Stories

At the very beginning of Ballarò Market, there’s a tiny alley named after one of the most mysterious people ever born in Palermo — Count Cagliostro. A great adventurer, a brilliant con man, an alchemist, a healer, or simply someone who knew how to tell a convincing story.

Palermo’s two Sunday flea markets couldn’t be more different. At Ballarò, you’ll hear “Tutto 1 euro!” all around you, and among the dishes, books, clothes and local ceramics, you sometimes have to do a bit of digging. At Piazza Marina, everything is prettier, calmer and noticeably more expensive: antique textiles, ceramics, old posters and even wooden pieces from old palazzi.

According to legend, the Beati Paoli brotherhood defended the poor: judges sided with the nobility, while ordinary people could turn for help to the brothers who gathered in the underground tunnels beneath Capo Market. There, they held their own kind of people’s court and decided how the guilty should be punished.

For me, Ballarò is the heart and soul of Palermo. People taste, watch, sing and take photos, while scooters somehow make their way through the crowd and fresh ricotta is turned into cannolo cream right in front of you.