Palermo: Pura vita
When Ι found out Ι was going to Palermo for the project: PATTERNs — PsychosociAl inTerventions with youTh in EmErgency Situations, Ι was so excited but also Ι did not know much about the city and the culture there. Luckily, Ι was able to discover the beauty of the town and learn a lot of historical stuff. Palermo is an old city's entire history.
When Ι arrived in Palermo, the first thing that I wanted to do was go for a walk, explore the streets, and see how the locals lived. Indeed, I realized that I was lost in the narrow streets of Palermo: local markets, pubs, shops, and a lot of people just walking or shopping. In addition, Ι found out that Italians love to drink Aperol; it was everywhere.
In the morning, we used to get together at a place called “Cre.Zi.plus”, an old naval industry, as they told us. This place was abandoned for years, but some great people, in collaboration with the municipality, were able to reconstruct a spacious cultural place. Inside this artistic place, you can find local schools that are related to art. The most important thing about this place is that it is open to all people, especially the poor people who live next to it. It's a really beautiful place, with great paintings and good vibes.
Talking about history without mentioning Palermo is a shame. Cosa Nostra, also referred to as simply Mafia, “was born” in Palermo. “The Maxi Trial” was a criminal trial that took place in Palermo back in the 90s against the Italian Mafia. It was held in a bunker-style courthouse specially constructed for this purpose inside the walls of the Ucciardone prison. We visited this imposing courthouse, and you can still feel the importance of this trial.
Last but not least, I managed to watch a football match at the stadium Renzo Barbera, home of the local team, Palermo Fc. It was a remarkable experience because it was my first time being with over 25.000 people inside the stadium. Unfortunately, the local team lost, but I enjoyed the game, and the atmosphere was amazing by the “Tifosi.” “Forza Palermo”.
I have revisited Italy, but Ι have never visited southern Italy. In the south, Ι feel that they are different comparatively to the north. The people are more similar to us: Greeks. So Ι was feeling like Ι was at home. Maybe it’s the Mediterranean thing!
In conclusion, the nightlife in Palermo is great. You can find many pubs or bars for cocktails, etc.…, but the most common thing in Palermo is that at night, people get together and dance outside. If you want to party, you have to visit Piazza Sant’ Anna and La Vuciria, especially at night. My friends and I were thankful to meet there. We had the chance to go to these places, and we had a lot of fun.
