Palermo Melting Pot

Join the special atmosphere of the old center, walking around the old center and the colorful Albergheria area.

Palermo has ever been a crossing point for very different populations, which have left multiple signs in culture, language and even in the psisycal features of the local people. In the Middle age Palermo was an important model of co-habitation and cutural exchange between people with radically different religion, habits, food, that led to an extraordinary development of art and culture.

San Cataldo, Martorana Church, the Mesquita alley, the Cathedral: monuments in Palermo show a mixture of different styles that join together Byzantine, Arab and Spanish caracters.

Ballarò market is one of the most interesting district of Palermo and the right place where to find the multi-ethnic community: in an area where more than 30 different languages are spoken, lots of grass root organization are promoting diversity as a positive value, and work for integration, also providing equal access to the employment market for migrants and vulnerable people.

Addiopizzo NGO has played a crucial role in the integration process, supporting a group of Bengali shopkeepers in reporting extortions against the local mafia.