Name	Palermo
Official name	Comune di Palermo
Image shield	Palermo-Stemma.png
Coordinates type	type:city(670,000)_region:IT-PA
Region	Sicily
Province	Palermo (PA)
Established date	736 BC
Mayor	Diego Cammarata
Area total km2	158.9
Population total	657935
Population as of	30 April 2009
Population demonym	Palermitani
Elevation m	14
Saint	Saint Rosalia
Day	15 July
Postal code	90100
Area code	091
Website

Palermo (, Sicilian: Palermu, , from , Panormos, , Balerm) is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its rich history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old. Palermo is located in the northwest of the island of Sicily, right by the Gulf of Palermo in the Tyrrhenian Sea.

The city was founded by the Phoenicians, but named by the Ancient Greeks as Panormus meaning “always fit for landing in.” Palermo became part of the Roman Republic, the Roman Empire and eventually part of the Byzantine Empire, for over a thousand years. From 827 to 1071 it was under Arab rule during the Emirate of Sicily when it first became a capital. Following the Norman reconquest, Palermo became capital of a new kingdom (from 1130 to 1816), the Kingdom of Sicily. Eventually it would be united with the Kingdom of Naples to form the Two Sicilies until the Italian unification of 1860.

The population of the Palermo urban area is estimated by Eurostat to be 855,285, while its metropolitan area is the fifth most populated in Italy with around 1.2 million people. In the central area, the city has a population of around 650,000 people. The inhabitants are known as Palermitans or poetically panormiti. The languages spoken by its inhabitants are the Italian language and the Sicilian language.

Palermo is Sicily's cultural, economic and touristic capital. It is a city rich in history, culture, art, music and food. Numerous tourists are attracted to the city for its good Mediterranean weather, its renowned gastronomy and restaurants, its Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque churches, palaces and buildings, and its nightlife and music. Palermo is the main Sicilian industrial and commercial center: the main industrial sectors include tourism, services, commerce and agriculture. Palermo currently has an international airport, and a significant underground economy. In fact, for cultural, artistic and economic reasons, Palermo was one of the largest cities in the Mediterranean and is now among the top tourist destinations in both Italy and Europe. The city is also going through careful redevelopment, preparing to become one of the major cities of the Euro-Mediterranean area.

Roman Catholicism is highly important in Palermitan culture. The patron saint of the city is Saint Rosalia. Her feast day on July 15 is perhaps the biggest social event in the city. The area attracts significant numbers of tourists each year and is widely known for its colourful fruit, vegetable and fish market at the heart of Palermo, known as the Vucciria.

History

Ancient era

cave art at Addaura.]] Evidence for human settlement in the area now known as Palermo goes back to the Pleistocene Epoch, around 8000 BC. This evidence is present in the form of cave drawings at nearby Addaura writ by the Sicani who, according to Thucydides, arrived from the Iberian Peninsula (perhaps Catalonia). During 734 BC the Phoenicians, a sea trading peoples from the north of ancient Canaan, built a small settlement on the natural habour of Palermo. Some sources suggest they named the settlement "Ziz." Palermo was then passed on to the Phoenician's descendants and successors, in the form of the Carthaginians. Palermo eventually became a Greek colony when Pyrrhus of Epirus gained it during the Pyrrhic War period in 276 BC.

The Middle Ages

, domes show elements of Arab architecture.]]

As the Roman Empire was falling apart, Palermo fell under the control of several Germanic tribes. The first were the Vandals in 440 AD under the rule of their king Geiseric. The Vandals had occupiedall the Roman provinces in North Africa by 455 establishing themselves as a significant force. They acquired Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily shortly afterwards. However, they soon lost these newly acquired possessions to the Ostrogoths. The Ostrogothic conquest under Theodoric the Great began in 488; although the Goths were Germanic, Theodoric supported Roman culture Roman culture and government instead. The Gothic War took place between the Ostrogoths and the Eastern Roman Empire, also known as the Byzantine Empire. Sicily was the first part of Italy to be taken under control of General Belisarius who was commissioned by Eastern Emperor Justinian I who solidified his rule in the following years.

, decorated with Norman, Byzantine and Arabic influences.]]

