The first impression of the Ortigia marketplace is that of an Arab souk.
Along with the market stalls filled with fruit and vegetables, meat, cheeses, and especially lots of fish, one can’t help noticing the monotonous tunes shouted by the merchants to attract and entertain customers.
The chants have a very precise name, in the local dialect of course: vanniate. History tells that in the past the vanniate weren’t only used to present goods and special offers, but also as a means of communication with the jail, not far away. Taking advantage of the confusion of voices from the market, the family members of the prisoners came there to deliver messages that had little to do with oranges and tuna, of course.
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