Stories

In the courtyards of Capo, you can find street art dedicated to a legendary local figure, Nino U Sciupa. When he was young, he loved women and the good life. Later he got married, and he and his wife adopted two children born to prostitutes. In old age, when he was very poor, he collected things people had thrown away in the street, sold them at the Ballarò market, and used the money to buy food and clothes for African mothers and children.

The abandoned Chiesa di Sant’Agata alla Guilla has a history on this site going back to the 12th century, and many stories are connected with it. The most famous is about a gambler who, after losing his money, stabbed an image of the Madonna and Child, after which the Madonna began to bleed. The man was hanged from a stone that miraculously appeared on the wall of the house opposite. In the 15th century, there was a convent here for prostitutes, and in the 21st century, a marijuana plantation.

On a wall in Capo, there’s still a message dedicated to a man who helped children survive the war with donkey milk. Local legend says that years later, one of those children came back to Palermo from America to thank him. He was too late — the milkman had already died — so he left the message on the wall instead.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, Oratorio dei Bianchi was home to the Compagnia del Santissimo Crocifisso — the “White Brothers”, who accompanied prisoners sentenced to death through the last three days of their lives. They talked to them, helped them make peace with their fate and their loved ones, accompanied them to their execution, and later took care of their burial.

The Theatines had an unusual rule: they were forbidden to own land, earn an income or even beg for alms. They lived entirely on what people chose to give them. If there was no food one day, the monks simply fasted and waited — they called it complete trust in Divine Providence. Saint Cajetan, one of the founders of the order, was particularly strict about following this rule. He later became the patron saint of people looking for work and those facing financial difficulties.

In Piazza Politeama, there’s a small bronze sculpture called “The Homeless”, showing two boys. According to the legend, on a cold winter day they managed to collect a little money — enough either for two worn-out jackets or for a very modest dinner. Unable to choose between warmth and food, they split the money: one ate, the other bought a jacket. The first died from the cold that same night, while the second stayed warm and survived — giving him another chance to find food.

At the very beginning of Ballarò Market, there’s a tiny alley named after one of the most mysterious people ever born in Palermo — Count Cagliostro. A great adventurer, a brilliant con man, an alchemist, a healer, or simply someone who knew how to tell a convincing story.

Passeggiata delle Cattive means “the prisoners’ promenade.” This long terrace above the Foro Italico was once created especially for widows — women considered “prisoners” of mourning, who were not supposed to enjoy the usual pleasures of life.