La Kalsa District

The La Kalsa district, in Palermo

La Kalsa is one of the oldest and most fascinating districts of Palermo, born in the Arab era. The Palermo audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this district laden with history, long wounded then reborn, become a high place of the culture and the Palermitan life.

The old district of the Arab citadel

La Kalsa is one of the oldest and most fascinating districts of Palermo. Born under the Arab domination, it owes its name to the Arabic al-Khalisa, which means the chosen or the pure, because this district sheltered then the fortified citadel of the emir and the seat of the Muslim power, near the sea. This prestigious past has left its mark in the fabric of the district, made of winding alleys and hidden squares. Over the centuries, La Kalsa covered itself with magnificent churches, convents and noble palaces. But the district was one of the most hardly hit by the bombings of the Second World War, which left it partly in ruins, and it knew then decades of abandon and poverty. For some years, La Kalsa is reborn: restored and rehabilitated, it has become one of the most lively and most creative districts of Palermo, rich in monuments, museums, gardens, bars and restaurants, prized by the artists and the visitors. A historic district and a reborn heart, La Kalsa is a fine stop of the discovery of Palermo.

What to see

Here you wander in one of the oldest districts of Palermo, born under the Arab domination, whose name, al-Khalisa, the chosen, recalls the citadel of the emir; covered over the centuries with churches, convents and palaces, hardly hit by the bombings of 1940 then long neglected, it is reborn today as a lively and creative district rich in monuments, museums, gardens and restaurants. La Kalsa is a reborn heart of Palermo. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The La Kalsa district lies between the historic centre and the sea, in Palermo, reachable on foot. It is a public district freely accessible, rich in monuments, museums and lively squares, including the Piazza Marina and its garden. The usual vigilance is required, notably at night.

Where does the name of the La Kalsa district come from in Palermo?

From the Arabic al-Khalisa, the chosen or the pure: under the Arab domination, this district sheltered the fortified citadel of the emir and the seat of the Muslim power, near the sea; one of the oldest of Palermo, covered with churches and palaces, hardly hit by the bombings of 1940, it is reborn today as a lively and creative district.

Where is the La Kalsa district in Palermo?

Between the historic centre and the sea, in Palermo, in Italy.