After the Byzantines were betrayed by Admiral Euphemius, who fled to Tunisia and begged the Aghlabid leader Ziyadat Allah to help him, there was a Muslim conquest of Sicily in 831, which took until 904 against fierce resistance. The Emirate of Sicily was established. For more than two hundred years Palermo was the capital of a flourishing Islamic civilisation in Sicily. By 1050, Palermo had a population of 350,000, making it one of the largest cities in Europe, second only to Islamic Spain's capital Cordoba, which had a population of 450,000. The Arabs also introduced many agricultural items which remain a mainstay of Sicilian cuisine. It was under Roger II of Sicily that Norman holdings in Sicily and the southern part of the Italian Peninsula were promoted from the County of Sicily into the Kingdom of Sicily. The kingdom was ruled from Palermo as its capital, with the king's court held at Palazzo dei Normanni. Much construction was undertaken during this period, such as the building of the Palermo Cathedral. The Kingdom of Sicily became one of the wealthiest states in Europe, as wealthy as the fellow Norman state, the Kingdom of England. Although the city's population had dropped to 150,000, it became the largest city in Europe, due to the larger decline in Cordoba's population.

Climate

Palermo experiences a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Csa). Winters are mild and wet, while Summers are warm to hot, and dry. Palermo is one of the warmest cities in Europe (mainly due to its warm nights), with an average annual ambient air temperature of . It receives approximately 2,530 hours of sunshine per year.

Main sights

Palermo has a large architectural heritage and is notable for its many Norman buildings.

Churches

.]]

.]]

Palermo Cathedral is the city's cathedral and main church. It is characterized by the presence of different architectural styles, due to a long history of additions, alterations and restorations, the last of which occurred in the 18th century. The cathedral is located at Corso Vittorio Emanuele, corner of Via Matteo Bonello, Palermo.

San Giovanni dei Lebbrosi

San Giovanni degli Eremiti (St. John of the Hermits) is a church near the Palazzo dei Normanni. The church is notable for its brilliant red domes, which show clearly the persistence of Arab influences in Sicily at the time of its reconstruction in the 12th century. In his Diary of an Idle Woman in Sicily, F. Elliot described it as "... totally oriental... it would fit well in Baghdad or Damascus". The bell tower, with four orders of arcaded loggias, is, instead, a typical example of Gothic architecture.

Chiesa della Martorana, also known as Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio (Saint Mary of the Admiral), is annexed to the next-door church of San Cataldo and overlooks the Piazza Bellini in central Palermo. The original church was built in the form of a compact cross-in-square ("Greek cross plan"), a common south Italian and Sicilian variation on the standard middle Byzantine church type. The three apses in the east adjoin directly on the naos, instead of being separated by an additional bay, as was usual in contemporary Byzantine architecture in the Balkans and Asia Minor. In the first century of its existence the church was expanded in three distinct phases; first through the addition of a narthex to house the tombs of George of Antioch and his wife; next through the addition of a forehall; and finally through the construction of a centrally-aligned campanile at the west. The campanile, which is richly decorated with three orders of arches and lodges with mullioned windows, still serves as the main entrance to the church. Significant later additions to the church include the Baroque façade which today faces onto the piazza. In the late 19th century, historically-minded restorers attempted to return the church to its original state, although many elements of the Baroque modifications remain.

San Cataldo is a church building on the central Piazza Bellini. It is a notable example of Norman architecture. The church is annexed to that of Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio.

Santa Maria della Gancia

Santa Maria della Catena was built in 1490–1520, designed by Matteo Carnilivari. The name derives from the presence, on one of the walls, of a chain (Italian: catena) which closed the Cala port.

San Giuseppe dei Teatini is a Baroque church located near the Quattro Canti, and is considered one of the most outstanding examples of the Sicilian Baroque in Palermo.

Oratorio di San Lorenzo

Oratorio del Rosario

Santa Teresa alla Kalsa derives its name from Al-Khalisa, an Arab term meaning elected. The church, constructed in 1686–1706 over the former emir's residence, is one of the most outstanding examples of Sicilian Baroque. It has a single, airy nave, with stucco decorations from the early 18th century.

Santa Maria dello Spasimo was built in 1506 and later turned into a hospital. For this temple Raphael painted his famous Sicilia's Spasimo, now in the Museo del Prado of Madrid. The church today is a fascinating open-air, which occasionally houses exhibitions and musical shows.

the Church of the Jesus (Chiesa del Gesù) was built by the Jesuits in the centre of the city in 1564, over a pre-existing convent of Basilian monks. The edifice was further enlarged starting in 1591, becoming one of the most relevant examples of Sicilian Baroque, though retaining some severe late Renaissance fashion. The church was heavily damaged after the 1943 bombings, which destroyed most of the frescoes. The interior has a Latin cross plan with a nave and two aisles, characterized by a particularly rich decoration of marbles, tarsias and stuccoes, especially in the St. Anne's Chapel. At the right is the Casa Professa, with a 1685 portal and a precious 18th century cloister. The Church of the Jesus is home to the Municipal Library, placed here in 1775.

