Editing Palermo (section)

== Culture ==

=== Religion ===

==== Patron saints ====

[[File:GenioPalermoMarabitti.JPG|thumb|[[Genius of Palermo]], the ancient patron of the city]]

The patron saint of Palermo is [[Saint Rosalia]], who is widely revered.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.timesofsicily.com/festino-santa-rosalia-palermo/ | title=The "Festino" of Santa Rosalia in Palermo | work=Times of Sicily | first=Maria Lina | last=Bommarito | date=13 July 2014 | access-date=16 July 2017}}</ref>

On 14 July, people in Palermo celebrate the annual ''Festino'', the most important religious event of the year. The Festino is a procession that goes through the main street of Palermo to commemorate the miracle attributed to Saint Rosalia who, it is believed, freed the city from the [[Black Death]] in 1624. Her remains were discovered in a cave on Monte Pellegrino, and her remains were carried around the city three times, banishing the plague. There is a [[sanctuary]] marking the spot where her remains were found which can be reached via a scenic bus ride from the city.

Before 1624 Palermo had four [[patron saint]]s, one for each of the four major parts of the city. They were [[Agatha of Sicily|Saint Agatha]], [[Saint Christina of Bolsena|Saint Christina]], [[Tryphon, Respicius, and Nympha|Saint Nympha]] and [[Saint Olivia]].

[[Saint Lucy]] is also honoured with a celebration on 13 December, during which the inhabitants of Palermo do not eat anything made with flour, but boil wheat in its natural state and use it to prepare a special dish called [[cuccìa]]. This commemorates the saving of the city from famine due to a miracle attributed to Saint Lucy; A ship full of grain mysteriously arrived in the city's harbour and the hungry population wasted no time in making flour but ate the grain as it arrived.

[[Saint Benedict the Moor]] is the heavenly protector of the city of Palermo.

The ancient patron of the city was the [[Genius of Palermo]], [[genius loci]] and [[numen]] protector of the place, that became the secular patron of the modern Palermo.<ref>{{in lang|it}} Alberto Samonà. [http://www.inventati.org/amprodias/txt/sicilia/pellegrino.htm ''Il Genio di Palermo e il Monte Pellegrino''] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100328212102/http://www.inventati.org/amprodias/txt/sicilia/pellegrino.htm |date=28 March 2010 }}. Retrieved 2 September 2010.</ref>

=== Sports ===

[[File:Stadio R Barbera.JPG|thumb|[[Stadio Renzo Barbera]]]]

Palermo hosts a professional football team, [[Palermo F.C.|Palermo Football Club]], commonly referred to as simply Palermo, who currently compete in [[Serie B]] as of 2022, having been excluded from [[Serie B]] after the 2018–2019 season.
After the bankruptcy occurred in the summer of 2019, a new club was formed by the company Hera Hora Srl.

The [[Targa Florio]] was an open road endurance car race held near Palermo. Founded in 1906, it used to be one of the oldest [[sports car racing]] events until it was discontinued in 1977 due to safety concerns but has since run as a rallying event. Palermo was home to the grand depart of the 2008 [[Giro d'Italia]]. The initial stage was a {{cvt|28.5|km|mi|1|adj=mid|-long}} TTT ([[Team time trial|Team Time Trial]]).

The [[Internazionali Femminili di Palermo]] is an annual ladies professional tennis event held in the city, which is part of the [[WTA Tour]].

The [[American football]] team is [[Eagles United Palermo]] and it plays in stadium of [[Carini]].

=== City emblems ===

==== Flag ====
The flag of Palermo is similar to that of the autonomous region of Sicily, but with a different arrangement of colours. The flag displayed on the Palazzo Pretorio, the town hall, has no coat of arms. However, versions with coats of arms of variable appearance in the center have been observed; for example, around the 1950s or 1960s the flag bore the civic coat of arms form ''Il Blasone in Sicilia''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Italia città |url=http://www.rbvex.it/italiac.html#paler |access-date=2023-06-17 |website=www.rbvex.it}}</ref> <gallery>
File:Flag of Palermo.svg|Flag
File:Flag of Palermo (Variant).svg|Another flag in use
</gallery>

==== Coat of arms ====
The coat of arms consists of a shield with a red background, stamped by the crown of the city, in the center of which there is a gold-colored eagle with open wings holding in its claws the legend bearing the initials "S.P.Q.P.".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-07-24 |title=Città di Palermo - Statuto del Comune |url=http://www.comune.palermo.it/comune/normative/statuto.htm |access-date=2023-06-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100724062018/http://www.comune.palermo.it/comune/normative/statuto.htm |archive-date=24 July 2010 }}</ref><gallery>
File:Palermo-Stemma-3.svg|Coat of arms from ''Il Blasone in Sicilia'' (1871–1875)
File:Palermo-Stemma-2.svg|Another coat of arms from ''Il Blasone in Sicilia'' (1871–1875)
File:Palermo-Stemma (Damiani Almeyda - 1891).svg|Coat of arms used between 1891 and 1999
File:Palermo-Stemma (DCG 18 Maggio 1942).svg|alt=Stemma con capo del Littorio, come da decreto di riconoscimento|Coat of arms with the chief of the lictor, according to the official decree of recognition of 1942
File:Palermo-Stemma (1999).svg|Coat of arms in use since 1999
</gallery>