2 Best Sights in Palermo and Western Sicily, Sicily

This church is a lesson in Palermitano eclecticism—originally Norman (1182), then Catalan Gothic (14th to 15th century), then fitted out with a Baroque and neoclassical interior (18th century). Its turrets, towers, dome, and arches come together in the kind of meeting of diverse elements that King Roger II (1095–1154), whose tomb is inside along with that of Frederick II, fostered during his reign. The exterior is more intriguing than the interior, and it's worth walking round to the gracefully decorated back of the apse to view the interlacing Arab arches inlaid with limestone and black volcanic tufa. The climb to the cathedral's roof is also recommended for some fabulous city views.

Dedicated to Thomas à Becket, the English saint famously martyred after provoking the fury of Henry II, Marsala's imposing Duomo is located in the heart of the old town, dominating a stately piazza that is also flanked by the 18th-century town hall. The church's grand Baroque facade is matched by its spacious and airy interior. A painting behind the altar depicts the murder of St. Thomas, while chapels on either side of the nave contain much work by Sicily's prolific Gagini family of sculptors.