Palermo: History, Former Names & Timeline
Capital of Sicily, ruled in turn by Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs and Normans; its Arab-Norman buildings record the meeting of these civilisations.
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Former names of Palermo
| From | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 700 BC | Ziz / Panormos | Phoenician port |
| AD 831 | Balarm | capital of Arab Sicily |
| 1072 | Palermo |
Timeline of Palermo
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 700 BC | Phoenicians found a port here (8th century BC) |
| 254 BC | Rome takes Panormus in the First Punic War |
| AD 831 | The Aghlabids take Palermo |
| 1072 | The Normans Robert Guiscard and Roger take Palermo |
| 1130 | Roger II is crowned King of Sicily in Palermo |
| 1282 | The Sicilian Vespers drive out the Angevins |
| 1860 | Garibaldi takes Palermo |
Who ruled Palermo
Derived from the border maps; each row runs until the next recorded border change.
| Period | State |
|---|---|
| 500 BC–301 BC | Carthaginian Empire |
| 300 BC–201 BC | Italy |
| 200 BC–101 BC | Rome |
| 100 BC–2 BC | Roman Republic |
| 1 BC–299 | Roman Empire |
| 300–399 | Rome (Maximian) |
| 400–499 | Western Roman Empire |
| 500–599 | Vandals |
| 600–799 | Eastern Roman Empire |
| 800–899 | Byzantine Empire |
| 900–1099 | Emirate of Sicily |
| 1100–1299 | Duchy of Benevento |
| 1300–1491 | Sicily |
| 1492–1599 | Aragón |
| 1600–1782 | Sicily |
| 1783–1879 | Kingdom of the Two Sicilies |
| 1880–1913 | Italy |
| 1914–1919 | Kingdom of Italy |
| 1920–today | Italy |
Famous people of Palermo
| Lived | Person | |
|---|---|---|
| 1194 – 1250 | Frederick II | Holy Roman Emperor and King of Sicily |
| 1807 – 1882 | Giuseppe Garibaldi | Leader of Italian unification |
Nearby cities
Further reading
Questions about Palermo
What was Palermo called in the past?
Palermo has been known as Ziz / Panormos (from 700 BC, Phoenician port); Balarm (from AD 831, capital of Arab Sicily). Its present name dates from 1072.
Which states have ruled Palermo?
On the historical border maps from 500 BC to today, Palermo lies within 16 different states: Carthaginian Empire, Italy, Rome, Roman Republic, Roman Empire, Rome (Maximian), Western Roman Empire, Vandals, Eastern Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire and others.
What are the key dates in the history of Palermo?
700 BC: Phoenicians found a port here (8th century BC). 254 BC: Rome takes Panormus in the First Punic War. AD 831: The Aghlabids take Palermo. 1072: The Normans Robert Guiscard and Roger take Palermo. 1130: Roger II is crowned King of Sicily in Palermo.
Which famous people are connected with Palermo?
Frederick II (holy roman emperor and king of sicily, 1194 – 1250); Giuseppe Garibaldi (leader of italian unification, 1807 – 1882).
Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.