“Moor heads” or “teste di moro” are colorful, ceramic vases that represent the face of a man and a woman, with a solemn crown. A quite common feature of terraces and gardens in big and small towns in Sicily, they are made by skilled local craftspeople and have spread across Italy over time. The most famous ones are from Caltagirone, a center of excellence for fine ceramics.

Despite their popularity, few people know these precious vases have a long history that intertwines with legend. Some say that around the 11th century, in Palermo’s Arab quarters – then known as Al-Halisah (that is, “the elected one”, “the pure one”), and now as La Kalsa – there was a beautiful, shy girl who kept to herself and loved taking care of the flowers on her balcony.