, from which a fine view may be obtained of the four avenues of houses terminating in the gates of the town. The inferior streets are equally well paved with the principal ones, but they are frequently in a very dirty and disagreeable state. Palermo contains several other public places, some of them of considerable size. But the most frequented places of resort for amusement are the Marina and the Flora; the former of which is a public walk, about 80 yards broad, stretching for more than a mile along the sea-shore; and the latter a beautifully laid out and ornamented garden near the eastern corner of the town. Many of the private houses are remarkable for the splendour of their architecture, but they very frequently err in a want of simplicity, and in a profusion of ornament. They are generally lofty, and, like those of Naples, have flat, terraced roofs and projecting balconies. The most of them are divided into flats, each forming a distinct dwelling. Strange and lively is the scene that the streets of Palermo present to a stranger. Close to the most splendid palaces wretched hovels often project into the street; workmen of all kinds pursue their trades on the pavement in front of their shops; while the sides of the streets are also occupied by crowds of beggars, and idlers of higher rank sit in front of the coffee-houses; so that all the passengers on foot, as well as in carriages or on horseback, have to proceed indiscriminately along the centre of the streets. The public buildings are numerous, and many of them sumptuous,—more so, indeed, generally, than is consistent with good taste. The cathedral, which was built in 1180, is a fine edifice in the Gothic style; but in recent times a dome has been added, and the interior has been re-modelled after the Grecian style. It contains many tombs in red porphyry, among which are those of King Roger the Norman, and the Emperor Frederick II. The church of St Joseph is remarkable for its crypt and gray marble columns. There are, besides those Palermo, already mentioned, many other churches, all rich in paintings, sculptures, and mosaics, and all very similar in their general appearance and style. Palermo has also seven abbeys and about seventy convents. The palace in which the viceroy resides occupies a beautiful situation in the midst of gardens at the S.W. end of the town. It is an ancient irregular building, in various styles of architecture, and contains a hall, many other fine buildings, a picture gallery, a beautiful chapel built by Roger the Norman in 1129, and an observatory, from which, on the 1st of January 1801, the planet Ceres, the first known of the asteroids, was discovered by Piazzi.

In front of the palace is a public square, containing, among other statues, one in bronze of Philip IV. of Spain. The university of Palermo was founded in 1447; or, according to other accounts, as early as 1394; but it is now in a declining state. It has a library of 40,000 volumes, and a valuable collection of antiquities. The interests of education are provided for at Palermo by several other institutions for different branches of instruction. The account of the public buildings of Palermo would not be complete without taking notice of the archbishop's palace, court-house, custom-house, mint, monte di pietà, prison, barracks, arsenal, and several theatres. It is the seat of an archbishop, and of the lieutenant-general of Sicily. The public charities consist of several hospitals, a poor-house, a foundling institution, lunatic asylum, and other establishments. In the neighbourhood of the town are many fine country houses of the Sicilian nobility, and, among the rest, a royal residence in the Chinese style. There are also two fine specimens of Moorish architecture—the grotto of St Rosalia on the Monte Pellegrino, which is a great object of veneration to the Sicilians; and a Capuchin convent, with curious catacombs. As a manufacturing town, Palermo is not very important. The chief branch carried on is the making of silken stuffs, which was begun here in the eleventh century; cotton, oil-cloth, gold and silver articles, hardware, &c., are also produced; and the tunny fisheries on the coast give employment to 3000 or 4000 of the inhabitants, and yield ample returns. The situation of the town, and its excellent harbour and anchorage, afford great facilities for foreign commerce; but the intercourse with the interior of Sicily is greatly hindered by the want of sufficient means of conveyance in the island. The harbour, which lies outside of the walls, is formed by a mole, constructed at a cost of L1,000,000, extending southwards for a quarter of a mile into the sea. The principal articles exported from Palermo are shumac, oranges and other fruits, oil, wines, spirits, manna, brimstone, liquorice, raisins, and grain; and there are imported silken, cotton, and woollen stuffs; hides, timber, tobacco, sugar, hardware, &c. The total value of the exports in 1852 was L698,744, of which L294,989 were to the United Kingdom and its colonies, and L448,755 to other countries. The whole imports in the same year amounted in value to L606,083, of which L253,089 were from the British empire, and L352,994 from other countries. Communication is kept up between Palermo and Naples, both directly by sea and through Messina and Reggio; but the means of conveyance are barely sufficient for the necessities of commerce. Since 1850 the port has been frequently visited by British steamers engaged in commerce. In 1854 the number of these that entered was 27, and their average tonnage 543. Some traces of an ancient amphitheatre have been found near the palace, and many fragments of marble and other remains have been obtained; but these are all that have come down to us of the ancient Panormus. Although this name, by which it was generally known in ancient times (being derived from the excellence of the harbour), was of Greek origin, there is no doubt that it was not by that nation, but by the Phoenicians, that the town was founded. It was at one time among their principal places in Sicily; but at the earliest historical period at which Panormus is brought into notice, it was no longer subject to its mother country. This was in 480 B.C., when the Carthaginians under Hamilcar made it their head-quarters against Himera. How it came into their hands we have no means of knowing; but it continued for a long time to be their principal naval station in Sicily, and the capital of their possessions in that island. It was taken by Pyrrhus in 276 B.C., but was soon after recovered by Carthage. During the first Punic war, in 254 B.C., Panormus was taken by that people, and four years after, a decisive victory was gained by them under the walls. Before the close of this war the Monte Pellegrino, then called Eucta, was occupied by Hamilcar Barca; and such was the strength of the position, that for three years he held out against the utmost efforts of the Romans. After the conquest of Sicily by that people, Panormus enjoyed the privileges of a free town, and became the chief place of commerce and navigation in the island. It afterwards lost its freedom, and received a Roman colony; but throughout the time of the empire it continued in a flourishing condition, though it never reached that importance which it now possesses. When Sicily was conquered by the Goths, Palermo, along with the rest of the island, fell into their hands; but it was recovered by Belisarius, and the Byzantine Empire retained possession of it till 855 A.D., when it was taken by the Saracens, and made the capital of their Sicilian possessions. Since that period Palermo has been, with few intervals, the capital of Sicily, and has followed the fortunes of that island. It has suffered at various times from earthquakes; and during the Sicilian insurrection in 1848 it was bombarded by the royal troops, and partially destroyed. Pop. (1855) 200,000.

the province of which the above town is the capital, is bounded on the N. by the Mediterranean, E. by the provinces of Messina and Catania, S. by that of Trapani, and W. by those of Girgenti and Caltanissetta; length from N.W. to S.E., 66 miles; breadth, 48 miles; area, 1985 square miles. The coast is irregular; and the surface consists of barren hills and rich valleys, having a general slope towards the north. Numerous small streams flow through the province into the Mediterranean. The country produces corn, oil, fruits, almonds, manna, shumac, liquorice, silk, &c. It is the largest and the best peopled of the Sicilian provinces. Pop. (1856) 541,326.