The church of St. Francis of Assisi was erected between 1255 and 1277 in what was once the market district of the city. It was built at the site of two pre-existing churches and was largely renovated in the 15th, 16th, 18th and 19th centuries, the latter after an earthquake. After the 1943 bombings, the church was restored to its Mediaeval appearance, which now includes part of the original building such as part of the right side, the apses and the Gothic portal in the façade. The interior has a typical Gothic flavour, with a nave and two aisles separated by two rows of cylindrical pilasters. Some of the chapels are in Renaissance style, as well as the late 16th century side portals. The church includes precious sculptures by Antonio and Giacomo Gagini and Francesco Laurana, plus a noteworthy wooden choir dating from the 16th century. Of note are also the allegorical statues by Giacomo Serpotta (1723), also author of the stucco decoration.

The church of the Magione (officially church of the Holy Trinity), an ancient example of Norman architecture, was founded in 1191 by Matteo d'Ajello, who donated it to the Cistercian monks.

Palaces and museums

, seat of the Sicilian Regional Assembly.]]

Palazzo dei Normanni, one of the most beautiful Italian palaces and a notable example of Norman architecture, probably built over an Arab fortress. It houses the famous Cappella Palatina.

Zisa (1160) and Cuba, magnificent castles/houses used by the kings of Palermo for hunting. Similar buildings were common in northern Africa, but today these two are the only ones remaining. The Zisa houses the Islamic museum. The Cuba was once encircled by water.

Palazzo Chiaramonte

Palazzo Abatellis, with the Regional Gallery. It was built at the end of the 15th century for the prefect of the city, Francesco Abatellis. It is a massive though elegant construction, in typical Catalan Gothic style, with Renaissance influences. The Gallery houses an Eleonora of Aragon bust by Francesco Laurana (1471) and the Malvagna Triptych (c. 1510), by Jan Gossaert and the famous Annunziata by Antonello da Messina. The exposition in the museum has been designed by the architect Carlo Scarpa.

The Museo Archeologico Regionale is one the main museums of Italy: it includes numerous remains from Etruscan, Carthaginian, Roman and Hellenistic civilizations. It houses all the decorative parts from the Sicilian temples of Segesta and Selinunte.

Opera houses

opera house.]] theatre.]]

The Teatro Massimo ("Greatest Theatre") was opened in 1897. Closed for renovation from 1974 until 1997, it is now carefully restored and has an active schedule. Enrico Caruso sang in a performance of La Gioconda during the opening season, returning for Rigoletto at the very end of his career. It is the largest theater in Italy and the third largest in Europe (8000 sm) .

The Teatro Politeama was built between 1867 and 1874.

Squares

Quattro Canti is a small square at the crossing of the ancient main roads (now: Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Via Maqueda) dividing the town into its quarters (mandamenti). The buildings at the corner have diagonal baroque facades so that the square gets an almost octagonal form.

Piazza Pretoria was planned in the 16th century near the Quattro Canti as the site of a fountain by Francesco Camilliani, the Fontana Pretoria.

Other sights

: the Winter Garden greenhouses.]] at Christmas time.]] The cathedral has a heliometer (solar "observatory") of 1690, one of a number built in Italy in the 17th and 18th centuries. The device itself is quite simple: a tiny hole in one of the minor domes acts as Pinhole camera, projecting an image of the sun onto the floor at solar noon (12:00 in winter, 13:00 in summer). There is a bronze line, la Meridiana on the floor, running precisely N/S. The ends of the line mark the positions as at the summer and winter solstices; signs of the zodiac show the various other dates throughout the year.

The purpose of the instrument was to standardise the measurement of time and the calendar. The convention in Sicily had been that the (24 hour) day was measured from the moment of sun-rise, which of course meant that no two locations had the same time and, more importantly, did not have the same time as in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. It was also important to know when the Vernal Equinox occurred, to provide the correct date for Easter.

The Orto botanico di Palermo, founded in 1785, is the largest in Italy with a surface of 10 ha.

One site of interest is the Capuchin Catacombs, with many mummified corpses in varying degrees of preservation.

Close to the city is the 600 m-high Monte Pellegrino, offering a panorama of the city, its surrounding mountains and the sea.

