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The best option for shopping is in Via Roma, near the central station, full of shoe and clothes shops. Further along the street, behind the church of Sant'Antonio is the daily market of Vucciria that extends from the piazza down the various streets smelling from the remains of the fresh sea food. The best time to see enjoy this spectacle is early in the morning when the place is a hive of activity. Lunch time also makes for an interesting stroll when the vendors take a break to eat and play cards or rest among the fishtails. There are a few restaurants and interesting if simple bars with all manner of culinary delights. The market id delimited on the north by the church of San Domenico. The tombs of all of the famous Sicilians can be found here within the beautiful eighteenth century building. The church's claim to fame resides in the oratory in the form of a stucco work by Serpotta and an altarpiece by Van Dyck that he pained in 1628. The contrast in style between the old and the new is evidenced as you head down to the harbour and pass along the way the striking church of Santa Zita restored after damage during the war with its marvellous oratory with the Battle of Lepanto by Serpotta. The old harbour of La Cala was once the main port of Palermo but siliting in the sixteenth century caused the water to recede and so most of the activity of the port was moved northwards leaving only some minor fishing vessels here. |