Sottosuono - Underground Concert at the Muchate Arabe

A concert in the bowels of Palermo

Sottosuono is one of the most original cultural offerings in Palermo, the capital of Sicily. It is an underground concert held inside the Muchate Arabe, the ancient quarries carved into the city's subsoil near the Fiera del Mediterraneo. In an environment suspended outside of time, illuminated only by a few lights, music and words merge into a sensory experience that leaves a lasting impression.

Pierpaolo Petta and the accordion

The heart of the evening is the accordion of Pierpaolo Petta, a musician and composer of Arbëreshë origin who has performed on prestigious stages such as the Teatro Massimo in Palermo. His instrument accompanies short literary passages, creating an intimate dialogue between sound and word that fills the rock-hewn tunnels. The natural acoustics of the quarry amplify every note, offering a focused and profound listening experience.

The Muchate Arabe

The Muchate Arabe make up the most extensive network of underground quarries in Palermo: a dense web of tunnels that, according to scholars, stretched for kilometers from the Papireto area to Ciaculli. The exploitation of the subsoil dates back over two thousand years, but it was during the Arab-Norman era that the city's rapid urban expansion drove the massive extraction of calcarenite, the stone used to build many civil and religious buildings. Descending into these spaces today means traversing the layered history of Palermo.

The experience

The audience is accompanied underground with a protective helmet and guided along an evocative path. At the end of the concert, a tasting of Duca di Salaparuta red wine is provided, crowning an evening that combines music, literature, archaeology, and taste. The event is intimate and limited to a small number of guests; it is not suitable for children under 12.

Organization

Sottosuono is organized by the tourism cooperative Terradamare together with GreenSicily Outdoor, entities active in the promotion of the underground and naturalistic heritage of the Palermo province and Sicily. The event is part of the rich calendar of visits and experiences that the two organizations dedicate to the Muchate Arabe throughout the year.