Demographics

In 2010, there were 655,875 people residing in Palermo, of which 1.2 million live in the greater Palermo area, and of whom 47.4% were male and 52.6% were female. People under age 15 totalled 15.6% of the population compared to pensioners who number 17.2. This compares with the Italian average of 14.1% (people under age 15) and 20.2% pensioners. The average age of Palermo resident is 40,4 compared to the Italian average of 42,8. In the ten years between 2001 and 2010, the population of Palermo declined by 4.5%, while the population of Italy, as a whole, grew by 6.0%. The reason for Palermo's decline is a population flight to the suburbs, and to Northern Italy. The current birth rate of Palermo is 10.2 births per 1,000 inhabitants compared to the Italian average of 9.3 births.

As of 2006, 97.79% of the population was of Sicilian/Italian descent. The largest immigrant group came from South Asia (mostly from Sri Lanka): 0.80%, other European countries (mostly from Albania, Romania, Serbia, Macedonia and Ukraine,): 0.3%, and North Africa (mostly from Tunisia): 0.28%.

Sports

Palermo has its own football team, U.S. Città di Palermo, playing in Italian Serie A and in Europa League group stage of the 2010–2011 season. The chairman is Maurizio Zamparini and the coach is Stefano Pioli.

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 28.5 km long TTT (Team Time Trial) held on May 10.

Internazionali Femminili di Palermo is a WTA Tour Tier IV tournament in Palermo.

Economy

Being Sicily's administrative capital, Palermo is home to much of the region's main economic, financial, touristic and commercial life. The city currently hosts an international airport, and Palermo's economic growth over the years has brought to the opening of many new businesses and entrepreneurial opportunities. The economy mainly relies on tourism and services, but also commerce, shipbuilding, trade and agriculture.

Transport

Palermo International Airport, also known as Falcone-Borsellino Airport, Punta Raisi Airport: dedicated to Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, two anti-mafia judges killed by the mafia in early 1990s, is located west of Palermo (Punta Raisi).

The airport's rail facility, known as Punta Raisi railway station, can be reached by trains departing from Palermo Centrale, Palermo Notarbartolo and Palermo Francia.

Palermo-Boccadifalco Airport is the second airport of the city.

Palermo has a metro system called the Metropolitana di Palermo with 2 lines. There are also plans for a 3 line light rail system (LRT).

Palermo's public bus system is operated by AMAT

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Palermo is twinned with: Zagreb, CroatiaPalermo, ColombiaBizerte, TunisiaBukavu, Democratic Republic of the CongoChengdu, People's Republic of ChinaRijeka, CroatiaTimişoara, RomaniaGdańsk, PolandMiami, USAMonterey Park, CalgaryOttawa, CanadaSantiago de Cuba, CubaTbilisi, Georgia (country)Yaroslavl, RussiaSamara, Russia

	China	|	Monterey, Canada	|	Georgia	Samara, Russia

See also

List of mayors of Palermo

Hugo Falcandus

References

Notes

Sources

External links

Palermo.com

Official tourism website for the city

Online documentary on the city's social precarities (In Italian and German)

Rosalio – Palermo's blog

Palermo: the complete guide (Times Online)

The Tyrants of Sicily (Manchester University Press)

– families from Palermo

Category:Coastal cities and towns in Italy Category:Mediterranean port cities and towns in Italy Category:Municipalities of the Province of Palermo Category:Phoenician colonies in Sicily Category:Populated places established in the 8th century BC

Name	Olivia Palermo
Birth date	February 28, 1986
Birth name	Olivia Palermo
Birth place	Greenwich, Connecticut,United States
Occupation	Socialite, model, actress
Nationality	American

Olivia Palermo (born February 28, 1986) is an American socialite, model and actress. She was a cast member of the reality television show The City.

Career

Palermo initially denied rumors in 2008 that she would be a part of The City, The series debuted on December 29, 2008, it documents the lives of the cast members in New York City. It was reported that Palermo was granted $12,000 per episode at the time. As part of the show, Palermo worked at the PR department for Diane von Furstenberg and later the accessories department at Elle. The second part of the first season debuted in September 2009. She was given a bigger role and more air time. The City returned for a second and final season in 2010 where Palermo was given reporting duties for Elle.com.

