Just a few years ago, you might have been forgiven for thinking that Palermo’s main attraction was its collection of Mafia hot spots. Sure, the city’s tangled history with Godfather-esque organized crime dons will continue to lure its fair share of tourists to the capital of Sicily. But nowadays, Italy’s fifth-largest city is drawing an increasingly cosmopolitan crowd eager to explore not just its 2,700-year-old cultural heritage but also its newfound verve.

Palermo was in fact named the Italian Capital of Culture for 2018, and is currently playing host to Manifesta, the roving European art biennial that changes location every two years. With 50 artists participating, the event has been an ideal showcase for Palermo’s recently refurbished architectural treasures, like the 18th-century Palazzo Butera, which is being reopened as a museum; the Teatro Garibaldi, where Wim Wenders shot parts of his 2008 film Palermo Shooting; and the Oratorio di San Lorenzo, famous for its Caravaggio altarpiece.