The neighbourhoods of Palermo

Each of Palermo's three old markets lies in a different one of the four districts that meet at the Quattro Canti. Ballarò is in the Albergheria, Vucciria in Castellammare, and Il Capo in the Seralcadi. Entry to all three is free.

Ballarò — the Albergheria, the biggest market

Ballarò is the heart of the Albergheria district and runs along Via Ballarò to Corso Tukory and Casa Professa. It most likely began under Arab rule, in the tenth century, and the present layout dates from 1468. The name is explained in several ways, from the village of Bahlara near Monreale to an Arabic phrase for a market. Entry: free (entry); food and goods paid separately.

FoodWhat is eaten from the hand at the market, with prices:What to eat in Palermo →

Vucciria — Castellammare, the market for the evening

Vucciria is in the Castellammare district, between the church of San Domenico to the north, Via Roma to the west and Via Vittorio Emanuele to the south. The origin of the name is unclear: it is tied either to voice, for the merchants' din, or to the French boucherie, a butcher's shop. The buildings are decayed and covered in graffiti, but the market draws tourists and its many places stay open late into the evening. Piazza Garraffello and Piazza Caracciolo are here, and by the church of Sant'Eulalia dei Catalani stands one of the oldest sculptures of the Genius of Palermo.

Where to stayWhat it means to sleep in Castellammare, and what in the Kalsa:Where to stay in Palermo →

Il Capo — the Seralcadi, the market for fish

The name Il Capo comes from the Latin Caput Seralcadi, a name with an Arabic root meaning the start of the road that leads to the judge, the qadi. The market spreads around Via Cappuccinelle, Via Beati Paoli, Via Sant'Agostino and Via Porta Carini, and the main entrance is the fourteenth-century Porta Carini, next to the Palazzo di Giustizia. Of the three markets, Il Capo is the one most for fish, but fruit, vegetables, spices and meat are sold too. In Via Sant'Agostino they sell clothes: dresses, underwear and shoes.

3 daysWhere the market goes in the plan: day three, before the tickets that keep hours:Palermo in 3 days →

Day tripsIf the market is enough for a day and a trip is not:Day trips from Palermo →

Getting aroundHow to reach each of the three markets from the station:Getting around Palermo →

BudgetWhat a market costs, and what it does not:What Palermo costs →

When to goWhether the season changes a market walk:The best time to visit Palermo →

BeachesAfter the market, the sea:Beaches in Palermo →