The NO MAFIA MEMORIAL museum in Palermo explains the movement against the murdering mafia bullies by those who lived in terror. The anti-mafia movement developed despite police, judges and law enforcers being killed. The high number of victims and the daily violence was a period of dread that they remember passionately as it is in the near past. At its peak, the value of the drug trade was higher than the city’s income in other areas. The museum is in the historic Gulì Palace, next to the tourist information office, just up from Spring Corner or Quattro Canti. The crossroads is the traditional centre of Palermo which you will no doubt go to at some point, as it is the ornate intersection of Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Via Maqueda.
The ancient palace was the home of the Gulì family. They were generations of pastry chefs, who at the end of 1800 reinvented the Sicilian cassata. Today, it houses the museum, managed by the CSD (Sicilian documentation centre) Giuseppe Impastato of Palermo, which through some photographic exhibitions deals with different themes: banditry, the history of the Giuliano gang, the massacre of Portella della Ginestra, up to the Mafia war and drug trafficking.
Particular attention is also paid to mafia crimes, state murders and the history of the anti-Mafia. A fundamental part of the museum is the one dedicated to the figure of Peppino Impastato. In addition, as the Memorial is a dynamic container in continuous evolution, the museum itinerary is integrated with new temporary exhibitions.
If you are the kind of person who does not normally read descriptions at museums, you may find you read these. It is an enjoyably informative stop. Please share or embed our videos.
Walking Tour
The Walking Tour is highly likely to sell out and is best booked in advance. In it you will…
- Walk through the streets of Palermo, the city of light and shade
- Discover the past, present and future of the anti-mafia movement
- Deepen your knowledge of the Mafia phenomenon beyond clichés and myths
Explore Teatro Massimo, the open-air market “Il Capo”, Piazza Della Memoria (Memorial dedicated to prosecutors and judges killed by the Mafia), Piazza Beati Paoli, the Cathedral, the City Hall, and Piazza Magione. Every stop will be a pause for reflection, a chance to mull over the realities of the Mafia and consider the civic movement against Mafioso power. Along the tour, you will meet shopkeepers who have said NO to paying the Pizzo, and who have subscribed to the ethical consumer campaign ‘Pago chi non Paga’ (I pay who does not pay). This campaign is promoted by Addiopizzo to support those that have decided to rebel against the Mafia. End the tour at Antica Focacceria San Francesco, one of the oldest restaurants in Palermo, famous for its ‘Cibo da Strada Palermitano’ (street food of Palermo). Learn about how the owners had the courage to speak out against extortion. Lunch is not included but if you decide to stay you can taste some specialties like, “pane con la Milza” (sandwich stuffed with beef spleen and ricotta cheese), “Arancine” (rice balls), “Panelle” (chickpea fritters), “Anelletti al Forno” (baked ring-shaped pasta), “Involtini di Melanzane” (eggplant rolls), “Sarde a Beccafico” (sardine rolls) and the famous Cannoli.
There is also a bike tour for No Mafia.
See our walking tour of Palermo – See our film of the Cathedral – See our film on Siracusa
