(Insider’s) Palermo Guide

September 9, 2022September 8, 2022 | Design & Culture by Ed

Here’s the last post about my Sicilian trip! The Palermo guide. With its inky mix of grit and grandeur, Sicily’s heart-melting capital Palermo inspires obsessive devotion. Here’s where to find the best of it all.

Ballarò is one of the oldest street markets in Palermo, one of the most lively and surely picturesque of Sicily. Its name, Ballarò, recalls its ancient arab origins, as it is Sicily’s outdoor market tradition, which explains their similarity to Arab suqs. This incredible street market is located in the city center, extending from Piazza Ballarò – in the Albergheria district – along Via Ballarò and to Corso Tukory, a few steps away from the central station, so it’s very easy to reach. Sicilian street markets are known worldwide for being an authentic explosion of colours and enchanting scents of fresh products such as fruits, vegetables, meat and fish. They are always very crowded and noisy but this is their peculiarity: vendors shout very loud – and in dialect, of course! – to attract locals and tourists and to promote their tasty specialties. Visiting Ballarò means having great cultural experience. Walking through the outdoor shops and stands, you will observe the daily life of Palermo locals, a melting pot of different cultures and ancient traditions. The city’s street markets (there are three in total) are also the best place to taste some of the delicious Sicilian street food such as sfincione and panelle, or a plate of deep-fried seafood. Whatever you choose, you will receive an unforgettable triumph of flavors.

Via Ballaro

Started by Elena and Puccia, Magazzini Anita is a store packed to the brim with unique finds from the 1920s to the 1980s. Not only does the store stock up clothes and accessories but one can also find an extensive range of bags and jewelry in her collection of vintage wear that caters to the clothing needs of women at affordable prices. Just one glance at the store from outside and you’ll find yourself being pulled in easily to the assortment of vibrant prints, fabrics and hues. With clothes that can easily be adapted for everyday use, Magazzini Anita is the perfect place to splurge at if you are an admirer of all things vintage.

Via Maqueda 263

Antica Focacceria Di San Francesco was our favourite restaurant in Palermo. Focaccia is the very best of Palermo’s traditional fast foods, a form of hot bread roll filled with meat, cheese or onions. But the place also offers timeless Sicilian cuisine. In summer, eat alfresco in the Focacceria’s outdoor space, which actually is a square opposite San Francesco, one of Palermo’s finest Gothic churches. Great people-watching guaranteed!

Via Allesandro Paternostro 58

The catacombs at the Convento dei Cappuccini, under the monastery of the Cappucins, have fascinated visitors for the past couple of centuries and continue to do so. They are filled with more than 8,000 mummies of former Palermo citizens, hung ghoulishly along the walls in special sections depending on social status (doctors and lawyers have their own zone). This disturbing place says a lot about the social structure of society between the early-17th and late-19th centuries, which probably had more barons and princes per head of population than any other city in Europe. If you’re fine with places like this… it’s a must-visit!

Piazza Cappuccini 1

Giardino Garibaldi is a well maintained, 19th century public garden, which is only a short walk from the harbor. One of the stand-out features of this garden are the Ficus trees, some of which are more than 150 years old. We enjoyed looking at the monumental trunks and finding shapes of animals in them. A true nature osasis in the heart of a busy city!

Piazza Marina

Osteria Dei Vespri is for those who want to try some Sicilian gourmet cusine. This place has a charming atmosphere and lovely view at Piazza Croce dei Vespri. It is in Michelin selection, and their pappardelle with belly pork and ricotta is a good reason for that.

Piazza Croce dei Vespri 6

Vintage 21 offers a fine selection of pre-owned classics – all kept in a very chic and Italian style.

Via Vittorio Emanuele 418

If you feel hungry after visiting Chiesa di Santa Caterina d’Alessandria, have a sweet meal at Ideal Coffee Stagnitta. Their brioche with pistacchio gelato is so good, just like the pistachio coffee (yes, you’ve read it right!).

Discesa dei Giudici 42-44

Luxury fashion might not really be a thing in Palermo, but there’s always Prada with it’s store located in former palazzo. The original ceiling fresco is still there!