She was signed to Wilhelmina Models in 2009. She has appeared on the cover of magazines including Elle Mexico, Tatler, ASOS Magazine, Shop Til You Drop and Marie Claire UK, which declared her "The Most Fashionable Girl in the World". She was also selected to be one of the models along with her boyfriend, Johannes Huebl, for a campaign by Mango. She also launched a jewelry line with Roberta Freymann in 2010. In 2011, Palermo was invited by Stuart Weitzman to design a shoe for charity. She is working on her own reality show that will follow the creation of her own fashion line.

Personal life

The daughter of real estate developer of Italian descent Douglas Palermo and interior designer Lynn Hutchings, Palermo grew up between the Upper East Side, New York and Greenwich, Connecticut where she attended Nightingale-Bamford School then finally St. Luke's School, where she was on the field hockey team. She attended the American University of Paris for a year and studied media at The New School in New York. Palermo's father filed for bankruptcy in 2007 after failing to pay $2.75 million to a creditor. However, it was overturned when the judge discovered he had used multiple fake organizations to obscure his actual worth to borrow money and join private clubs and send his children to expensive schools.

She interned at Quest. Photographer Patrick McMullan spotted her at an auction, then took pictures of her about town. Palermo has taken part in many charity events in New York. Palermo found herself at the center of a controversy when she was reported to have sent out a letter to fellow socialites pleading for acceptance. This letter was forwarded to the owners of the social website, SocialiteRank.com who promptly published it. Palermo immediately denied the authenticity of the letter and filed a lawsuit against the website. The website was eventually shut down and in May 2007, Palermo appeared on the cover of New York Magazine in a story about the incident.

Palermo is a member of the Friends Committee of New Yorkers For Children and on the committee of Operation Smile. She has been dating model Johannes Huebl since 2008.

References

Category:1986 births Category:American female models Category:American socialites Category:American television actors Category:Living people Category:MTV television characters Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:People from Brooklyn Category:People from Greenwich, Connecticut

Playername	Martín Palermo
Fullname	Martín Palermo
Dateofbirth	November 07, 1973
Cityofbirth	La Plata
Countryofbirth	Argentina
Height
Position	Centre forward
Years1	1992–1997
Clubs1	Estudiantes
Caps1	93
Goals1	34
Years2	1997–2000
Clubs2	Boca Juniors
Caps2	102
Goals2	81
Years3	2001–2003
Clubs3	Villarreal
Caps3	70
Goals3	18
Years4	2003–2004
Clubs4	Betis
Caps4	11
Goals4	1
Years5	2004
Clubs5	Alavés
Caps5	14
Goals5	3
Years6	2004–2011|clubs6= Boca Juniors
Caps6	216
Goals6	113
Totalcaps	506
Totalgoals	249
Nationalyears1	1999–2010
Nationalteam1	Argentina
Nationalcaps1	15
Nationalgoals1	9
Pcupdate	19:10, June 19, 2011 (UTC)
Ntupdate	20:48, May 23, 2011 (UTC)

Martín Palermo (born November 7, 1973 in La Plata) is a retired Argentine footballer who formerly played for Boca Juniors of Argentina, and the Argentina national team. Nicknamed Loco (crazy) or Titán (titan), he has also played in Argentina for Estudiantes de La Plata as well as in Spain for Villarreal, Real Betis, and Alavés.

Club career

His career started slowly at Estudiantes de La Plata and it was not until he transferred to Boca Juniors that he won international recognition due to his impressive goal average, and his excellent performances in international matches, because of this success at least three European teams (Lazio, Real Betis and Milan) had him in their sights. But on November 13, 1999 on a game against Colón, he had a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament of his right knee, before he left the game and without him knowing the seriousness of the injury, he managed to score his 100th goal in the Argentine First Division. The injury required a six-month recovery period.

On May 24, 2000, he returned to football after more than six months of inactivity after his first major injury. He played the last fifteen minutes of the quarterfinal match of the Copa Libertadores against River Plate, and scored the goal that sealed the victory with what he called "the most emotional goal of my career," leaving the score at 3–0 to Boca Juniors (the first match ended 1–2).

Boca Juniors fans started to consider him an idol during his first stint with the club, not only because of the number of goals he scored for the team, but also for scoring many important goals against Boca's arch rivals River Plate.

The peak of his career was probably the Intercontinental Cup in 2000, when he scored two goals in Boca's 2–1 victory over Real Madrid, catching the attention of football clubs in Spain.

