The Vucciria

The Vucciria market, one of the oldest in Palermo, is definitely a must-see in Palermo: it is a historic market, small but very folkloric, where you can admire, breathe, savor, and listen to Palermo. Yes, because the very name "Vucciria," for the people of Palermo, is synonymous with "confusion": that loud and chaotic chatter typical of the market, where the shouts and calls of the sellers overlap. In reality, the origin of the name comes from the Italianization and transformation of the French "boucherie" (butcher shop), dating back to when the Angevin dynasty, between 1266 and 1282, designated the place for slaughtering and selling meat.

Later, at the Vucciria market, they began to sell vegetables, especially leafy greens, so the market began to be called "Bocceria della foglia," while its proximity to the port naturally led to the trade of fish.
The considerable flow of people attracted by the fresh goods caught the attention of merchants and artisans from Pisa, Venice, Genoa, Amalfi, and other maritime cities. The former brought spices and rare and precious goods, while the artisans set up their workshops nearby: the names of the adjacent streets—Argenteria, Dei Tintori, Dei Cassari, Dei Coltellieri, etc.—still bear traces of their activities.
The construction of the central fountain in Piazza Caracciolo, so renamed by Viceroy Caracciolo himself in 1783, and the building of the arcades, marked the glorious future of the Vucciria market, which to this day remains one of the most picturesque places in Palermo.
Currently, you can buy everything there and, of course, the products of Sicily's fertile land and the ingredients of Sicilian cuisine are not lacking: from citrus fruits to pistachios, spices and aromatic herbs, and then wine, chocolate, almond paste, oil. But the list would be too long; it is by visiting the market that you can discover objects, products, and foods, even to be consumed on the spot: must-haves like arancine and pizzotti, but also lesser-known items from the Sicilian tradition and street food, which, however, the people of Palermo know and appreciate.

The neighborhood market of Vucciria has its center in Piazza Caracciolo and winds through the adjacent streets and alleys, between Via Roma and the Port, right in the historic center and close to Palermo's main tourist attractions. If you are staying in the city center, such as at the Residenza dell'Alloro, already immersed in the spirit and picturesque beauty of Palermo, a "jump" to the Market is a must. In fact, an itinerary to discover the center could ideally start and end right here, without ever getting bored.
From late afternoon until late at night, in fact, in the same spaces, the rhythm changes, and the Market is tinged with new colors, those of Palermo's nightlife. Rhythms and colors so intense, even a bit alternative, that they make you forget the picturesque atmospheres of the morning. Then the Vucciria is no longer a real market where you buy goods, but a hive of venues where you can enjoy aperitifs, sit down to eat in restaurants and trattorias, or continue to taste typical low-cost Palermo street food: stigghiole (grilled lamb intestines) or freshly fried octopus seasoned with a few drops of lemon to be eaten hot on the spot, for vegetarians the famous chickpea flour panelle, and much more.
In essence, the Vucciria transforms into one of the places to spend a cheerful evening, in the heart of Palermo, rich in history, but alive and pulsating.

A curiosity about the Market is a saying used in Palermo to indicate something unattainable: "quannu s’asciucanu i balati ra Vucciria," that is, when the floor of the Vucciria dries. The irony comes from the need of the fishmongers to constantly spray water and ice on the fish to keep it fresh, a condition that means the market floor is always wet.

The particular chromatic liveliness of the Vucciria market inspired the famous painter Renato Guttuso, who in 1974 created a painting dedicated precisely to this special lively and popular corner of Palermo. The painting, considered the most famous by the Sicilian painter, is exhibited in Palazzo Chiaramonte (or Steri) in Palermo. Going to see it can be an alternative way to admire the Market, through the eyes of an artist.