On the largest island in the Mediterranean fringed with pretty beaches, Sicily’s capital Palermo serves up history like its irresistible desserts, each decadent slice revealing another fascinating layer. In the heart of the city, the monastery’s in-house bakery, aptly named I Segreti del Chiostro, or “The Secrets of the Cloister,” also makes cassata, another well-guarded Sicilian specialty.

This festive torte, mingling sponge cake, ricotta, marzipan, and candied fruit, was often made by nuns for Easter and Sicilian Jews for Purim — another hint to Palermo’s rich past. For centuries, Palermo sat at an international crossroads. At turns, it was a vibrant hub of Greek, Arab, Norman, Jewish, and Spanish influences.