Spell in Spain

Palermo signed with the up and coming team Villarreal of the Spanish La Liga on January 19, 2001 in a €7,600,000 transfer. In his second season with the team on November 29, after celebrating a goal, Palermo stood on a small concrete wall, which collapsed under the weight of Villarreal's fans and broke both the tibia and fibula of his left leg, leading to two months of inactivity. Palermo never regained his form and after two and half seasons with Villarreal, on August 20, 2003, he decided to cut his ties with the club. The following day on August 21, Martín signed a contract with Real Betis, but on March 2004 after very little success with the club he decided to leave Real Betis. Later that month he signed with Alavés of the Spanish Segunda División.

Back to Boca Juniors

On July 13, 2004, after 3 and a half years of playing in Spain for 3 different teams (Villarreal, Real Betis, and Alavés), Palermo returned to Boca Juniors. Later that year on December 17, Martín scored his 100th goal with Boca on the final of the 2004 Copa Sudamericana a 2–0 victory over Bolívar. (foreground)]] Palermo once again back in top form kept himself placed among the best scorers in the Argentine league, scoring 11 goals in three consecutive tournaments (2006 Clausura, 2006 Apertura and top scorer of the 2007 Clausura). During the 2007 Clausura tournament he had several memorable moments, the first of which came on February 25, when he scored a half pitch goal in the dying seconds of a 3–1 victory over Independiente, a couple of weeks later on March 10 he scored three goals against his former team Estudiantes in a 3–1 Boca victory at La Plata, and he didn't celebrate any of them. It was the fourth hat-trick of his career. A game later, on March 18, he scored a career high of four goals in the 5–1 victory against Gimnasia de la Plata, Estudiantes de La Plata's archi-rivals.

The following season the 2007 Apertura, he continued to be among the Argentine league top scorers with 13 goals. His best game that season came on September 16, in a game against Banfield, in which Martín scored four goals, in the 6–0 Boca victory.

Palermo scored his fifth career hat-trick in a 3–0 Boca Juniors victory, this was a must win game that was played in Jalisco, Mexico, against Atlas on May 21, 2008. match]] At the beginning of the 2008 Apertura, on August 24 he suffered yet another serious injury, this time he injured his anterior cruciate and tore his medial collateral ligament during the 2–1 victory against Lanús, with an expected recovery period of 5 to 8 months. After this was known, the Argentine coach at that time, Alfio Basile commented that he had chosen him to play for the national team for the following match in the World Cup qualifiers

Palermo's first goal since his injury came on his fourth game back, during a 3–1 victory over Huracán on March 1 in the 2009 Clausura, this was Martín Palermo's 195 goal with Boca Juniors, breaking Francisco Varallo record of 194 goals in the professional era. Almost two months after on April 30, Martín scored a bicycle kick goal, which gave him 200 goals with Boca Juniors, in a 3–0 victory against Deportivo Táchira.

During the 2009 Apertura, on October 4 in a game against Vélez Sársfield, Martín Palermo scored a very special goal (a header that traveled around 38.9 meters), this goal gave him 200 goals in the Argentine First Division and also gave Boca a 3–2 victory.

On July 22, 2010, at 36 years of age, Palermo announced that he had renewed his contract with Boca Juniors for one year and that he will retire at the end of the contract.

Martín Palermo scored his sixth career hat-trick on September 19, 2010 in a 3–1 Boca victory over Colón.

On December 13, 2010, Palermo scored his 300th career goal in the final match of the 2010 Apertura in a 1–1 draw against Gimnasia de La Plata.

On April 24, 2011, Martin scored the third goal of Boca Juniors against Huracan in a 3–0 away win, with that goal Palermo cut a streak of 10 matches without scoring. Then he scored in the next consecutive matches against Independiente, Argentinos Juniors and in the 2–0 victory over River Plate in the Superclasico.

Palermo achieved legendary status in Boca in the last few years, thanks to his many memorable goals for both the club and the Argentina national team. On June 12th, 2011, Palermo played his last home match at La Bombonera, after the match Martín was honored by Boca Juniors and was given several gifts, among the gifts was one of the goal frames of the stadium.

Palermo officially retired from football on June 18th, 2011, in a 2–2 draw against his classic rival Gimnasia de La Plata. He provided a headed assistance for Boca's second goal in the last minute of the match.

