What to see and do

÷ Compare cathedrals A FRIEND of mine declared that Palermo’s sprawling cathedral ‘ makes Westminster Abbey look like a porter’s lodge’. He had a point, but I prefer the rival cathedral at nearby Monreale.

Hire a moped from sicilymotorent.it (from £35 per day) and escape to marvel at the glowing gold mosaics, and gaze back loftily at the city. ÷ Interrogate the Inquisition THE Palazzo Chiaramonte (entrance £11) houses two secrets. The first is the 12 cells where the Inquisition tortured heretics, who responded by painting the walls with delicate murals, using their bodily fluids as paint.

The second is Renato Guttuso’s 1974 painting La Vucciria: a fascinating market scene and a symbol of the city. Piazza Marina (039 091 2389 3788) ÷ Look death in the eye YOU need a strong stomach for this one. The Capuchin Monastery catacombs (entrance £2.70) are crammed with the corpses of monks and local luminaries, their mouths gaping as if in horror at their own mortality. So far, so Indiana Jones.

But the tiny cadavers of infants also interred there may not be to everyone’s taste. Piazza Cappuccini (039 091 652 7389) ÷ Hit the beach STILL got that moped? Head to nearby Mondello beach for sun and sea air. The rearing wall of rock that is Monte Pellegrino provides a spectacular backdrop for your bronzing.

And on the way home, stop at Gelateria La Vela for a brioscia con gelato — essentially an ice cream sandwich. It ought to be illegal. Gelateria La Vela, Piazza Bordonaro (039 091 361860) ÷ Lose yourself in stucco YOU’LL never have seen a church like the Oratorio di Santa Cita (entrance £3.60), which was built to celebrate the naval victory at Lepanto.

A century later, its interior was covered with intricate stucco work by the sculptor Giacomo Serpotta.

The effect is like walking into one of Palermo’s infamous cream patisseries — irresistible and oddly soothing. Via Valverde (039 091 785 3181)