L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 8 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2024 L'Italo-Americano effective form of advertising inherited from the Arabs—is n o w p a r t o f t h e v e n d o r s ' daily routine. In the vicolo delle Chi- a n c h e ( n a m e d a f t e r t h e butcher blocks, chianche, where meat was chopped), butcher shops used to line the street. Over time, the slaughterhouses were moved elsewhere, and the vicolo dei Sanguinazzai (once famous for its blood sausages, san- guinaccio) lost its connec- tion to that particular trade. Since the abbanniata is c o m m o n t o a l l m a r k e t traders, it's worth delving deeper into this tradition. Selling well is an art, and for the market traders, who not only have to offer quality goods but also competitive prices, it's essential: with shops and stalls almost side homes were often also used a s s h o p s . T h e m a r k e t expanded in the 15th centu- ry to include butcher shops after the Bocceria Grande (now Vucciria) was trans- formed into a fruit and veg- e t a b l e m a r k e t . T h e m a i n entrance to the Capo is still at Porta Carini, where the original gate remains. Along its central axis, you'll still find an impressive array of fish and seafood, as well as fruits, vegetables, and sea- sonal produce. The proximi- ty to nearby gardens once added to the market's offer- i n g s , a n d t h e p u n g e n t smells, combined with the cries of vendors using the traditional abbanniata (a sort of sing-song chant used t o p r o m o t e g o o d s ) , s t i l l tempt the palate today. The abbanniata—a primitive but b y s i d e , c o m p e t i t i o n i s fierce. The term abbanniata has various possible origins: f r o m t h e L a t i n b a n n u m (announcement or edict), f r o m t h e G o t h i c b a n d w o (sign), or perhaps from the Sicilian banna (place). All interpretations are debat- able. S t a y i n g i n t h e h i s t o r i c center, we come across the Vucciria market. This mar- ket is also vast, with its bor- ders formed by Via Roma ( o n e o f t h e c i t y ' s m a i n streets), Piazza San Domeni- co (home to Palermo's Pan- t h e o n ) , C o r s o V i t t o r i o Emanuele (also known as C a s s a r o ) , a n d e x t e n d i n g towards the Castello a Mare. T h e h e a r t o f V u c c i r i a i s Piazza Caracciolo, named a f t e r V i c e r o y C a r a c c i o l o , w h o i n 1 7 8 3 a d o r n e d t h e m a r k e t w i t h a r c a d e s a n d masonry shops. The name V u c c i r i a c o m e s f r o m t h e French boucherie (butcher shop), as it was originally a m e a t m a r k e t . O n c e t h e butchers moved elsewhere, it became a fruit and veg- e t a b l e m a r k e t . L a t e r , i t m e r g e d w i t h t h e n e a r b y Logge district, Garraffello, where Genoese, Pisan, and Catalan merchants had set- tled. Today, the Cervantes Institute, of clear Spanish o r i g i n , i s h o u s e d i n t h e Church of Santa Eulalia dei Catalani on Via Argenteria Nuova. T h e s t r e e t s w i t h i n t h e m a r k e t a r e o f t e n n a m e d a f t e r t h e a r t i s a n s w h o worked there, such as Via Maccheronai (where pasta m a k e r s o n c e h a d t h e i r shops), Via dei Coltellieri (knife makers), and Via dei Pannieri (where cloth was produced). I n n o r t h e r n P a l e r m o , a n o t h e r m a r k e t , B o r g o Vecchio, also thrives, partly due to its proximity to the Politeama Theatre. The mar- ket stretches towards the port, offering an array of fresh produce—fruits, veg- e t a b l e s , m e a t , f i s h — a n d large, tempting displays of olives, arranged in pyramid- like mounds topped with red chilies, rosemary sprigs, or g a r l i c , d e p e n d i n g o n t h e v a r i e t y . T h e a r e a i s a l s o home to several mechanical w o r k s h o p s a n d a r t i s a n s w o r k i n g w i t h w o o d a n d metal. Albergheria neighborhood, where the Maltempo River once flowed, small markets once stood—though they no l o n g e r e x i s t t o d a y — n e a r a r e a s w h e r e o i l w a s p r o - d u c e d . E v i d e n c e o f t h i s remains in street names, such as Via Trappetazzo, named after the trappeto (olive press) that used to be there. T h e C a p o m a r k e t , ( C a p u t S e r a l c a d i ) d e v e l - oped in the upper part of the district known as degli Schi- avoni (Harat-as-Saqalibah) and was established outside the city walls, like the five districts that made up the "Borgo,"which was the area where the Muslims—who made up the majority of the district's population after the Norman conquest—were engaged in trade, and their P a l e r m o , a city o f a t h o u s a n d c o l o r s , a t h o u - s a n d f l a v o r s , a thousand noble palaces, a thousand church- es, and a thousand monu- ments; multicultural, a safe haven for foreigners of any race, any origin, any faith. In short, an open-air market- place where not only materi- al goods but also ideas, cus- t o m s , a n d h a b i t s a r e e x c h a n g e d — i n e s s e n c e , everything that defines cul- ture. From the broader concept of a marketplace to the actu- al, physical markets, the con- nection is short. We might e v e n s a y t h a t t h e G r e e k Agora was, in a way, also a market in its widest sense, as people gathered to discuss politics, art, culture, and, of c o u r s e , b u s i n e s s . T h i s i s m u c h l i k e w h a t h a p p e n s today in markets around the world. So let's explore the historic markets of Sici- ly's capital, Palermo—a c i t y t h a t h a s a l w a y s w e l - comed both commercial and cultural exchange. Over the centuries, each market has t a k e n o n i t s o w n u n i q u e character based on its pur- pose. T a k e B a l l a r ò , f o r i n s t a n c e , w h i c h e m e r g e d o u t s i d e t h e w a l l s o f t h e Punic-Roman fortress and is now one of the largest mar- k e t s w i t h m u l t i p l e a c c e s s points. It spans a vast area filled with shops, stalls, tav- erns, and street vendors with their carts. In the medieval neighborhood of Alberghe- ria, where Ballarò is located, rebels from Centuripe and Capizzi were settled by order of Frederick II. The name Ballarò is believed to have Arabic origins, from segel- ballareth, meaning "place of the fair." However, another theory links its name to the agricultural village of Bahara (now Baida, a hill southeast o f P a l e r m o ) , w h e r e m e r - chants sourced fruits and v e g e t a b l e s . O v e r t h e c e n - turies, the market expanded, and even the streets were widened to allow large, mer- chandise-laden carts to pass through. W i t h i n t h e s a m e TERESA DI FRESCO The soul of Palermo is in its markets The Ballarò market (Photo: Dudlajzov/Dreamstime) ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS PEOPLE ACTIVITIES

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