Timeline of Palermo

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Palermo, Sicily, Italy.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Prior to 19th century

• 734 BC – Phoenicians found Palermo^[1]
• 415 BC – Carthaginians in power,^[2] but continue using Greek name Panormos on the city's coins.^[3]
• 276 BC – Conquered by Pyrrhus of Epirus.
• 275 BC – Carthaginian reconquest.
• 254 BC – Romans take Palermo under the Latin name Panormus.^[2]
• 251 BC – Attempted Carthaginian reconquest fails in the Battle of Panormus.
• 1st century AD – Catholic Diocese of Palermo established.
• 440 – Vandal siege and conquest of Panormus.
• 535 – Byzantine siege and conquest of Panormus.^[4]
• 830 – August: Arabs begin siege of Palermo.
• 831 – August: Saracens (Aghlabids)^[5] in power.^[6]
• 909 – Control transfers to Fatimids, entrusted to the Khalbid family.^[5]
• c.1040 – Palermo is administered by a council.^[5]
• 1072 – Normans, led by the Hauteville,^[5] take Palermo.^[2]
• 1130 – Palermo becomes capital of the Kingdom of Sicily.^[7]
• 1136 – San Giovanni degli Eremiti church built.
• 1140 – Cappella Palatina consecrated.
• 1143 – Martorana church founded.
• 1160 – Chiesa di San Cataldo (church) built.
• 1185 – Palermo Cathedral construction begins.
• 1191 – Basilica della Santissima Trinità del Cancelliere [it] active.
• 1194 – Palermo is reattached to the Hohenstaufen empire, embroiling the region in a conflict between the Guelphs and Ghibellines, later transforming into a conflict between the Emperor and the Pope.^[7]
• 1265 – Sicily was integrated into the Angevin kingdom.^[7]
• 1282 –
  • 30 March: Sicilian Vespers uprising against Anjou rule.^[2]
  • 4 September: Peter III of Aragon crowned as king of Sicily in Palermo Cathedral, Palermo returns to the "Aragonese orbit".^[7]
• 1302 – The peace of Caltabelotta recognized the rule of Frederic III on the condition that upon his death Sicily be controlled by the papacy.^[8]
• 1330 – Palazzo Sclafani built.^[9]
• 1394 – University established.^[10]
• 1450 – Revolt against Alfonso the Magnanimous, confrontation in Palermo.^[8]
• 1460 – Porta Nuova (Palermo) (gate) built.^[9]
• 1477 – Printing press in operation (approximate date).^[11]
• 1487 – Spanish inquisition introduced to Palermo by Ferdinand II (V) and his wife Isabella.
• 1557 – September: Flood.^(it)
• 1584 – Fontana Pretoria (fountain) installed in the Piazza Pretoria.^[12]
• 1620 – Quattro Canti laid out.
• 1676 – 2 June: Naval Battle of Palermo occurs offshore.
• 1693 – 1693 Sicily earthquake.
• 1726 – Earthquake.^[2]
• 1734 – 2 September: Spanish conquest.
• 1735 – 3 July: Charles V crowned as king of Sicily in Palermo Cathedral.
• 1740 – Earthquake.^[2]
• 1760 – Allegorical Apotheosis of Palermo artwork painted in the Palazzo Isnello.
• 1790 – Palermo Astronomical Observatory founded.
• 1795 – Botanical Garden of Palermo opens.

19th century

• 1801 – Astronomer Piazzi discovers Ceres (dwarf planet).^[9]
• 1806 – University of Palermo established.
• 1837 – Cholera epidemic.^[13]
• 1848 – 12 January: Sicilian revolution of 1848 begins.^[14]
• 1849 – 13 May: "Neapolitans capture Palermo."^[14]
• 1860
  • 6 June: Forces of Garibaldi take Palermo.^[2]
  • Giornale di Sicilia newspaper begins publication.^[15]
• 1861
  • Teatro Garibaldi (Palermo) [it] opens.^[16]
  • Population: 199,911.
• 1866 – Anti-government unrest; crackdown.^[2][17]
• 1871 – Population: 219,938.^[18]
• 1873 – Società Siciliana per la Storia Patria [it] (history society) founded.
• 1886 – Palermo Centrale railway station opens.
• 1891 – 15 November: Esposizione Nazionale di Palermo (exhibit) opens.^[2]
• 1897
  • Teatro Massimo opens.
  • Population: 287,972.^[19]
• 1900 – L'Ora newspaper begins publication.^(it)
  • US Città di Palermo was founded by Ignazio Majo Pagano

20th century

• 1901 – Population: 309,566.
• 1906 – First edition of Targa Florio.
• 1919 – Gonzaga Institute, Palermo founded by Jesuits.
• 1930 – Cinema Orfeo opens.^[20]
• 1931
  • February: Palermo flood of 1931 [it].
  • Palermo–Boccadifalco Airport opens.
• 1932 – Stadio Littorio (stadium) opens.
• 1936 – Population: 411,879.
• 1940-1945 - Palermo is bombed during the Second War World.
• 1943 – 22 July: Allied forces arrive in Palermo.
• 1947 – Sicilian Regional Assembly headquartered in city.
• 1950s/1980s - Sack of Palermo.
• 1953 – Cinema Astoria opens.^[20]
• 1957 – October: Grand Hotel des Palmes Mafia meeting 1957.
• 1960 – Palermo Airport opens.^{[citation needed]}
• 1961 – Population: 587,985.
• 1970 - Mauro De Mauro disappeared.
• 1971 – Population: 642,814.
• 1974 – Palermo Notarbartolo railway station opens.
• 1979 - Mario Francese and Boris Giuliano killed.
• 1980 - Piersanti Mattarella and Gaetano Costa killed.
• 1981 – Population: 701,782.
• 1982 - Pio La Torre, Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa and his wife Emanuela Setti Carraro killed.
• 1983 - Rocco Chinnici and Mario D’Aleo killed.
• 1985 – Antonino Cassarà killed.
  • March: Sicilian local election, 1985 [it] held.
• 1986 – Maxi Trial begins.^[21]
• 1988 – Internazionali Femminili di Palermo tennis tournament begins.
• 1990 – Palermo metropolitan railway service begins operating.
  • Palermo hosts some matches of 1990 World Cup.
• 1991 – Population: 698,556.
• 1992 – Anti-Mafia judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino killed.^[22]
• 1993 – Pino Puglisi killed.
  • Leoluca Orlando becomes mayor.

21st century

• 2001 – Diego Cammarata becomes mayor.
• 2006 – Paolo Romeo becomes archbishop.
• 2007 – March: Sicilian local election, 2007 [it] held.
• 2010 – UCI Palermo cinema opens.^[20]
• 2012 – Leoluca Orlando becomes mayor again.
• 2013 – Population: 654,987 city; 1,243,638 province.^[23]
• 2015 - Palermo’s Itinerario Arabo-Normanno proclaimed World Heritage Site by Unesco.
  • The Palermitan Sergio Mattarella becomes President of Italian Republic.
• 2018 - Palermo is “Capitale Italiana della cultura” and hosts the 12th edition of Manifesta.
  • Pope Francis visits the city.

See also

• History of Palermo
• List of mayors of Palermo
• List of landmarks in Palermo [it]
• Archivio di Stato di Palermo [it] (state archives)
• History of Sicily
• Timelines of other cities in the macroregion of Insular Italy:^(it)
  • Sardinia: Timeline of Cagliari
  • Sicily: Timeline of Catania, Messina, Syracuse, Trapani