Europe

[Visited: September 2020]

Starting from Quattro Canti, walking both Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Via Maqueda, you mostly see large palaces, giving the streets an air of importance and elegance. When rain forces me to seek shelter, I decide to dive into one of the side streets, turn a corner, and walk a narrow alley where I find a restaurant. After a lovely lunch, I find that the rain has stopped, and head towards the Albergheria neighbourhood. Leaving the imposing palaces behind, I soon walk in narrow alleys and streets, lined by buildings that look like they are falling apart, laundry hanging from their small balconies to dry in the air. Then, the small streets open up for the big Il Gesù church. I walk further south, and find the Ballarò market that my hosts had advised to see as the biggest market in town. It is still busy, but I can see that some parts have already closed: I will be back for more.
After the more organised, touristy parts of Palermo, that reminded me of other cities in Italy, the heart of Albergheria clearly is a completely different matter. I hear people talk and shout to each other in a language I do not understand, I see a colourful mix of people with Italian traits, Arabs, Africans, Asians: I feel I am in a Mediterranean melting pot, a very different world than the one I saw just a few minutes' walk back. It confirms the multi-cultural image I got when visiting churches here, where the rich history of Palermo and Sicily are exemplified by architectural details and styles. But this is the present, this is living proof that Palermo still is a mediterranean mix. I walk towards the west, see the old Sant'Agata city gate, see more churches from the outside, see a small square where kids are playing football, and then see the mighty Palazzo dei Normanni tower over the tiny streets of Albergheria.
Palermo is full of city sights, where you can see brilliant displays of its fascinating history in architecture and in items on display in museums. But what makes Palermo equally attractive to me, is just walking around Albergheria (or Kalsa, Vucciria, or Capo, the other historic districts) and savour the present-day life. Chaotic, hectic, dirty, noisy: yes, and those ingredients are exactly what make the old part of Palermo so addictive. I keep on coming back, see the Ballarò market at full swing in the early morning, the air filled with shouting marketmen, stalls dedicated only to selling cheese or tomatoes, or octopus, steamed on the spot, or huge swordfish, fruits, spices, and much, much more. On Sunday morning, I find a flea market as an extension to the market, stretching all the way west almost to the Palazzo dei Normanni. Up to the last day, I discover streets and alleys I had not seen before, just like I am sure that on a future visit, I will find more spots I have missed this time.

Around the World in 80 Clicks

Personal travel impressions both in words and images from Albergheria (Italy). Clicking on the pictures enlarges them and enables you to send the picture as a free e-card or download it for personal use, for instance, on your weblog. Or click on the map above to visit more places close to Albergheria.
Read more about this site.
Book your hotel in Palermo

Book a hotel near Albergheria, Palermo, Italy with low prices for all kinds of hotels - without reservation fees.

Albergheria > Italy > Europe

[Visited: September 2020]

Around the World in 80 Clicks

Book your hotel in Palermo