International career

With the Argentina national football team, Palermo has played fifteen matches and scored nine goals. He is in the Guinness Book of World Records for missing three penalties for Argentina in a single international match against Colombia in the Copa América 1999. The first penalty rebounded off the crossbar; the second penalty went over; the third was saved by the Colombian goalkeeper, Miguel Calero. Though his international career seemed to be over at the end of 1999, the 2008 Argentine national coach Alfio Basile stated that he had been considering offering Palermo a return to international football and was disappointed that Palermo was injured at the time. A couple of weeks later he was once again called up to play a friendly against Ghana. In this game, Palermo was part of the starting eleven and made the most of it by scoring both of Argentina's goals, resulting in a 2–0 win. Palermo's next match was on October 10, a 2010 World Cup qualifier against Peru. Palermo sealed a 2–1 victory for Argentina with a 93rd minute strike, causing Maradona to describe the goal after the game as "one more miracle of Saint Palermo."

On May 19, 2010, Palermo was selected as part of the Argentina national team's 23-man final roster for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Palermo's first World Cup. On June 22, 2010, Palermo played his first World Cup match, coming in as a substitute in the second half of Argentina's final group match against Greece. In the 89th minute, he scored his first ever World Cup goal on a rebound from a shot by Lionel Messi. Argentina won the match 2–0 and finished at the top of their group. This goal also made Palermo the oldest Argentine national footballer to score a goal in World Cup play, an honor previously held by Diego Maradona.

Achievements

Club

;Estudiantes

Primera B Nacional (1): 1994–95

;Boca Juniors

Primera División (6): 1998 Apertura, 1999 Clausura, 2000 Apertura, 2005 Apertura, 2006 Clausura, 2008 Apertura

Copa Libertadores (2): 2000, 2007

Intercontinental Cup (1): 2000

Copa Sudamericana (2): 2004, 2005

Recopa Sudamericana (2): 2006, 2008

Individual

Primera División top scorer (2): 1998 Apertura (20 goals, short tournament record), 2007 Clausura

Boca Juniors top scorer (16): 1998 Clausura,1998 Apertura, 1999 Clausura, 1999 Apertura, 2000 Apertura, 2004 Apertura, 2005 Clausura, 2006 Clausura, 2007 Clausura, 2007 Apertura, 2008 Clausura, 2009 Clausura, 2009 Apertura, 2010 Clausura, 2010 Apertura, 2011 Clausura

South American Footballer of the Year (1): 1998

Intercontinental Cup Man of the match (1): 2000

American Golden Shoe (1): 2007 (shared with Giancarlo Maldonado)

Facts

First professional match: July 5, 1992 Clausura. (San Lorenzo 0–0 Estudiantes) First professional goal: May 22, 1993 Clausura. (Estudiantes 3–0 San Martín de Tucumán) First International match: February 3, 1999. ( 0–2 ) First International goal: July 1, 1999. ( 1–3 ) First European professional match: February 4, 2001. (Villarreal 2–0 Alavés) First European professional goal: February 11, 2001. (Oviedo 1–3 Villarreal)

He is in the Guinness book of records for having missed three penalty kicks in the same match, against Colombia in the 1999 Copa América.

Palermo holds an Italian passport, which enables him to play as a UEFA player.

World Cup debut: June 22, 2010 in a match against Greece in the 2010 World Cup.

Oldest player to scored for the Argentina national football team: 36 years and 7 months old, scored the second goal of Argentina's 2–0 win over Greece (This record was previously held by Diego Armando Maradona, who was 33 years old when he scored his last goal in a 1994 World Cup match, also against Greece).

Tied for 5th place of all time in a career among the Argentine Primera División top scorers with 227 goals (34 with Estudiantes and 193 with Boca Juniors). 1st place among Boca's all time top scorers with 236 goals, having surpassed the 221 goal mark of Roberto Cherro. Top scorer in the professional era among Boca's top scorers with 236 Goals. (193 in Primera división Argentine tournaments and 43 in international tournaments)

Boca Junior's top scorer in international matches with 43 goals, 15 more than 2nd place Rodrigo Palacio.

Statistics

Club statistics

!colspan="22" !rowspan="2" !rowspan="2" !colspan="2" !colspan="2" !colspan="2" !colspan="2" !colspan="2" !colspan="2" !colspan="2" !colspan="2" !colspan="2" !colspan="2" !Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals ! Subtotal !! 93 !! 34 !! 6 !! 2 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 99 !! 36 ! Subtotal !! 102 !! 81 !! 4 !! 1 !! 13 !! 6 !! 4 !! 1 !! 1 !! 2 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 124 !! 91 ! !! Subtotal !! 95 !! 22 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 4 !! 3 !! 8 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 107 !! 25 ! Subtotal !! 216 !! 112 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 40 !! 22 !! 2 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 0 !! 18 !! 9 !! 4 !! 2 !! 280 !! 145 !colspan="2"

