(also ''frutta di Martorana'' or, in
Sicilian, ) are traditional
marzipan sweets, in the form of fruits and vegetables, from the provinces of
Palermo and
Messina
Messina (, also , ) is a harbour city and the capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of more than 219,000 inhabitants in t ...
,
.
Realistically coloured with vegetable dyes, they are said to have originated at the
Monastero della Martorana, Palermo, when nuns decorated empty fruit trees with marzipan fruit to impress an archbishop visiting at
Easter. They are traditionally put by children's bedsides on
All Souls' Day
All Souls' Day, also called ''The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed'', is a day of prayer and remembrance for the faithful departed, observed by certain Christian denominations on 2 November. Through prayer, intercessions, alms and ...
.
See also
*
List of Sicilian dishes
This is a list of Sicilian dishes and foods. Sicilian cuisine shows traces of all the cultures which established themselves on the island of Sicily over the last two millennia. Although its cuisine has much in common with Italian cuisine, Sicilia ...
*
References
External links
Martorana fruit{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050227233539/http://regnodelsole.it/english/prod_martorana.htm , date=2005-02-27 Commercial page with image
Italian confectionery
Cuisine of Sicily
Marzipan