Whenever I take guests for their first walk through Mercato del Capo, I introduce them to Pupa du Capo, which in Sicilian means “the girl of Capo.”
Sadly, it is no longer possible to experience this place in its original form. Yet with a little imagination, it is still possible to glimpse something reminiscent of Klimt on Palermo’s historic market.
From the beginning of the twentieth century until 2013—more than a hundred years—the Morello bakery was adorned with a famous mosaic depicting Demeter, the goddess of wheat. There are several different stories explaining how it came to be there, but my favorite begins with a love story.
A young woman from a noble family fell in love with a simple baker named Salvatore Morello. Her father was not pleased, yet he eventually allowed his daughter to marry him. As a wedding gift, he decided to give the bakery a magnificent golden mosaic that would make it stand out from all the others.
Local residents call it Pupa du Capo, and to this day they remain proud of this landmark.
Unfortunately, because the building became structurally unsafe, the bakery was closed and the mosaic was removed for restoration. It was transferred to Palazzo Ajutamicristo, to the premises of Palermo’s Superintendency for Cultural Heritage, where it remains inaccessible to the public.
Yet visitors to Mercato del Capo can still see a reproduction beneath the sign of Panificio Morello and imagine the original mosaic shining in gold beneath the Palermo sun.