"Italy without Sicily leaves no image in the soul:
here is the key to everything."
- J.W. Goethe, Journey to Italy
What to see and do in Sicily and Palermo
Goethe's Sicily: a journey into awe
In 1787, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe came to Sicily during his famous Italian Journey, and Palermo was a key stop during his stay. Fascinated by nature, light, millennia-old history and the vitality of the South, Goethe lived here one of the most intense moments of his Italian experience.
Today it is still possible to retrace the places in Palermo that enchanted him, reliving, step by step, the excitement of his attentive and amazed gaze
Goethe's places in Palermo
The port of Palermo
Goethe arrived in Palermo by sea. Il suo primo contatto con la città fu la vista del porto, animato e aperto sul Mediterraneo. Ne ammirò il movimento, la varietà di genti, il profumo del mare mescolato a quello degli agrumi. Even today, a walk along the marina and the Cove restores the living atmosphere of those days.
Monte Pellegrino and the Sanctuary of Santa Rosalia
A memorable moment of the trip was the ascent to Mount Pellegrino, which Goethe called “the most beautiful promontory in the world.” Up there he visited the Shrine of St. Rosalie, patroness of the city, and admired its location between the sky and the sea. The view from the top is still one of the most extraordinary in the Mediterranean.
The Botanical Garden of Palermo
Goethe, a natural science enthusiast, visited the Botanical Garden, founded a few years earlier. He was struck by the variety and lushness of exotic species, which he studied with the eye of the naturalist and the sensitivity of the poet. This place still retains its charm and is a corner of silence and beauty in the heart of the city.
The Kalsa district
During his stay, Goethe lived in the Kalsa, an ancient Arab quarter overlooking the sea. Today, the Goethe Haus is located here, a house museum dedicated to him, which collects testimonies, memorabilia and memories of his passage. It is an ideal starting point for a literary and cultural journey through 18th-century Palermo.
An invitation to travel with Goethe
Retracing Goethe’s footsteps in Palermo is more than just a tourist itinerary: it’s a cultural and spiritual experience.
It means letting yourself be guided by a gaze capable of capturing the harmony between nature, art, and humanity.
It means coming into contact with a city that, then as now, knows how to amaze and welcome.
We invite you to visit Goethe’s places and discover a lively, cultured, sunny Palermo.
Because, as he himself wrote, Sicily is the key to everything.
Goethe Haus Palermo
A site about the extraordinary figure of Goethe.
For any comments on this page and to report any errors, please send an email to info@goethehaus.cloud.
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