The Muslims were active traders, and Palermo's markets, which spill over into narrow alleys shaded by colorful awnings, still have an Arabic feel. Nothing else connects you with local life more than a visit to a bustling Palermo market.

The most famous market in Palermo -- and the best -- is La Vucciria. This is the one to visit if you have to skip all the rest. In Sicilian dialect, vucciria means "hubbub," or "voices," and that's what you hear here. The market spills onto the narrow side streets of Piazza San Domenico off Via Roma between Corso Vittorio Emanuele and the San Domenico Church.

This is one of Europe's great casbah-like markets, with mountains of food ranging from fresh swordfish steaks to all sorts of meat and recently harvested vegetables and fruits, reflecting the bounty of the Sicilian countryside. The array of such items as wild fennel, long-stemmed artichokes, blood oranges, giant octopus, and more, will astound you. This market trades Monday through Saturday until 2pm. Try to go before 10am when it's at its most frenetic and colorful. The markets below keep roughly the same hours.

If you're seized with market fever, you can also visit Mercato di Capo, a large street market that captures some of the spirit of the city's Saracen past. This market sprawls around the area of Chiesa di Sant'Agostino. Clothing stalls flank the streets of Via S. Agostino and Via Bandiera. The clothing here tends to be cheap and poorly made. More interesting is the food section off Via Volturno, which spreads along Via Beati Paoli and Via Porta Carini. The most colorful part of this market converges around Piazza Beati Paoli.

The stalls wind toward the old gate, Porta Carini, that used to be a part of the city wall surrounding Palermo. Much of the scene that takes place here still evokes the Beati Paoli stories, written in installments by Luigi Natoli before World War I. In Palermo, Natoli was as popular as Charles Dickens was in England.

The third great market of Palermo is Ballarò in the Albergheria district, found roughly between Piazza Carmine leading to Piazza Casa Professa and Piazza S. Chiazra. This is mainly a food market, with mountains of fruits and vegetables along with fishmongers and hawkers of discount clothing.

Feasting at the Markets--We like to visit the markets not only to look at the fabulous produce, but to enjoy some of the tastiest snacks in Sicily. It's a great way to have lunch as you graze from stall to stall.

Some visitors buy and eat chopped boiled octopus (purpu in Sicilian) as they stroll along -- that and delectable artichokes freshly brought in from the country and cooked. Of course, there is plenty of fresh baked bread and luscious vine-ripened fruit as well.

Many stalls hawk bread rolls filled with beef spleen or tripe. These are called pani cu' la meuza. This snack may be too ethnic for you unless you have an adventurous palate. If you do, dig in. These pani are often topped with fresh ricotta or a velvety cheese known as caciocavallo. Hot sauce is sprinkled on at the last moment.

You can also purchase absolutely delicious panelle (chickpea fritters) or calzoni (deep-fried meat- or cheese-filled pockets of dough).