Solimano & Roxelana

The legend says that in the Kalsa, an Arabic district of Palermo, lived a beautiful maiden who spent her days taking care of the flowers she cultivated in her garden. One day, a young arabic soldier, noticed her while she looked after her plants and he desperately fell in love with her. After declaring immediately his love the young maiden, struck by his daring, returned his feelings. Unfortunately, the mysterious stranger was already married. And as our Sicilian Judith found out that her beloved wanted to return to his bride in the Orient, she waited for the night to come and cut off his head, making it become a flower pot. She planted basil in this special vase and put it out on the balcony for everyone to see. The basil, watered by the maiden’s tears, grew luxuriantly and the inhabitants of the Kalsa, not to be outdone, had their own earthenware vases in the shape of an oriental head (they called them Teste di moro) manufactured for them.