Two dramatic levels in the heart of Palermo's historic centre, this apartment is anchored by a wall of antique blue-and-white Sicilian majolica tiles – the kind of detail you only find in a space that's been transformed rather than simply decorated. Exposed steel beams, concrete floors, and an industrial staircase with a glass balustrade sit alongside hand-painted antique doors, and a large vertical window draws light deep into the interior. Ballarò Market is a twelve-minute walk, Quattro Canti around ten, and the Arab-Norman cathedral a sixteen-minute stroll – one of the world's great city centres, right outside the door.

• If you'll be arriving after 9pm, you'll be charged a late arrival fee.€20