WOW! What a palazzo! If you want to feel as though you are staying in a film set, this is the place. We were three girlfriends on our annual culture trip to Italy, and Andrea and Alessia were very welcoming, accommodating, and efficient. They were available if and when we needed them and checked in with us during our week in Palermo to ensure all was well. The apartment is vast, romantic, and well equipped. Linens were of a nice quality (It matters!), and hairdryers, soap and shampoo was all on offer.

Palazzo Filangeri Cuto is the MOST magnificent edifice you could ever imagine. The stairwell alone is monumental and the scale really makes one realise how grand life was in Sicily. The years have taken their toll, but the decay only underscores the profound beauty of the structure. Located near the train station, it is ideal for tourists who want to make day trips out of Palermo, but train stations have their downside, and one must be a bit cautious at night. This means just taking the same care as you would at night in any big city.

As for the apartment, it is ideal for families, with two large bedrooms and one smaller one, all have double beds. There are two full bathrooms and one half (i.e. a toilet and sink). The doors to one of the bedrooms do not close fully, so this may be an issue for those travelling together who require complete privacy. The kitchen is large and very atmospheric, and the roof terrace is TO DIE FOR! What a lovely view! The only thing which may be an issue for some travellers is the noise from the fabulous food market that surrounds the palazzo. If you are a light sleeper, this might affect your enjoyment of the place.

Palermo is a treasure trove for historians, art historians, foodies, opera buffs, and people who just like places that have not surrendered their character and atmosphere to the homogenisation one sees so often in Western cities. Forget what you have seen in all of those mindless Hollywood films...Sicily is an absolute paradise for the traveller, and Palermo is its gritty, earthy, welcoming, achingly beautiful heart.