Our Second Day in Palermo - Falcone and Borsellino Museum

We were so exhausted from the previous day that we were planning to stay in our room and not go anywhere in the evening. But then our feet dragged us outside again. We went to the new shopping center Molo, which had been recommended to us multiple times. We watched a short dancing fountain show. They told us that because of this show, people now call Palermo Little Dubai. It was a cute show, I liked it. But of course it was modest. And we had a nice dinner, just grabbing a light bite.

On a new day we went to the courthouse Tribunale, to visit Bunkerino or the little bunker, which is dedicated to Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, two highly important judges for modern Italian history. Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino are the two greatest figures for modern Italian history. Both are Sicilian. They were born and raised here in Palermo and became childhod friends. When they grew up, they became judges and fought against the Sicilian mafia. Unfortunately their struggle ended with assasinations they suffered just a few months apart from each other. Of course, this was a great tragedy for the whole of Italy. These two people are still remembered as heroes of the Italian Republic. A museum has been established in their memory at the Palace of Justice in Palermo, the city where they were born.

Taking photos is banned in the courthouse, but inside the museum is permitted. During the museum visit, you see the actual offices of Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, with all their furniture preserved, including the scientific tools they used during the investigations in the 80s and 90s. The visit organization is run by a private foundation, the Falcone and Borsellino Foundation. To visit this museum, you need to write to the e-mail address specified on the website of the city court. The tour is conducted in Italian, even with a bit of a Sicilian accent. Therefore it can be challenging for those who are new to learning the language. However, from what I understood from our guide, he was also fluent in English. And btw visiting this museum is completely free of charge. Very interesting exhibits were shown, including the personal belongings of Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino. It was quite an emotional visit. I definitely recomend it to anyone interested in Italian history and the history of the struggle against Cosa Nostra.

Then it was time for lunch. We were very close to Mercato del Capo, the famous Palermo market. We went inside to see how things worked there and tried the fish cuisine of Sicily once again.

While walking through this market, your stomach gets full anyway because they offer you something in front of every stall and invite you inside. Alright, I have decided to live here, everything was so delicious

We sat at a table in the market. Here the ordering is done as follows. You walk along all the food stalls and order whatever catches your eye and whatever you want to try. Everything was so delicious, friends, I sat there thinking about how much space was left in my esophagus and how many more swordfish meatballs could fit inside it! We were so full, but still, I would have liked to eat one or two more.

Lunch was exquisite and unforgettable. Then we went for another walk in Palermo and headed towards the Capuchin Catacombs or Catacombe dei Cappuccini. The Capuchin Friars Order was founded in the fifteenth century. They went down in history with their arangements of underground tombs, crypts, based on the idea of Memento Mori, meaning remember you will die. The characteristic of these tombs is the explicit display of human bones and bodies. There is a famous saying that inspired the Capuchins while displaying the bodies of their deceased brothers. I was once as you are now and you will one day be as I am now.

We went to examine a crypt. Actually there are two biggest and most famous of these in Italy. The first and probably the most famous one is in Rome and the second is right here, in the city of Palermo. We arrived close to the opening time, but a queue had already formed. First of all I must say that the atmosphere and environment inside are quite creepy. Therefore I would not really recommend highly sensitive people to go there. Overall it is an extremely touristy place. There are too many people and people are not always conscious of where they have come. They come to look as if they are looking at a shop window. In my opinion one should go there close to the closing time rather than at the opening hour, in the morning or right after noon. Then there would be fewer people and the whole atmosphere prompts one to reflect and observe.

I will continue to tell our Palermo adventures. See you soon friends.