Elegant strolling at the market in Palermo by Silva Wischeropp

About "Elegant strolling at the market in Palermo"

by Silva Wischeropp

About the artwork

This elegant street scene was taken during my photo trip on 13 July 2019 in the Sicilian capital Palermo. Two women stroll relaxed and leisurely through the weekly market in the Ballaro district.
The Ballarò market has been in existence for over 1,000 years and is the most picturesque street market in the Sicilian capital and arguably one of the liveliest in Europe.
The lively market is located in the multicultural and multilingual neighbourhood of Albergheria. Besides Arabic, you will therefore also hear many other languages here. The Ballarò market got its name from the nearby village of Bahlara, which was home to merchants of the Arab domination and where the goods for sale came from. It is visited by hundreds of people every day and when you enter the market you are constantly accompanied by the loud and often quite colourful shouts of the various merchants inviting you to buy their goods.
This quaint invitation is called "abbanniata" in the Palermo dialect. And indeed, listening to this "folk music" typical of historical markets is part of the spectacle.
Ballaró is famous for selling products from the Palermo countryside. It is mainly a food market selling fruit, vegetables, meat and fish.
If you have had enough browsing and need a little break, you can take a seat at one of the many small wooden tables and try one of the local specialities.
At the market there are many ready-cooked dishes and street foods that are typical of Palermo cuisine. How about a fried aubergine stuffed with meat or cheese, for example?