Fabio’s apartment is fabuloso! First of all, Palermo is grossly unappreciated as a great destination. This was our first trip to Sicily but 4th to Italy, and Palermo is one of my top two or three destinations. I really researched locations in Palermo for days: how the neighborhoods looked, proximity to major sights, ease of access to food and pubs, etc., and I am glad I did, because I found Fabio’ apartment. First let me say that finding it from the train station was tricky, so let me provide simple directions. As you exit the station, cross the piazza in front of the station and travel up the main avenue: Via Roma. Take Via Roma serval blocks then turn right on Via Vittorio Emanuele., the famous street with all the energy and life! Travel down several streets and at the 5th one, turn right on Via Alessandro Paternostro. As you walk a short distance up PaterNostro you will happen upon a lively piazza: Piazza San Francesco, and directly across the piazza is the Church of San Francesco. Turn right and you will come to the cross road of Via Merlo and Via Maletto. The building on the corner , next to the church of San Francesco is the location of Fabio’s apartment. Continue down Maletto and you will find his “front door”, a main entrance to the complex.
If it is the evening when you arrive, you will notice Paternoster is a very trendy place with lots of cocktail lounges and bars. As the directions suggest, you are only one - two blocks off of Via Vittorio where all the major restaurants and bars are. You are also a few steps to Quattro Canti and less than ten minutes to The cathedral. We found Fabio’s apartment the perfect location to the train station and all the major sites in Palermo.
As for the apartment, it is in a fully renovated mansion and looked exactly as pictured. The front “door” is actually a huge security gate like a fortress (although the neighborhood is totally safe and fun). And as mentioned in the directions, right next to the Piazza and Church of San Francesco.
There is a very nice restaurant right in that piazza that is quite lively even into the night. But we are both very light sleepers and never bothered by the noise. A handy elevator (or wide, easy stair case) takes you to the third floor to the apartment.
Check in was not only easy but a joy. Since Fabio works outside of Palermo, his sister Sophia and his parents met us and showed us the entire apartment. Sophia is functional in English and her mother speaks German as well as Italian. They were very lovely people. Fabio’s communication was superb. Although he was out of town, was very easy and willing to communicate and help.
As you enter the apartment you enter a very large kitchen area. Very tastefully decorated and fully stocked, especially with coffee and three different types of coffee makers. Around the left to the side of the kitchen is the bathroom complete with clothes washer. Straight ahead through the kitchen is a set of doors to a balcony, to the left a staircase up to a loft which has a very comfortable and inviting living room area and TV.
To the right of the kitchen is a huge master bedroom with a large double bed (in the US we call it “Queen Size”). Lots of space and closet space. There is also doors to the balcony from the bedroom as well. While we thought Fabio’s apartment was the best of all the AirBnBs we stayed in as we traveled around Sicily for two weeks, the only little negative is that the balcony is tiny and more for aesthetics and not really functional. But the weather was great and we spent most of our time on streets exploring this great town.
5 stars all the way for Fabio and his beautiful and comfortable apartment- I highly recommend it as one of the best you will ever come across.