4 Best Shopping in Palermo, Sicily

The charming "Mamma Andrea's Small Sins" sells a plethora of mouthwatering original creations, including jams, preserves, chocolates, and Sicilian treats like the superb marzipan frutta martorana (fruits and vegetables).

The coppola, or flat cap, is as Sicilian as cassata ice cream, though this traditional workingman's headwear has become something of a rarity in recent decades. Here, though, it makes a triumphant revival, lovingly transformed into something more akin to a fashion accessory while retaining its original style and function. You'll find every variation of it in this shop, from the sober and utilitarian to the colorful and outrageous, but always "handmade in Sicily" and even made to order.

The Argento family has been in the puppet business since the late 19th century, and the tradition is alive and well in the hands of Vincenzo, whom you can see at work in his tiny workshop, or laboratorio artistico, near the Cathedral. Here you will find puppets in all stages of production, with plenty of examples for sale in all their finery.