Via della Libertà 1

Photos by Edward Kanarecki.
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Palermo is a Vibe

September 8, 2022September 8, 2022 | Design & Culture by Ed

After decades of Mafia domination, Sicily’s chief city – Palermo – is re-emerging as one of Europe’s great capitals. This dazzling city presents intriguing contrasts, from elegant shopping quarters to the ancient and enchanting old city, divided by winding alleys lined with noisy outdoor markets. Its incredible mixture of cultures, architectural styles and culinary flavours is now infused with an optimism that is expressing itself in a frenzy of restoration, nightlife and cultural creativity. Part Punic, part Phoenician, part Roman, part Arab, the city of Palermo is strong stuff. Snugly spectacular in its bay setting by Sicily’s Monte Pellegrino, it looks, as a garibaldino approaching it from the sea once said, like a city imagined by a poetic child. Colorful relics of Middle Eastern domination mix with the Norman and Baroque, so the back of a building might look entirely different from its front or sides. Renaissance palaces next to hovels, 194 churches, and the domed roofs of onetime mosques – all reminders of countless invaders. History is a tumble, a chaos. Palermo is an experience, Palermo is a vibe.

Photos by Edward Kanarecki.
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The Taste of Ortigia

September 7, 2022 | Design & Culture by Ed

The small Baroque island of Ortigia, the historic center of Syracuse, is widely considered one of the most beautiful destinations in Sicily. Inhabited for over 3,000 years and renowned for its Greek heritage, it is a UNESCO landmark for its “remarkable testimony of the Mediterranean cultures over the centuries” and makes for a perfect weekend escape in any season. Dotted with impressive church facades, outdoor restaurants, elegant piazzas and surrounded by a crystalline sea, Ortigia is more manicured than Catania, less overrun that Taormina and as delicious as Palermo. Once on the island, you should make the bustling Mercato di Ortigia your first and most important stop. It’s filled with colorful fruit, vegetable stands, fish vendors and stalls selling spices of all types. Be sure to pick up a few local specialties for your pantry, including pistachios from Bronte, almonds from Avola, sun-dried tomatoes from Pachino and capers from Pantelleria. Then grab a bite to eat at Fratelli Burgio, a buzzing deli and wine bar that assembles mouthwatering meat and cheese boards, fish platters and sandwiches stuffed with marinated vegetables. And of course, eat the oysters! After all that goodness, we strolled around the place, enjoying the gorgeous Ortigian views…

Photos by Edward Kanarecki.
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All About Scicli

September 7, 2022September 7, 2022 | Design & Culture by Ed

Less well-known than its prestigious neighbours (like Noto or Ragusa), but just as fascinating and beautiful, Scicli is well worth a visit if you’re ever in southeastern Sicily. It sits in a gorge just a few miles from the long sandy beaches of Sampieri and Donnalucata and is overlooked by a towering rocky mass on which the Church of San Matteo sits. The town shares much of its history with the other UNESCO Heritage Site towns of Val di Noto, most specifically the fateful earthquake of 1693, during which over 3,000 of the town’s population died. Scicli, like the towns in the area, was totally rebuilt in pure Sicilian Baroque style. Today, it is a joy to wander around. Scicli’s history, of course, long predates 1693, and it is thought to have taken its name from its founders, the Sicels, one of the three main tribes that inhabited Sicily before the arrival of the Greek colonists. Like the rest of the island, it was passed from one invading conqueror to another, reaching its economic and cultural peak during the Arab and Norman dominations. The many aristocratic palazzi, such as Palazzo Beneventano, are also fun to see, brimming over with characterful gargoyles, elegant swirls, and decorative fancies. A stroll along Via Francesco Mormina Penna is also strongly recommended as it provides a perfect example of a late Baroque street, harmonious in its wholeness and equal to anything found in the neighbouring towns of greater fame.

Photos by Edward Kanarecki.
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Sicilian Wild Beaches

September 6, 2022 | Design & Culture by Ed

Whether you come here to walk, bird-watch or swim, the 8km long Vendicari Nature Reserve is one of Sicily’s most spectacular nature spots and a firm favourite with anyone who enjoys the charm of wild beaches. Situated in the south east corner of the island, it is made up of a mixture of lagoons, sandy beaches and rocky coastlines. Most importantly, it is visited each year by thousands of migrating birds, including flamingos, herons and terns, en route to or from Africa. Plant life too is significant, the high salt levels providing an ideal habitat for sweetly-scented herbs, dwarf palms and juniper bushes. On the way to the beach, there’s a lovely caffè serving the most delicious granita from local lemons and avocado.