We spent a week in Giovanni's place. What we liked:
1. Immaculately clean apartment
2. Location: We were one block from Via Maqueda, the pedestrians-only thoroughfare that cuts through the heart of the historic district. We rolled out of bed each morning, got ready for the day, and in 5 minutes were on the Maqueda enjoying our choice of coffee shops and pastries. We walked more than 20,000 steps a day visiting the cathedral (6/10 mile), the train station (3/4 mile), Teatro Massimo (2 blocks) and so many more sights and especially, so many outstanding restaurants.
3. WiFi worked great.
4. Loved being able to wash our clothes right in the apartment.
5. I traveled with a grown daughter. We did everything together but when we needed time apart, we retreated to individual bedrooms/bathrooms on separate floors. We each had total privacy and quiet.
6. Giovanni has provided everything you need for a comfortable stay, even umbrellas and a hair dryer in each bathroom.
Light sleepers be warned: Via Celso, where the apartment is located, is devoid of pedestrians or cars at night. Very quiet. BUT, there are a lot of feral cats in Palermo. I opened my third floor window for fresh air my first night and was kept awake all night by the screaming cats. Thereafter I had to sleep with the window closed, which was disappointing. My daughter, on the second floor of the building, was bothered (on and off) by noisy apartment residents in a nearby stairwell. These were irritants but not enough to reduce the rating on the apartment. I would definitely stay here again. Giovanni is a wonderful, responsive host.