Let's time travel for a moment, back to medieval Sicily, when the secret sect known as Beati Paoli walked the streets — and the secret tunnles! — of Palermo. The Beati Paoli were Palermo's very own Robin Hood; black-hooded men of mystery waging a secret revolutionary struggle against the Catholic Church and other athorities .
Located in Palermo and named after "Beato Paola," Saint Francis of Paolo, the Beati Paoli were a group of hooded "avengers" who defended common people against the Inquisition, spies, and the government.
The Beati Paoli were headquartered in the Capo district of Palermo. The same Capo that is today home to many of our favorite street food vendors. They used a vast array of tunnels, sewers and hidden passageways to secretly navigate the city. Due to the sensitive and dangerous nature of their work, they protected their identities by wearing black hooded cloaks and operated only at night.
The historical evidence is hazy about what really happened to the Beati Paoli. Did they fade from power as they failed to achieve their goals? Did their struggle between conspirators in Sicily and the government span not decades but centuries? It is very difficult to establish the historical truth of this sect, but the setting is real: the old Palermo; Capo Market and its underground tunnels.