Print

Palermo NO mafia - REGENERATION

More than a tour: a journey into today’s Palermo, between tourism boom, mafia legacy, and models of urban regeneration.

Highlights

  • Discover grassroots urban regeneration projects
  • Visit the Addiopizzo Committee headquarters, a property once owned by the mafia
  • Hear the personal story of a local artisan who is part of the pizzo-free network
  • Enjoy a glass of wine and authentic conversation with those offering heartfelt hospitality
  • Choose ethical and responsible tourism as part of your day in Palermo

DISCOVER PALERMO AS IT IS TODAY

A walking tour through Palermo’s Kalsa and Vucciria districts, where striking social and urban transformations reveal the city’s ongoing efforts in regeneration and resistance to mafia influence.

Over the course of three hours, we’ll explore places where change is happening, culminating in an aperitif with local products and the voices of those who dedicate their lives to making Palermo a better place. A meaningful and participatory experience in the heart of the city.

WELCOME TO ADDIOPIZZO HEADQUARTERS

We begin at the Addiopizzo Committee headquarters, a former mafia property turned into a cultural hub—a vibrant space that now serves young people, families, students, and travelers from across the globe.

KALSA AREA, WHERE FALCONE AND BORSELLINO WERE BORN

From there, we walk to Piazza Magione, a restored green space that hosts street education initiatives for youth in the neighborhood. Along the way, we stop at the memorial dedicated to the Judge Falcone and the nearby former Borsellino Pharmacy, now turned into "Casa di Paolo".

Artisans against gentrification in the old Palermo

Then we visit the workshop of a local artisan affiliated with both Alab and Addiopizzo networks, and we take a break in the small square facing the Antica Focacceria San Francesco, whose former owner was one of the first in Palermo to publicly denounce mafia extortion.

Wine tasting at Maravigghia tourist hub

Leaving the Kalsa, we enter the area around the old Vucciria market—an evocative mix of street art, crumbling buildings, and newly restored façades. We end our tour at Maravigghia, a hospitality hub and much more, where we’ll share a glass of wine and taste local specialties with the passionate people behind this unique place.