palazzo chiaramonte

We hid out from the rain and signed up for the next available tour which was only conducted in Italian, just so we could enter the place.This is a problem because this is a guided tour and we are not supposed to stray far from the guide. Thus we found ourselves waiting for long periods of time. The guide spoke English and kindly suggested we could ask her any questions, however, it didn't feel appropriate interrupting the larger group of Italian visitors.The English information sheets were a bit useful, and the old maps of Sicily along the wall were really nice, but the jail looked too nice and clean, almost like a real palace should - I thought it would look and feel more like a real dungeon.Once it stopped raining we opted out of the second part of our tour and got our money back for it, which is nice. Thus we ended up paying 5 euros for just the jail, instead of 7.5 euros for both the jail and, I think, the Palazzo.Bottom line - get the tour in your language!

We toured only the recently discovered prison cells used during the Spanish Inquisition. You will be humbled by this experience.

Traveling in November, you are likely to have many sites to yourself. In this case, me and my mother had stopped by the day before and arranged an English speaking tour for the following day. Basically we ended up having a private tour with an incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic tour guide who patiently answered all of our many questions and let us take our time to look at all there was to see. The jails are probably the main attraction for their unusualness and piece of history that they represent. It's amazing to think that all of these drawings were hidden for so long, and almost completely destroyed! It's also impressive how much fine detail is clearly visible. The palace itself was also interesting, particularly the painted wooden ceiling and ornamental arches. Definitely worth a visit.

This commanding castle has had an eventful history, beginning as the residence of the wealthy and powerful Chiaramonte family. On completion in the early 1300s it was much closer to the port and taxes on goods accounted for much of the family money. All this and more was covered during a fascinating tour of the complex, conducted on a voluntary basis by a local archaeologist, and covering both the cells and palace. For nearly 200 years the Inquisition was based here. The extent of Inquisition prisoners’ graffiti in the cells was absorbing, done using wall mortar and whatever other materials they could get, mixed with water. During the palace tour we saw a number of rooms with high décor ceilings, one stalactite type and another in ship’s keel style. We had a great view of the massive banyan fig tree, the largest in Europe, in the Garibaldi Gardens. We were looking forward to seeing Guttuso’s La Vucciria but had to settle for a lifesize copy as the original was on loan. It is an impressive work showing the market at its best and containing images of possible simmering conflict between various characters.

I was there on saturday! The visit is a must in Palermo. The palace is beautiful, but what i find incredible are the jails. These jails are dated back to the inquisition time and reveal the cruelty of the inquisitors and prison officers. There are several paintings and are a rare testomony of an obscure ephoc! Moreover, the guide, Oriana, was just amazing.... one of the guided tour that i did in my life... it was a flow of informations, passions and legends on that time and on Palermo! Thanks a lot!

We accidentally came across this place and we're so glad we did, what an experience and it only cost 5 euro each.After payment we were given two plastic information cards that explained each cell and the drawings.You are allowed to take photos but cannot use flash.We highly recommend you visit this place.

I went to this place not expecting too much but was really interested once I got there. Unfortunately there was no English guide, but I understand that you can book one in advance. The people who work there are volunteers and the guide with us was an archaeologist associated with the university. She did her best to explain as much as she could in English , when she was asked. The history can always be read afterwards. What was really astounding was to see all the drawing s made by the prisoners on the walls , related to their situation , the memories of the outsides , and the people and events of the time. Even though very simple , I was taken by a little row of trees which someone had drawn and which he would never see again. Do go , it is quite moving

We were fortunate to see this fascinating place with an Englush speaking guide arranged for us by our tour company, Tradizione Turismo. The palace itself has undergone some wonderful restoration particularly in the court area used by the Holy Inquisition, and the cells where the prisoners were housed. Excavations continue and are on display where safe to do so. It is fortunate that the university is involved with the building. Elevators are available for those such as myself who find stairs difficult. The prisoner cells with their hauntingly poignant drawings will stay with you for a long time. Definitely not for children.