Club appearances and goals
Club	Season	League	Super Copa	Mercosur	Libertadores	Intercontinental/Club World Cup	Copa del Rey	Intertoto	Sudamericana	Recopa	Total
rowspan="11" valign="center"| Estudiantes	1992 Clausura	1||0|
1992 Apertura	2||0||1||0|
1993 Clausura	7||1|
1993 Apertura	10||0||1||0|
1994 Clausura	7||1|
1994–95 Primera B	3||0||2||0|
1995 Apertura	8||6|
1996 Clausura	19||11|
1996 Apertura	19||6||2||2|
1997 Clausura	17||9|
rowspan="8" valign="center"| Boca Juniors	1997 Apertura	17||8||4||1|
1998 Clausura	15||12|
1998 Apertura	19||20|
1999 Clausura	16||12|
1999 Apertura	13||14|
2000 Clausura	4||4|
2000 Apertura	18||11|
rowspan="3" valign="center"| Villarreal	2001	17||6|
2001–02	19||5|
2002–03	34||7|
rowspan="1" valign="center"| Real Betis	2003–04	11||1|
rowspan="1" valign="center"| Alavés	2004	14||3|
rowspan="15" valign="center"| Boca Juniors	2004 Apertura	13||6|
2005 Clausura	12||6|
2005 Apertura	16||7|
2006 Clausura	19||11|
2006 Apertura	16||11|
2007 Clausura	16||11|
2007 Apertura	19||13|
2008 Clausura	14||10|
2008 Apertura	2||0|
2009 Clausura	15||7|
2009 Apertura	17||6|
2010 Clausura	19||10|
2010 Apertura	19||8|
2011 Clausura	19||6|
Total !! 506 !! 249 !! 10 !! 3 !! 13 !! 6 !! 44 !! 23 !! 3 !! 2 !! 4 !! 3 !! 8 !! 0 !! 18 !! 9 !! 4 !! 2 !! 610 !! 297

As of June 19, 2011

International statistics

!rowspan="2" !rowspan="2" !colspan="2" !colspan="2" !colspan="2" !rowspan="2" !App !Goals !App !Goals !App !Goals ! Total !! 7 !! 5 !! 8 !! 4 !! 15 !! 9 !! 0.60

National Team	Year	Internationalcompetitions	Friendlies	Total	Goals per match
rowspan="5" align=center | Argentina
>4 || 3 || 3 || 0 || 7 || 3 || 0.43
>2 || 1 || 1 || 2 || 3 || 3 || 1
>1 || 1 || 4 || 2 || 5 || 3 || 0.60

International goals

! # !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition

|rowspan="2">July 1, 1999 ||rowspan="2"| Estadio Feliciano Cáceres, Luque, Paraguay ||rowspan="2"| || 2–0 ||rowspan="2"| 3–1 ||rowspan="2"| 1999 Copa América

>3–0

>July 7, 1999 || Estadio Feliciano Cáceres, Luque, Paraguay || || 2–0 || 2–0 || 1999 Copa América

|rowspan="2">September 30, 2009 ||rowspan="2"| Estadio Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina ||rowspan="2"| || 1–0 ||rowspan="2"| 2–0 ||rowspan="2"| Friendly

>2–0

>October 10, 2009 || El Monumental, Buenos Aires, Argentina || || 2–1 || 2–1 || 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification

>February 10, 2010 || Estadio José María Minella, Mar del Plata, Argentina || || 1–1 || 2–1 || Friendly

>May 5, 2010 || El Coloso del Ruca Quimey, Cutral Có, Argentina || || 2–0 || 4–0 || Friendly

>June 22, 2010 || Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane, South Africa || || 2–0 || 2–0 || 2010 FIFA World Cup

References

External links

Palermo, Martín at Boca Juniors' official website Palermo, Martín at Historiadeboca.com Argentine Primera statistics

Guardian statistics

Category:1973 births Category:Living people Category:People from La Plata Category:Argentine footballers Category:Association football forwards Category:Estudiantes de La Plata footballers Category:Boca Juniors footballers Category:La Liga footballers Category:Real Betis footballers Category:Villarreal CF footballers Category:Deportivo Alavés footballers Category:Argentina international footballers Category:1999 Copa América players Category:2010 FIFA World Cup players Category:Primera División Argentina players Category:Argentine expatriate footballers Category:Expatriate footballers in Spain Category:Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Spain Category:Argentine people of Italian descent Category:South American Footballer of the Year winners