The civilisations that shaped a great city.

Palermo begins with the city's name,wich derives from the Greek word Panormus,meaning"all port",denothing the wide terrain and deep water that characteris its ports.The original urban centre is located in what is now the historic heart of Palermo and traces its origins back to the seventh century BC when it was founded by the Phoenicians as a market-place for trade between local people.

For many centuries, Panormus was the Carthaginians strategic base in the Tyrrenean Sea and for this reason was a primary target for Roman expansion.After many vain attempts,the Romans conquerede the town in 254 BC and laid the foundations for what was to be an intense seafaring activity,as                                                                                                            many archealogical found on the sea  bed can testify.