The oldest market in Palermo is Ballarò. It extends from Piazza Casa Professa to Corso Tukory towards Porta Sant'Agata. Its name probably derives from Bahlara, a village near Monreale from where the Arab merchants came from. It is the most frequented by the inhabitants of Palermo and therefore represents the right destination for those who want to discover and learn more about the local inhabitants. Used for the sale of fruit, vegetables, meat and fish, there are also counters for household items and cooked food shops.
This is because Ballarò remains open until late afternoon, the moment of the day when there are people who buy dinner before returning home. The "abbanniate" - the shouts of the sellers - attract buyers, simple curious and tourists to whom we recommend buying some typical specialities of Palermo and Sicilian cuisine: boiled or baked onions, panelle, cazzilli (potato croquettes), boiled vegetables, octopus and “quarume” (veal entrails) are sold in many stalls.
Another historical market of Palermo is Vucciria. Located within the Castellammare district, it stretches between Via Roma, Cala, Cassaro, Piazza del Garraffello, new Via Argenteria, Piazza Caracciolo and Via Maccheronai. Its name derives from the French “boucherie”, that is the butchery, the only initial activity on the market. In Sicilian "Vucciria" means confusion, that of the voices of the sellers who overlap the buyers' requests creating a picturesque mixture, typical of the Palermo markets. After the initial phase, the market was expanded by joining the butchers also the sale of fish, fruit and vegetables, this thanks to the proximity to one of the maritime landing places of the merchants. Today the Vucciria is a pleasant and suggestive place, where the "balate" (the marble slabs on which the goods for sale are placed inside the stalls) overflow with products, and enchant for the colors and perfumes.
Il Capo is the third market not to be missed during a holiday in Palermo. Located in the homonymous and ancient popular district, it extends along Via Carini and Beati Paoli, Via di Sant'Agostino and Via Cappuccinelle. It is probably the most folkloristic of the city, thanks to the incessant vocation of the vendors, to the “cantilena” in the Palermo dialect that can be heard near each desk, and to the endless negotiations to get a discount or a lower price than the one exposed. Open every day, and always quite crowded, it is one of the most important foodstuffs in Palermo: here you can find everything from meat to fish, from vegetables to fruit. We also recommend taking a trip to the markets of Borgo Vecchio, between Piazza Sturzo and Piazza Ucciardone, the only one open until late at night and a meeting place for many young people; market of Lattarini located in the heart of the Kalsa district, originally a place where spices were sold; at the “Mercato delle Pulci”, permanent exhibition of Sicilian and Italian antiques, located near the Cathedral of Palermo, next to Piazza del Papireto.