It is a particular monument that need the explanation of a good guide. Never go to visit with children under 13

I visited this location in one of the last days of my stay in Palermo and it was a nice surprise. The visit is actually comprised of two parts (there are 2 tickets to buy, from the same ticket office): the area with the Inquisition prisoners' cells and the palace itself. The first part gave me the opportunity to see many graffitis left behind by the prisoners, some of them in colour, about how they felt during their days there. Most of the graffitis are religious and respectful in nature, there are very few aimed at the inquisitors themselves and not so respectful:-). The second part, the palace, contained some important paintings from the 17th C, which did not longer have room at Galeria Abatellis. There were excellent conditions for their keeping here: lower temperature (AC) and proper lighting. There is also a famous painting by a 20th century painter with the Vucciria market, important especially because it presents the market as it was in those times, and as it is no longer possible to be seen today, so a precious witness of its past times. Interesting that the Palace, being now under the administration of the University of Palermo, is still being used today for conferences, classes, etc. This is also the case for the large Inquisition Hall, where the prisoners would find out their fate from the Inquisition judges, and which is used on an ongoing basis by the University in their activities. It has a beautiful ceiling of wooden beams, which are painted and those paintings are original! Overall, it was a very useful visit and also, the guide answered many questions and provided lots of interesting information. Need to mention though that the tour was in Italian, please ask about tours in English if needed.

We went to the palazzo chiaramonte based on the reviews from trip advisor , it was never made clear to us that we would get no english commentry it only became apparent once the tour started which was a shame because the lady seemed very animated and passionate about it and could speak good english ,and because it cost us 7.50 euros each . we got a sheet in english which was next to useless..despite that we got the jist of it i think . top tip make sure you make it clear that there will be a guide who speaks your language!!!!!

Quite by chance, I passed by Palazzo Chiaramonte and it was open. I was with an American guest and we went in for the guided tour. It was incredible. To see the cells of the prisoners of the Inquisition is a most unusual experience. The guide was knowledgeable and entertaining. I would recommend the visit to both visitors and residents! Spectacular. If you are lucky enough to have BARBARA as a guide, then you can consider the tour a success. She made it special!

Having seen Locatelli/Graeme Dixon tour of Palermo we were interested in Gattusos' painting of the Vucchiria market - well worth tracking down.The unexpected treasure was the guided tour of the cells where prisoners were interred during the Spanish Inquisition - incredible.

Fascinating insights into the Inquisition. The prisoner art will send chills up your spine. An English-speaking guide took our group around, and she also had some printed material in English, which was helpful.If you're staying anywhere near Porto Felice, it's a short walk, and the hop-on hop-off bus has a stop just across the park.

Palazzo Steri (Chiaramonte), at Piazza Marina, was the seat of the Inquisition in Palermo from 1605-1782. Now owned by the university, it has recently opened its doors to tourists. For 5 euro I got a personal guided tour by a student (in Italian, but she said they do English too). We started in the prison in the building next door, the Carcere dei Penitenziati. Here you can see the cells, the walls of which are almost totally covered by drawings and poems done by the prisoners (accused of heresy or witchcraft), some of which referred to what they went through at the hands of the inquisitors.There are no gruesome instruments of torture on display as after the Inquisition was abolished they destroyed all the equipment and records of both the inquisitors and prisoners to avoid any attempts at vengeance. But the drawings and poems themselves are very powerful. There were also a couple of crude maps of Sicily. The only piece of furniture was a copy of the chair that the priest Diego La Matina was tied to for months of torture before being burned at the stake. After that we went into Palazzo Chiaramonte itself and saw other rooms before passing through a room with Guttuso's masterpiece 'La Vucciria' on display. Seemed a strange place to stick a work of art but I was delighted to see it. A fascinating though rather grim addition to the tourist sights of Palermo.