Every morning I wake up to Salvatore’s abbanniate — the traditional Sicilian street vendors’ calls used to attract customers and keep them entertained. Once I told him, “Salvatore, you’re my alarm clock,” and ever since then he has started shouting a little later. So I always know what time it is.
For me, Ballarò is the soul and heart of this city. Anyone who wants to experience the true Sicilian spirit will find it here, in the old Ballarò market.
Almost a thousand years ago, this was the edge of the city. Near one of the market entrances, you can still find Porta Sant’Agata, one of the city gates from that time. Through these gates, vegetables, fruit and livestock entered Palermo. Even ten years ago, Ballarò was a place almost entirely for locals, far removed from the tourist scene. Today, any visitor can experience the rhythm, colours and flavours of Palermo simply by wandering through the narrow streets of Ballarò.
Although “wandering” may not be the right word. The streets of Ballarò are filled with people tasting, watching, singing and taking photographs. At the same time, scooters and bicycles somehow make their way through the crowd. And every time I find myself wondering: how is that even possible?
But that is exactly what Ballarò is. Palermo’s famous street food, an Aperol Spritz for three euros, fresh orange juice for one euro, ricotta made right before your eyes and immediately turned into a fresh cannolo filling. All of it accompanied by music, singing, shouting and the incredible spirit of the local people.
Trying to capture everything in a single short article is probably impossible. Some of my favourite and most unforgettable neighbours deserve stories of their own, and that would only be fair.
Right now, it is evening and Ballarò is asleep. But I know that at five in the morning trucks carrying meat and fish will start arriving in the heart of the market. After seven, the fruit and vegetable warehouses will begin to open. And after nine, everything will come fully to life.
And so it goes, every single day.